YOGA
Back Row : Oscar Holm , Anita Vennell ( Coach ) Front Row : Lily Graham , Hollie Raven , Alexis Ormond
Junior Volleyball
Girls JA : HBSS League : 2nd Place Division 3 This is the second season that the core of this group has played together . They were joined by two promising Year 9 players and they quickly bonded to become a solid cohesive team . The focus was on a simple system supported by good basic skills . This worked pretty well although there were times when the girls got a bit panicked by the opposition who played the ball straight back over the net instead of using their three hits . They had a very exciting 2-0 win against William Colenso in the semifinal and then met Sacred Heart in the final . This was narrowly lost 23-25 ; 22-25 . Boys A : HBSS League : 6th Place Division 1 This season was very much a rebuilding phase as only one player had returned from the previous year . It was always going to be a challenge learning new systems , working on team combinations and dealing with the standard of being in Division 1 . Some progress was made by the team and they had many close sets against very good opposition . Their only win was against Hastings Christian but the league had been extremely worthwhile preparation for the tournaments to follow . HBPB Open : 7th Place Hosted by Hawke ’ s Bay , the local teams were joined by Gisborne Boys who provided two teams . The boys gained a valuable insight into the standard and consistency needed to compete with the top teams in our region . An improvement in technique should continue to be a focus for them as they look to develop as a team . Seeding Tournament : 4th Place This year , Gisborne hosted this event between Hastings Boys , Napier Boys , Gisborne Boys , Campion and Havelock . As expected the boys lost to the three boys schools but the set scores indicate a much more competitive game than when they met at the Open . Their final game against
Campion was an absolute thriller . It went to a fifth set where we prevailed 15-12 . The team would have been delighted with this result . NZSS Nationals : 16th Place Division 4 Despite not making the Honours Grade ( Top 32 in the country ) the standard in Divisions 3 & 4 was still going to be quite challenging . This indeed proved to be the case . The boys ended up playing Paraparaumu , Palmerston North Boys , Nelson College , One Tree Hill , Otumoetai B , Te Puke , Whanganui and Hamilton Boys . Although they did not win any matches , they did take a set off three teams and got close to winning a further eight sets . Once again I am sure the experience of participating will hold them in good stead as they move forward as a team . Boys B : HBSS League : 1st Place Division 5 This team was made up with a mixture of Year 9 - Year 12 players . This in itself could have created friction within the team , but under coach Daniel Cunningham ’ s tutelage and Tarang Kant ’ s leadership they really started to gel as a team . It was important that all ten players had court time and this was achieved without compromising their performance . They won their semifinal against Taradale 4 and then played Lindisfarne Blue in the final . They had never beaten Lindisfarne during the season but the team played really well to win 2-0 and become Division 5 Champions . Junior League : Term 4 Once again , at the time of writing this report the league had not yet started . Working with the Covid-19 restrictions of Level 2 has proved challenging but at least we are going to be able to play . In the end five girls teams and one boys team were selected . All players are looking forward to getting on court and testing their skill against other teams .
Mr Ian Johnson , TIC Volleyball
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