Defending champions Otumoetai College A look to be the team to beat in the premier girls' division at the 30th North Island Junior Secondary Schools Volleyball Championships that began yesterday at the ASB Arena.
The team, coached this year by Keith Macown, clinched the title last year to continue a consistent reign of success by Western Bay schools in the girls' division 1 section. Since its inception in 1984, Otumoetai College have won the event nine times, Tauranga Girls' College twice and Mount Maunganui College nabbed the title in 2011.
In the boys' section, Tauranga Boys' College have had the most success over the years with four victories with the division dominated by Western Heights High School. This week much is expected of a strong Westlake Boys' outfit coached by former Tauranga Boys' First XV captain and New Zealand volleyball rep John Howard.
Edwin O'Dea, coachforce officer volleyball at Sport Bay of Plenty, says Otumoetai College's top team look the best chance for local success.
"We also have four other teams from Bay of Plenty that can compete for the title in Trident High School, Mount Maunganui College, Tauranga Girls' and Bethlehem College," said O'Dea. "It is so close between all of them."
