Wed, Jul 3, 2024 10:30 AM
Holly Chandler serves up Volley Ferns selection
Holly Chandler says her defence has been the focus of her improvement in recent times, having already been known for her attacking prowess. Photo: Jack Malcolm.
Jack Malcolm
A busy upcoming schedule became even more jam-packed after Holly Chandler was selected for the Volley Ferns squad.
Currently in China with the New Zealand Junior Women’s squad as team manager for the U20 Asian Championships, Holly has added even more commitments to her already burgeoning list.
As one of 26 domestic players in the squad, the selection is part of Volleyball New Zealand’s pathway for their 2024-25 international cycle, culminating with the 2025 Women’s Asian Championships.
Having already travelled to Christchurch to trial for the team, Holly will again travel in July for a Volley Ferns Camp and again in August for another camp in Auckland .
October sees club nationals, with Holly likely in the mix with the newly formed Tahunanui Sharks club, and another training camp.
With the Volley Ferns thinned from a squad to a 14-person team ahead of their test series, Holly says it’s an exciting time to be in the mix.
“It’s hard to know. Obviously, the squad has just been named and you can’t really pick that [14 people] at this stage.
“Definitely, in the last few years, I’ve been improving. Partly because of the opportunities I’ve had, but also as you get older you understand the game a little better.”
Having toured Chile with the Volley Ferns last year, she says the gravity of representing your country doesn’t quite hit until you’re out there and playing.
With that experience under her belt, she’s confident in her ability as she looks to earn a spot on the playing team when it is selected later this year.
“I’m never one to assume. I kind of just think, ‘I’ve done all I can’.
“Last season, I had a niggly knee [injury] and I’ve done a lot of work strengthening that.
“And I’m jumping a lot higher. Going to the gym and doing all sorts of exercises and netball helps.”
Holly is back in the mix with her netball after taking a season off to focus on volleyball last year.
Having changed from Prices Waimea to Jacks this season, she was a member of the team who beat the Men’s team for the first time since their reintroduction to the league three seasons ago.
On top of that, she’s a teacher at Brightwater School and a Weet-Bix TRYathlon ambassador.
“I’ve got so much else on, I sort of forgot,” she says about her selection to the Volley Ferns squad.
