Volleyball: Student makes NZ team in three codes

Aquinas College head girl Ellie McManaway has played eight different sports for her school.

Ellie McManaway typifies how organised a high-performing teenage athlete has to be.

The Aquinas College head girl flew out to Thailand on Saturday with the New Zealand Under-21 volleyball team for her latest sporting odyssey.

McManaway has previously represented New Zealand in basketball on the 2014 Koru Tour to Australia, followed by a trial for the NZ Under-18 women's team, and was a member of the New Zealand Talent Development squad for netball.

"This is my first opportunity to play international level volleyball," she said. "Having the opportunity to play against teams out of New Zealand is really quite amazing and a great experience. I am really grateful for that."

McManaway has represented Aquinas College in eight different codes - cross country, athletics, touch rugby, cricket, rugby sevens, volleyball, basketball and netball.

When not playing she likes to give back to younger students coming through, by coaching and umpiring netball and volleyball.

With all this sport she still made time to be a high achiever in her studies and fulfil the extra duties required as head girl.

But McManaway makes it all happen by being highly organised, prioritising and making sacrifices. "The biggest challenge is to give up or sacrifice other things," she said.

"At the start of this year, I had to focus on what I wanted to put first and it was really difficult deciding between sports and leadership responsibilities at the school.

"I've spent my year putting forward being head girl as the first priority, and after that my main three codes of volleyball, basketball and netball as equally as I can make it."

Like all multitalented athletes, the day of reckoning is not far away for McManaway when she will have to decide what sports she will specialise in after she leaves school.

"When I was in Year 10 playing all these sports, my parents and some of my coaches said you will have to choose one sooner or later.

"You can't go through your schooling life playing all of them equally, but I am now Year 13 and have kept as much of them up as I could.

"I'd like to continue with all the sports I am currently playing but know I will probably have to drop a few soon. Volleyball is definitely something I want to continue playing at a competitive level, and basketball."

McManaway has applied overseas for sporting scholarships and to New Zealand universities but is yet to make a decision on where she will study next year.