Junior Volleyball finals 2024/25
Well the 3 ages of schools volleyball competitions are over for another year. Junior girls looked like 4 exciting, hard to predict matches. But the 2 Pres Kilkenny teams and Bower Athlone were each in a very smooth class and kept their machines running in the final. Still a great double for Pres., bridging an 18 year gap in A- so long no one remembers it. For Bower, a first B title, in their first ever Junior final, moves them ever closers to A. For Mary Barret, continuing a remarkable finals for Brigids in As, a fantastic consistency . And it’s great to see Killarney back again in a final, 7 years after their first. Pride of place must go to Eureka Kells. Back in volleyball after 30 years with old connections and becoming the first Meath school ever in a girls final any grade. The closest match was Drumshanbo, in their first very Junior girls final, topping a great year and Ballinasloe, back again in Juniors.
The 2 boys finals also promised to be close. But the first sets were very one sided. Fethard showed the old schools were still around by winning B, but it was great to have Douglas, the first ever Cork city school in a Junior final, coming back in set 2. Pipers Naas finally won their first A in the first Junior A final. But, what a finish. Sutton, the only school back after winning last year, had a great comeback and then hovered on victory for 9 points!
Again thanks to Conor and all from Volleyball Ireland for another well run day and for all the organizing of all the rounds.
Game 1 Fethard and Douglas Junior B Boys
Presentation Patrician Fethard Beat Douglas Community School Cork 25-15 18-25 15-4
This was a joyful old style simple volleyball match. For their supporters, it was wreaked with tension as, at no stage, did anyone know what was going happen next. Basic errors were often followed by brilliant retrieving on the following score.!
It was first all Munster final in this competition since Blackwater (Waterford) beat Fethard in their first Junior B final back in 2006 but these schools have an enormous different history. Fethard are competing in volleyball right back to the early 1970s. They won Junior A boys in 05 and 08 and the won this Junior B in 2016. Douglas entered schools last year, won Senior B boys. They won Senior A boys already this year so were going for a perfect hat trick! They were the first Cork city school ever to win Junior medals!
Fethard beat Portlaoise CBS A and B Tyndall College Carlow, Callan Kilkenny
Rochestown Cork and, in the semi-final, High Cross College, Tuam. Thomas O’ Reilly was MVP and the report, through Fethard coach Justin McGree, picked out the following: “Following a slow start, where Douglas settled early into a 7 point lead, both teams traded score for score until 13 all. It was at this point that Fethard MVP Thomas O’Rahilly scored with an outstanding backhanded strike leaving the Douglas players without a chance of returning. This marked a turning point in set #1. At 22:14, just as Douglas scored again and looked like reining Fethard in, he repeated an almost carbon copy of the same shot, after which there was no stopping Fethard. “.
Douglas’s Michael Fila, as he had done against Grange, Stepaside, and Drumshanbo C
went on a blistering service run in set 2 and Justin reported that Fethard helped Douglas on by missing 9 serves!
But, as all the Junior B games were both and brilliant and not, could any one ever hold steady? Yes, said Fethard, and Robert Carey served them 8-2 ahead and O’ Reilly’s serve finished it off! Finally consistency. Both of the teams had some overhand but lots of underhand servers. Pure raw!
Fethard gold medalists: Adam McGarry (capt), Adam O’Donnell, Robert Carey, Thomas O’Rahilly, Jake Daniel, Harry Walsh, Emre Cicek, Conor Prendergast, Gavin Tyrrell, Gus Purcell, Callum Trout, Conor Westin, Ryan Breen, Evan Whyte
Douglas silver medalists:: 14 Sathvik Santosh, 7 Miguel Bravo Lopez, 5 Jack O’Connell, 12 Luka Bosnjak, 9 Mathew Groenewald, 8 Markas Barsauskas, 13 Rowan Devlin-O’Mahony, 2 Colin McCarthy 3 Darragh O’Brien 4 Jack Farrell, Buckley, 6 Michal Fila, 11 Liam Murphy, 10 Liam Devlin-O’Mahony 15 Will Chambers
Congratulants to Douglas coach Orla Maher on a great year.
Game 2 Kilkenny and Loughrea Junior A girls
Presentation Kilkenny beat Brigids Loughrea Galway 25-18 25-13
After a gap of 18 years Presentation Kilkenny returned to gold in Junior A. From 2005 to 2008 the county of Kilkenny won 4 in a row: 3 for Callan and, in 07, Presentation. Now, in a way, the 2 combined. It’s the Pres school combined with manager Lisa Carey, Callan past pupil who learned her volleyball there. With all 6 serving overhand and two jump serving they soared to an 8-2 lead and that was probably crucial. It still look ominous at 21-11 although they was a great rally about 14. But Brigids had a great finish to set 1 spiking and placing to really add up the scores before the end.
It sometimes happens in a match like that, that the big effort at the end of one set leads to a letdown at the start of the 2nd and so it proved. It was a very impressive run of 7 overhand serves in a row to 9-2 that paved the way for Kilkenny. Lisa wrote beforehand that they had “4 of last year’s starting 6 who narrowly lost out to Portlaoise College. This same cohort of players were beaten this year in the Cadette B final. This team all play club volleyball with the growing Kilkenny Spartans Volleyball Club under the tutelage of Benny O Regan at the club”. The tutelage was very much in evidence. They had a setter coming in from the back with 3 hitters at the front. All the girls served overhand and one was jump serving. They trained a few times a week. Lisa had said before the match “Here’s hoping these players have learned from their two losses in the previous finals and the outcome will be on our side this time round! “. Her hopes have been fulfilled. 18 years is a big gap.
To reach the final Presentation had to top a group that contained senior A winners Rockford Manor, Blackrock, Dublin, Cadette A winners Coláiste Muire Ennis and last year’s champions Portlaoise College. Pres really proved they were among the elite of 202425.
Joint coach with Lisa was Kate McDonald, also ex Callan.
The very strong champions were: Milica Dimitrivic MVP , Sahasra Ghanta, Maria Clara Souza, Olivia Giesko, Iona McCarthy, Nikola Ruthwieciz, Finley Pasqual, Zuzanna Sobienska. Congratulations and we look forward to seeing your progress in cadette A.
For St Brigids what a record. After one their quietest years ever, It is truly amazing, at the very end of the year, under Mary Barrett, they reached yet another A final (their 6th Junior A girls final) ( the boys have won 8, the top!). The panel is the exact same that won the Junior C last year, a huge jump.
To reach the final they had to topple St. Marys Naas and St. Raphaels Loughrea, who between them have been in 21 Junior A finals, winning 11 -no mean feat. At times they matched Presentation at every skill. Congratulations again Junior A silver medalist: Natalia Makowska, Polish, Grace Cunniffe, Vanessa Madden, Nease Coen, Chlóe Coughlan, all Irish, Ema Spisakova, Slovakian, Ema Haverty Irish, Jaagriti Thakur Indian, Anna Pop Ukrainian, Nicole Donelon Irish, Anzella Gruzite Latvian and Ava Coone Irish
Game 3 Killarney and Kilkenny B Junior D girls
Presentation Kilkenny B bt St Brigids Presentation Killarney 25-11 25-15
After many years of competing, Killarney finally got to the Junior B final in 2018. Now we welcome the Kerry school back to the Junior D final
Kilkenny aced to an early lead to 16-6. Killarney responded with 4 to 16-10 in set 1. The 2nd set was very close all the way to 11-11 as Killarney fought back with aces. The scores don’t look close and Bernie O’Connor told me after the match that the girls did not play to their full potential. That has happened to many a team in a final. To be fair, a huge amount of the points had rallies over and back across the net. What was frustratating in the end for Killarney was that, on defence, Kilkenny just kept getting the ball back. Killarney did more spiking.
Presentation Kilkenny D were 1st years, who took up volleyball as a new sport this year, and have not joined the local club…..yet! Their coaches – Roisin Galway & Emma McDonnell have said ”An incredible achievement for this group of players who will hopefully be inspired to join the local club and continue to play volleyball.”
Presentation Kilkenny Junior D gold medalists: Stephanie Daly Cooney, Clara Daly Cooney, Rebecca Lahard, Caitlin O Keefe MVP, Lauren Rochford, Chiara Di Florio, Chloe Sheehan, Ciara Smith, Kate Drennan, Maranatha Omari
While this is their first appearance of Pres Kilkenny in the D final , their B team did win the Junior C final just 2 years ago.
The Killarney coaches- Bernadette O’Connor and Aoife Finnerty would like to say thanks to their under16 and senior teams for helping the girls prepare by coming in at lunchtimes to help them improve serving and volley techniques
Brigids Killarney Junior D silver medallist: Carragh O Donoghue, Melissa Bowler, Saoirse O Donoghue, Olanna Bowler, Lily Friek, Orla Forde, Beibhínn O’Donoghue, Cindy Chen, Sienna Bias, Taesha Verasao, Mary Pearse, Ella Murphy, Hannah Kowalska, Abbie Ryan
Game 4 Drumshanbo and Ballinasloe Junior C Girls
Vocational school Drumshanbo beat Ardscoil Mhuire Ballinasloe 25-18 25-18
Ballinasloe have come on to the finals circuit in a big way: besides Spikeball and miniball finals, they reached 4 6-a side finals including winning and runners-up the Junior B (shield ) finals in 16 and 17.
Ballinasloe beat Drumshnabo in Ballinasloe 25-17 25-22 on their way to the final. So it was not a shock when they opened the match with 5-0 lead. However, after a time out, Drumshanbo regrouped and, by 13-13 the sides were level. After that, Drumshanboo crept ahead 19-17 and it was a bit of a shock that they won so many points at the end. Quite early in set 2 Drumshanbo took the lead and began to hit a lot of spikes. The standard reached a peak at this stage as Ballinasloe defended well and they broke the Drumshanbo serve very many times.
Rachel Guckian , Drumshanbo’s captain was awarded MVP, probably for her continual chasing the ball, unselfish setting and leadership qualities but there were battling performances from many players on both sides. Her uncle David Guckial captained Drumshanbo Junior A boys in the very first final in 1994 (but they lost!).Drumshanbo probably were that bit steadier and only missed 3 serves in the match.
Well done to Ballinasloe for getting silver, as they had come through to the final unbeaten, beating, among others, Portlaoise Chríost Rí B, Kells B, Clarin Athenry, Roscommon CC, as well as Drumshanbo!
Ballinasloe Junior C silver medalists: Milana Panchenko, Rachel Carty, Lydia Newton, Ruth Jennings, Emily Mohdzairi, Izabelle De Oliveira Da Silva, Maria Rodrigues, Ailbhe Concannon, Ciara Hogan, Zuzanna Krzos, Kelly Morgan, Diya Upadhayay, Mencia Miranda Garcia. Karen Usher (coach)
It‘s been an astonishing year for Drumshanbo girls. While the boys have been in a huge number of finals, the girls who have been entering national competitions since 1994, had only been in 3 finals (all cadette) ever, up to this season and only once in this century. This year they won, in their very first appearance in a senior final, then they lost a very close cadette final and now have reached and won the junior final for the very first time. Pauline McBarron has been involve since the start and Breda from the mid noughties has moved slowly up to senior manager. After years of close matches it finally came right like a dream
Drumshanbo Gold Junior C: Leah Casey, Amy Gilchriest, Lauren Noone, Hannah Flynn, Jessica Lavin, Inha Stoianova, Ava Reagan, Ciara Farrell, Rachel Guckian, Poppy Doherty
Game 5 Eureka vs Bower Junior B girls
Our Ladys Bower Athlone beat Eureka Kells Co. Meath 25-18 25-13
This was the fairly-new versus the returned.
Eureka under Mary Wright only reentered volleyball last year where these girls reached the Junior C semifinal. But, historically, Eureka were strong in the 1990s with Mary’s mum Christine Foley in charge! Not only that but Mary’s cousin Karen Usher, now the Ballinalsoe manager in this years Junior C final, played on the last Eureka team back then!
Our Lady’s Bower are delighted to have made yet another volleyball All-Ireland final. On their route they defeated teams from Mullingar Community School, Clarin College Athenry, Scoil Chríost Rí Portlaoise, Mercy College Roscommon and Grange Community College Dublin St. Brigids Loughrea B and Fethard. “Across all of these games, we have seen some excellent defensive work from Carolina Gastanaga, who never lets any ball pass her by. Super setters Ellianna McManus and Lola Mora have shown great skill in ensuring the ball is set up perfectly for hitters Carmen Camancho, Isla Walshe, Olivia Collins, Emme Lynch, Lucia Wright and Leti Laguillo. “Bower won the Junior C in 2023 so this is a step up again.
This was a very strange game. Outstanding Carmen Camancho blitzed Bower ahead 13- 4 with 7 aces. Then, behind 6-16, Eureka’s Lucy Golden sent over these “innocent” underhand serves, but they hooked to her right and totally flummoxed Athlone. After 4 aces and 7 serves it was 13-16!
Bower held out in that set but the teams were a huge contrast. All Kells players played all positions whereas Bower had setters and switched at the back. One of the most unusual sights was the number of set balls that were set up for back court spikes. Eureka got to a huge number of spikes but Bower were relentless and increased their lead throughout the 2nd set. Camancho was also the outstanding spiker and deserved her MVP. Well done to Bower who will now be moving to the dizzy heights of A under the dedicated training of Rebecca Mooney.
Gold medalists : 10 – Ellianna McManus (Captain) ,3 – Carolina Gastanaga ,4 – Olivia Collins ,6 – Carmen Camancho ,9 – Lola Mora ,12 – Isla Walshe ,13 – Leti Laguillo ,17 – Emme Lynch ,19 – Lucia Wright
In only their 2nd year back it was a great achievement for Eureka to reach the B final. In some ways their appearance was the biggest event of the finalswith the school in its first final
Team Eureka: Mikaela Farrell,Hailey Touhey, Eleana Ormazabal, Emer O’Reilly, Lucy Golden, Divine Imade Isibor, Leana Coyne, Áine Harney, Kate Boylan,, Abbiemae Quinn, Ailbhe Smith, Elizabeth Mulvaney, Ciara Clarke
Mary Wright head coach, Brona Gorman, Christine Foley team Managers
Game 6 Junior A boys PH Naas and Sutton
Pipers Hill Naas beat Sutton Park Naas (holders) 25-12 32-30
What a way to end the day! Before the day, reports from Sutton’s defeat of Carrickmacross suggested Sutton were a serious team –very organized. Just before the match I was talking to Pipers coach Róisín Nolan, congratulating her on her recent cadette B win and she said “these Juniors… I don’t know?”. Early on, I saw, yea, they are a bit loose and although they led 3-0, a very organized Sutton duly marshalled to 5-3. But Pipers got great winners around the net and spiked their way into a big lead The whole Sutton system fell apart. Pipers were like gymnasts popping up everywhere.
At 5-2, set 2, Naas were on their way. But suddenly they weren’t! For set 2 coach Niamh O’Hare put on, at the front, Ciallian O’Reilly with the biggest number I have ever seen in Volleyball 111! It was a change of number she sent me before the match and she said “don’t ask”. Well Cillian was at the front and suddenly every ball seemed to come to him and whether it was ball 1, 2 or 3 Cillian spiked it every direction and threw Naas into disarray. As all their super athletes of set 1 hit crazy bad I began to understand Róisín’s ”don’t know!”. Sutton shot to 13-7 and onto 19-11 and 24-18! . But just as their skills had deserted them, then, just as sudden, came Naas inspiration- none more than Tiago Indelicato Cunha who served to 24-24! Sutton had 5 more set points -9 in total and Naas hung on, at times stretching out one arm spectacularly, and saving them. At 30-29, Naas served their first match point, out! Then for the 2nd match point it was Tiego and lucky for Naas, he was still inspired and, of course he got MVP!
Róisín and Emer Hegarty their coaches must have need heart treatment afterwards
The Naas gold panel was: Cillian Malone, Tiago Indelicato Cunha, Jason Alex-Ichu, Audric Sidi, Lucas Alcarria, Ryan McNulty, Chimde Alex-Ichu, Rian Doorley, Shane Guiden, Darragh Cleary, Cayden Fanning and Evan Malone.
In the knockout stages, Naas beat Dungarvan, East Wicklow, ETTS Galway and Portlaoise College. They were the first Kildare school to reach the Junior A final this year and of courseo win it. Pipers Naas played in the first ever Senior A final in 1988. Their second A final was in senior in 2011. Finally, in their 3rd coming they have won an A title.
Sutton put on a fabulous display in set 2 and are worthy silver medalists
Sutton silver medalists: 8 Shaobo Ma 1 Harry Morton Jones, 2 Zac Farrelly, 4 Theo Schwarz, 9 Dylan Caraher, 11 Benjamin Lewandowsi, 13 Sam Vennard, 14Taylor Daly, 111 Cillian O’Reilly
Assistant Coach: Mathew Taylor
