Cambridge High School’s girls’ volleyball team were all smiles after winning gold in division five at the national secondary schools championships in Palmerston North.
Coach and assistant principal Marcel Kuijpers said participation in the annual five-day tournament was up 20 per cent on last year, making the 54th event the largest ever. Held at CET Arena and Massey University, it attracted 103 girls’ teams and 95 boys’ teams.
A winning combination – back, from left, coach Marcel Kuijpers, assistant Logan Daniels, Chelsea Mita, Georgia Kuijpers, Natalie Thomas, Jordyn Rondon, Jessie Armstrong, Molly Harvey and assistant coach Silvana Perez, front, Lia Bilbe, Kaela Stanton, Jasgin Lopena, Myra Faulkner, Leah Nixon and Reagan Morton.
“At the opening ceremony it was mentioned that Volleyball is now the third most popular sport in Aotearoa,” Mr Kuijpers said.
He said the girls competed in grading games over the first two and half days of the tournament and were placed into division five out of six divisions.
“From there they won 2-0 against Columba High School in a classification game, 2-0 against Hillmorton High School in the quarter finals, 2-1 against St Peters School (Palmerston North) in the semi-final and then 2-1 in the final against Hutt Valley High School to win the gold medal.
“Cambridge High School was the only Waikato team to win a gold medal at nationals this year and every division is hotly contested,” he said.
The school also sent a boys’ team, which finished 10th in division six.
