The Illawarra men’s team celebrate winning the premier division of the Sydney Volleyball League in 2022. Photo: Illawarra Volleyball Association.
An Illawarra sports club is reaching new heights, one serve at a time – and it’s open to anyone.
The Illawarra Volleyball Association will field six teams in the state’s top indoor volleyball league this year, with three men’s and three women’s sides in the Sydney Volleyball League.
Despite being the only club outside of Sydney to crack the league, the Illawarra sides have fought their way through the ranks, earning promotions into the top divisions of the league.
Club president Jake Lewkowicz said the achievement was a reflection of the investment the community-focused club had put into junior development over the past several years.
“We have a really strong selection of athletes with a lot of our juniors joining the open adults’ sides,” he said.
“Our men’s side is coming off the back of gold in the premier division in 2022 and 2023, and our women’s team is on track for promotion from the first division to the premier division.
“Two of our juniors are representing the country in Thailand at the moment; we’re super stoked.”
Although it caters for the highest levels of performance, the club is also committed to growing the sport at a social, grassroots level.
Competitions switch from indoors at Unanderra over winter to beach volleyball over summer.
The club offers ‘free hit Wednesdays’ at North Beach, organised via its Facebook page.
There’s also a social beach league on the weekends.
On Thursday nights at Unanderra there’s a social night for kids between the ages of 10 and 17 to learn the fundamentals of the game.
Training blocks run for eight to 10 weeks, with different options for different skill levels, and cost $10 per week.
“We run everything as cheaply as possible to give everyone an opportunity to play,” Jake said.
“We teach anyone who hasn’t played before, from 10-year-olds to adults.
“We couldn’t do it without our volunteers and the community we’ve built.”
Jake said it was the sense of community, along with the fast-paced nature of the sport, that first got him hooked.
“I love that volleyball is not a hero sport,” he said.
“You need six players to get a result, and the pace keeps it really exciting. You could have a massive highlight play every 30 seconds.
“It’s an easy way to connect with people and for a lot of uni students who are looking for friends this is an easy way to meet people.”
With affordable sessions and a welcoming community, Jake said the biggest barrier to entry was a good sense of humour.
Volleyball isn’t always the most dignified sport, especially for beginners.
“As adults we worry about looking goofy and that’s the biggest challenge,” he said.
“Once you jump that hurdle you have a lot of fun.”
If you’d like to register to play socially, as an individual or as a team, head to the Illawarra Volleyball Association website.
