Tikipunga High School's boys' volleyball team performed above expectations at the National Secondary Schools Volleyball Championships in Palmerston North.
Coming into the 145-team tournament with a ranking of 19th, the Northland team started well, downing top North Shore side Westlake Boys High in a tight five-set match, before losing by a similar narrow margin to Otumoetai College, one of the title favourites.
Tikipunga went on to beat Christchurch's Aranui High in three straight sets last week to earn a place in the top-16 rounds.
In that section, they faced regular finalists Western Heights High, of Rotorua, losing in four sets before bouncing back with 3-1 and 3-0 wins against top Canterbury and Auckland teams, Riccarton High and Orewa College, to earn their quarter-final spot.
An early start on Thursday morning against another Bay of Plenty contender, Mount Maunganui College was perhaps a game too much for the northern boys, as they succumbed in three sets. In the end Tikipunga finished seventh in the top grade.
