Volleyball

Is a popular choice for all Aquinas year groups but especially with our Year 7 and 8 students. Volleyball is suitable for all experience levels, from beginners to those with years of practice.

Games are played either at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, Memorial Park in Tauranga or at the Mercury Baypark Arena at Mount Maunganui. There are opportunities for teams to attend the North Island Championships, NZ Champs and also several BOP competitions throughout the year.

Teams are registered through Tauranga Volleyball for local competitions, and more information can be found on its website.

Volleyball at Aquinas College has seen a tremendous increase in student interest over the last couple of seasons. With a huge number of kids eager to participate, it’s fantastic to witness such enthusiasm for the sport. However, this surge in participation has also highlighted a significant challenge for us: a shortage of volleyball coaches.

Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we are currently unable to provide enough coaches to meet the demand. In age groups where we do not have any coaches available, we will not be in a position to offer any ‘A Teams’. Students will still have the opportunity to select whether they want to play competitively or socially, so they are able to play in a competition that suits their skill level, however we will only be able to assign a Manager to the team. As we know that playing with friends is a huge driving factor in enjoyment for our athletes, we will consult with those registered to create our teams, while also ensuring we meet minimum number requirements.

This shortage is not unique to our school but is an issue affecting many schools and clubs in the area. We continue to seek solutions and are committed to finding ways to support all students who wish to play, but the current situation underscores the need for more community involvement and support in coaching roles. If you are interested in upskilling or finding out more about coaching, please do let us know as we are looking to offer coaching courses or workshops if we have people interested.

Contact

Ange McManaway
Ph: 543-2400
Email: sportscoordinator@aquinas.school.nz
Active: Terms 1 and 4

Information

Registration and Fees

Registrations for the Term 1 2026 season are now open. Please register at the following link before Monday 9 February:

Volleyball Term 1 Registration

Fees are charged per player for the term and are predicted as follows: Year 7/8: $65 – $75, Y9/10 Competitive: $85- $95, Y9/10 Social: $75 – $85, Year 11-13: $95- $105.

Trainings

For our teams with coaches, training times will be confirmed by the coach once teams are established. For social teams, we book out the gym for one lunchtime a week for all teams to practice and play against eachother. Practices are typically held in the Aquinas College Gym and could take place before school, during lunchtime or after school.

Competition

Weekly competitions are organised by Tauranga Volleyball and take place in Terms 1 and 4.

Year 7 and 8 teams play at Haumaru Sports Center on Fridays.
Year 9 and 10 competitive teams play on Tuesdays at Haumaru Sports Center, while Year 9 and 10 social teams play on Wednesdays at QEYC.
Year 11 to 13 competitive and social teams play on Thursday at either Haumaru Sports Center or Mercury Baypark Arena.

The draw will be available each week on the Tauranga Volleyball website. Click the League Info tab then the applicable playing day.

Tournaments

BOP Senior Volleyball Champs (Years 11 to 13) – February
NZ Secondary Schools Volleyball Champs (Years 11 to 13) – March
BOP Junior Volleyball Champs (Years 9 and 10) – October
North Island Secondary School Volleyball Champs (Years 9 and 10) – November
Spiker Nation Tournament (Years 7 and 8) – November

Uniform

All social and non-trialled Volleyball teams in Year 7-10 will be required to supply their own Aquinas PE/Sports Top and shorts. Trial based teams in Years 7-10 will be provided with a playing shirt. All players in Year 11-13 will be provided with a playing top.