Tasman volleyballers second best in the country

Tasman's U19 women's volleyball team have finished second in the country at the inter-provincial championships.

Topping off an incredible run by the young women, Lily Zwart was also named in the tournament team as the squad exceeded expectations in continuing their strong legacy.

Having finished third last year, they finished one better after a tough semi-final match against Bay of Plenty in a five-set thriller.

After losing the first 25-15, Tasman battled back in the second set to win in extra points 26-24 before losing the third 25-23.

Highlighting the back-and-forth battle, Tasman would take the fourth set 25-16 before winning the winner-takes-all fifth and final set 15-11 to book their place in the finals against North Harbour.

Unfortunately for the local side, they couldn't recreate the magic in a straight sets loss against one of the power-house regions of the sport.

Tasman coach Brendan Crichton says they punched above their weight to even make the final, despite having a promising group of young players.

"It was awesome, phenomenal, really. We definitely over-achieved.

"I would have been disappointed if we didn't make the top four, but I knew the final would have been a stretch.

"It was those critical moments you get in sports and we were able to capitalise."

He says the fatigue, both mental and physical, after such a hard competition made for a tough final, but he was pleased to have given them a run in the second set (25-22).

"The top four sides were definitely a step ahead of all other sides in terms of playing ability and in skill level.

"None of the top four really cared how we placed because we knew it was going to be tough.

"I was quietly confident we had a chance going into the semis, but if we played them 10 times, we'd lose five and win five."

With a really young squad, having three U16 players, and more coming through the Volleyball Tasman Pipeline, Brendan says the future is bright for local volleyball.

"This certainly wasn't a one team wonder.

"It's not punching above our weight. We've got really good people involved with the sport.

"We feed off each other. There's a really good base and foundation of players and it's something that's been ingrained in our region."

With Lily, who also captained the team, off to America for a scholarship later in this year, he says there's a clear pathway for people who want to chase the dream of playing internationally.

"They remember where they've come from and they do tend to come back. They're just living the dream.

"It's always going to be hard for us not being a university town, but there is players like Holly Chandler, who was part of the coaching team."

Brendan says he's incredibly proud of the team, believing he's just "putting the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together" rather than being critical to their success.

Of note were the performances of 15-year-old setter Briana Barber for her poise and decision-making under pressure and 16-year-old Nevaeha Neho, who was all power and aggression in the outside hitter position.

The Tasman U19 boys finished their IPC tournament in fifth after a game that went down to the wire against Waikato, with a 15-13 loss in the final set.