NETBALL
By samuel darroch
LAVALLA Catholic College announced itself as a threat for the state title last week, when its junior and senior sides went undefeated through the qualifying rounds of the Victorian School Netball Championships in Melbourne.
The school had not entered the open state tournament in several years, but decided to compete based on the strength of its current crop of netballers, entering junior, intermediate and senior teams.
The decision paid off, with the year seven and eight side winning all five matches and the year 11 and 12 team all six.
“This year in particular, there’s a lot of depth all the way down to the younger girls. In the past maybe half a dozen teams in the last 10 years have gotten through to the finals day,” senior girls coach Fiona Morrow said.
Lavalla was able to overcome the likes of perennial powerhouse Geelong Grammar in the senior division, one of the strongest schools in the field of more than 150 competing.
“To get a win over them was pretty impressive,” Morrow said.
“I’m absolutely thrilled with the performance these girls displayed for the duration of six games across the day against some high quality opposition.”
The intermediate girls did not advance to the finals, however managed a respectable four wins from seven matches.
“While unfortunate not to attain the same success as the senior and junior girls teams, these girls gave great application throughout the day and still managed to finish a creditable fourth,” coach Nikki Schroeter said.
Morrow said the school’s best result in recent years was a top five finish in 2005.
Lavalla will contest the state finals on 17 and 18 September.
SENIOR: Sophie Membrey, Sukie Hodgson, Madelyn Gibson, Jayde Travers, Keely Bourke, Amelia Charlton, Bree Guttridge, Paxton Farley and Karlee Dal Pra.
Game 1: Lavalla 16 d Plenty Valley Christian College (Doreen) 6. Game 2: Lavalla 11 d The Geelong College 10. Game 3: Lavalla 11 d Aquinas College (Ringwood) 10. Game 4: Lavalla 12 d Geelong Grammar 9. Game 5: Lavalla 12 d Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College (Leongatha) 5. Game 6: Lavalla 14 d Avila College (Mount Waverley) 7
JUNIOR: Ruby Bosse, Innika Hodgson, Chloe Wright, Elise Sertori, Emma Spiteri, Kristy Jennings, Georgia Hutchinson, Emma Grunwald and Joanna Watson.
Game 1: Lavalla 11 d Avila College (Mount Waverley) 7. Game 2: Lavalla 13 d The Geelong College 8. Game 3: Lavalla 17 d Mary MacKillop Catholic Regional College (Leongatha) 4. Game 4: Lavalla 21 d Kilvington Grammar (Ormond) 2. Game 5: Lavalla 20 d St. Josephs College (Ferntree Gully) 6.
INTERMEDIATE: Chelsea D’Angelo, Monica Harasimiuk, Samantha Waters, Darcy Guttridge, Sarah Mulqueen, Kasey Guttridge, Briar Henderson, Jada Maaka and Demi Plunkett.
Game 1: Lavalla 10 d Aquinas College (Ringwood) 9. Game 2: Lavalla 14 d Our Lady of Mercy College (Heidelberg) 12. Game 3: Rowville Secondary College 12 d Lavalla 11. Game 4: Avila College (Mount Waverley) 13 d Lavalla 12. Game 5: Lavalla 21 d Balcombe Grammar College (Mount) 5. Game 6: Lavalla 18 d The Geelong College10. Game 7: St. Josephs College (Ferntree Gully) 10 d Lavalla 9.
