Credit: volleyball.org.au
The Australian Women’s Volleyroos team are in Vietnam this week ahead of contesting the 22nd Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship at the end of the month.
NSW Phoenix setter Mikaela Stevens will captain the 14-player team at the event which takes place in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from 30 August to 6 September.
Selectors have gone for a side which blends youth and experience, with five new faces from the team which contested the AVC Challenge Cup for Women in June.
Four Volleyroos who are returning to the team are Beth Carey, Rebecca Regden, Khiani Dodd and Stefanie Weiler. Adelaide Storm captain Carey is back for the first time since the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifiers, while 21-year-old clubmate Charlotte White is set to make her senior debut in the green and gold.
Carla Hoorweg will officiate as a referee at the Championships.
Prior to the Asian Championship, the team will also compete at the VTV Cup in Lào Cai, Vietnam where they will take on two teams from the host nation along with club sides from Japan, Korea and Philippines.
The tournament starts on Saturday, 19 August with five pool matches before the finals take place on 25 and 26 August.
At the Asian Championship the following week, Australia has been grouped to play Thailand on Wednesday, 30 August before meeting Mongolia the following day. A top-two pool placing will be enough to move the Volleyroos into a top eight finish and guarantee a better result than their ninth-place the last time the tournament was staged in 2019.
“The 2023 Asian Senior Women’s Championship is going to be an exciting tournament for our team to show the rest of Asia just how much we have progressed this year,” said head coach Russ Borgeaud.
“We’re coming off a couple of really solid training camps and we are ready to compete.
“I’m looking forward to seeing some of our more experienced players guiding our younger ones to form a strong competitive and successful team”
The Asian Championship is a benchmark event for the Women’s National Program and is also a critical event to gain world ranking points towards Olympic qualification.
Australian Women’s Volleyroos Team
22nd AVC Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship
Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
30 August-6 September
1. Tara Maland (SA) L
2. Emily Heintzelman (NSW) L
3. Mikaela Stevens (c) (NSW) S
6. Stefanie Weiler (SA) OH
9. Emma Burton (QLD) OPP
10. Laura Reeks (NSW) S
11. Cassandra Dodd (WA) MB
12. Lauren Cox (VIC) MB
13. Beth Carey (SA) MB
15. Annelies Jones (QLD) OH
16. Charlotte White (SA) OH
22. Rebecca Redgen (QLD) OH
24. Khiani Garton-Dodd (QLD) OH
25. Kara Inskip (QLD) MB
Head Coach – Russ Borgeaud (ACT)
Assistant Coach/Team Manager – Nicole Hannan (QLD)
Assistant Coach – Angela Gaviglio (QLD)
Physiotherapist – Ethan Silk (VIC)
Physiotherapist – Damien Oldmeadow (WA)
Statistician – Thanh Tuyen Bui Vu
Accompanying Referee – Carla Hoorweg
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