Young Mandurah volleyball stars Ellie Adams and Shona Howie have returned home from the under 16s Australian School Sports National Volleyball Competition with bronze medals after helping Western Australia claim third place.
The Mandurah Baptist College duo hit Bendigo, Victoria with their WA team to play 13 games against opposing states across the week-long trip, culminating in them topping South Australia in the bronze medal playoff.
It’s a moment the pair won’t soon forget, with both describing the win as “incredible.”
“It was just so exciting – the whole week went so fast and you don’t really just have time to relax so to come away with a medal was just surreal,” Ellie said.
“We won bronze in the under 15s last year and we didn’t want to come home with anything less than that, so when we won it was a pretty awesome feeling,” Shona added.
The pair of setters had been training twice a week in Perth prior to the tournament, and their busy schedule won’t slow down anytime soon with both selected to play in the under 17s carnival in Queensland in September.
On top of that they’re also juggling schoolwork, but the MBC Waves youngsters – who have been playing volleyball for three years now – say it’s an easy choice to take on the workload.
“By the end of it Tuesday is really our only rest day but it’s so fun and it’s really rewarding when you get picked for state teams like this,” Ellie said.
“The development squads and training is really fun so you kind of just take it on and go with it,” Shona added.
The pair will be looking to bring another medal home when they hit Queensland for the under 17s carnival next month.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
