Tauranga Boys' College's Jack McManaway was named the MVP of the tournament team. Photo / Julie Maree Photography
Tauranga Boys' College's Jack McManaway was named the MVP of the tournament team. Photo / Julie Maree Photography
Whenever Tauranga Boys' College meet their Bay volleyball rivals from Western Heights High School on the court they know they're in for a tough match.
The recent New Zealand Secondary Schools Volleyball Championships in Palmerston North were no different.
Each school went into the competition with 12 title wins anddespite Western Heights High School, who were the defending champions, beating Tauranga Boys' College during pool play it was the Western Bay school that came up trumps in the clash that mattered.
After five days of matches, it came down to an all Bay of Plenty final between the rival schools, with Tauranga Boys' College taking the win - their 13th New Zealand Secondary Schools Volleyball Champs title.
Tauranga Boys' College winning its 13 th NZSS title.
Captain Quaid Forbes said competition was tough throughout the competition and Western Heights were the only school they had lost to ahead of the final.
"We had tough games, there were a lot of tough games," Forbes says.
However, Quaid said, the Tauranga team were confident going into the title match because they didn't give their all at their first clash of the competition.
"We definitely knew it was going to be a difficult game going into it," he says.
The Year 13 student was ecstatic to have been able to take the win and help his team win the title in his final year of school.
"I just think it was a really good way for us to go out. It was good to get it done," Forbes said.
"I think everybody was pretty stoked," he said.
The team, coached by Ben Ormsby, consisted of Forbes, Thomas Mahon, Toby Smethurst, Melino Fotu, Brayden Iuli, Cameron O'Dea, Scott Shipton, Ethan Gardiner, Dante Gardiner and Jack McManaway, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Male Player.
Western Heights High School goes for the spike. Photo / Julie Maree Photography
Forbes, 17, took up volleyball in Year 9, playing in junior teams for two years before moving into the school's Senior A squad three years ago. This year's title win was the first he had been a part of for the school.
He believed the 13th title meant they had helped the school become the most successful in the boys' division.
Colleges director of sport Darrell Boyd said the school had a long history of excellence in the sport, which was the third biggest at Tauranga Boys' College, and making semifinals every year was a bit of an expectation.
He was proud of the boys for working hard and taking the title and adding to the success of the school in the sport.
Now, most of the students move on to other sports.
Forbes however, continues to focus on volleyball throughout the year.
Shortly before the nationals both Forbes and teammate McManaway were representing New Zealand in beach volleyball in Thailand competing at the IKF U21 Asia Oceania Korfball Championship 2019.
They also played all the summer beach volleyball tournaments together.
The duo placed 17th at the event at just 17 years of age, which means they will be eligible to play again if selected, at the next event and Forbes hopes to better their result then.
At the weekend he had Bay of Plenty volleyball trials and he and other team members had been invited to trial for New Zealand squads in Wellington during the school holidays. He was unsure if he would be heading down as yet.
Bay of Plenty students named in tournament teams:
Boys: Jack McManaway (Tauranga Boys' College), Toby Smethurst (Tauranga Boys' College), Henare Richards (Ōtūmoetai College), Jack Oswald (Trident High School), Chicane Peniora (Trident High School), Josh Tiplady (Western Heights High School), Kiwa Johnstone (Western Heights High School), Most Valuable Player - Jack McManaway (Tauranga Boys' College).
Girls: Caitlin Studer (Whakatane High School), Georgie Odea (Ōtūmoetai College), Kalani Ruri (Trident High School), Sarah Stratton (Bethlehem College).
