After months of training and hard work, the Craighead Senior Volleyball teams finally had a tournament to attend being – the Aoraki Volleyball Championships. Our teams were eager to see if their skills had improved as practices had suggested.
Enduring four games on the trot, the Senior A team (Co Captains: Zara Coleman and Isobel Sharp, with Amalia Cabrera, Koko Kubota, Niamh Motley, Mele Manuofetoa and Camryn Porter ) swept through early pool play to face Ashburton College in the decider before the semi finals. After 10 points down in the first set, our A team rose to the challenge in the second and put their opponents under pressure. However the final outcome went in Ashburton’s favour, placing Craighead A to face the top qualifier in Pool B for the semi finals.
Meanwhile, in Pool B, Craighead B team (Laura Apperley, Katie Baxter, Rafaela Cabrera, Olivia Lincoln , Anna O’Sullivan, Sophie Parsons, Dinnay Phillips and Natalie Whiteley) were to create an upset rolling the Roncalli A team in a two set tussle; first set being 30-28 and the second set being 25-23 to Craighead. Administrators were consulted to calculate who qualified for the semi finals. Whilst our Craighead B Team did not get through to the semi-finals, they finished a very respectable 5th overall.
In the semi final round, our A team swept aside Pool B top qualifier Waitaki GHS in straight sets to set up a rematch with Ashburton College. In a reversal of dominance Craighead defeated Ashburton with a determined first and second set victory to take out the tournament.
