University of Auckland do the Double in Porirua

The University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau have regained top spot in the overall tertiary shield standings thanks to winning both the men’s and women’s National Tertiary Volleyball Championships last weekend. The event was hosted by Wellington Regional Volleyball Association at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua where over 150 student-athletes from around the country converged to do battle on court.

The men’s final was up first on Sunday afternoon, with the University of Auckland taking on perennial volleyball powerhouses and shield rivals, the University of Canterbury. The men from UC were coming off a firm test in their semi-final as they defeated AUT 3-1, while the Aucklanders swept Victoria University of Wellington in the other semi-final 3-0.

The first set was tight as both teams played with purpose, UC holding a slim 19-16 lead heading into the final few points. From there Auckland went on a run, eventually winning the set 25-21. UC again started stronger in the second set before Auckland eventually claimed it 25-19, and the match looked like it could be heading to four sets before a couple of unforced errors closed the set and the victory for the University of Auckland.

After only dropping a single set during the tournament, the University of Auckland men were ecstatic with their dominant final performance. “It was a good feeling, not just because we are representing ourselves as a team, but also the coach, team managers, and other people behind that make our participation possible” explained setter and final MVP, Mauricio Lozano. For first year student Joshua Kim, the weekend provided more than just a gold medal; “I made lots of friends during the tournament and it makes my university experience much more entertaining and dynamic.”

The women’s final was the last match of the day on court one, with the University of Waikato up against the resurgent University of Auckland. Waikato were heading into the match undefeated after dropping only one set in pool play, while the Aucklanders had lost a match in pool play but recovered well to beat a strong AUT team in their semi-final.

The first set of the final was a nail-biter, both teams trading points and struggling to separate themselves from each other. Tied at 26-all, it took powerful net play from Auckland’s Emma Bercich and Mia Pemberton to secure the two-point buffer and give them the set. Auckland continued to show their strength and depth from there, Maria Hanabadi in particular shining to eventually be name final MVP. The end of the third set was tight as Waikato held a 23-22 lead before Hanabadi reeled off three straight points to spark wild celebrations on court.

The University of Auckland repeat as double champions after first doing it back in 2021, with both teams displaying too much firepower despite strong opposition across the board. “The quality of competition this year was incredible. Every year it’s impressive to see the quality of volleyball considering everyone has commitments to university, work and often other sport commitments too. Never have I been so unsure of who could take out the title” summarised Auckland athlete Blayze Waddicor.

Thanks again to the Wellington Regional Volleyball Association for their delivery of the event, and to Volleyball NZ for their partnership and oversight. Check out the links below for the full results and further coverage of the event.

Women:

1^st – University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau

2^nd – University of Waikato

3^rd – AUT

Finals MVP – Maria Hanabadi (University of Auckland)

Men:

1^st – University of Auckland Waipapa Taumata Rau

2^nd – University of Canterbury

3^rd – AUT

Finals MVP – Mauricio Lozano (University of Auckland)

Spirit Award: AUT Men

Results: https://www.volleyballnz.org.nz/competitions/indoor/tertiary-championships