A history of hard work on hard courts paid off for Tikipunga High School teams at the national secondary schools beach volleyball nationals at Mt Maunganui. Two of the school's teams put on very credible performances in their first attempt at competing at the beach nationals. The number-one senior boys' team impressedby making the final 16 to eventually earn 11th place, while the junior girls finished ninth overall. School director of sport Jason Woods says the good results suggest that the skills learned on hard courts are thoroughly transferable to sand. "All the skills like bumping, setting and spiking matter equally in both games but playing in sand brings unique experience as well," he said. "Because there are only two in a team, the players touch the ball a lot more and this uncovers any weaknesses... there is, in a sense, nowhere to hide." Woods said that with the main volleyball season starting now, it was timely that the students had experience on sand and he believes it will set them up well for the winter season. Woods believes three senior players have progressed as a result. The top senior boys pair of Harrison Tanenui-Waara and Justin Zappelli-Wilson, and Kane Rudolph, part of another combination, were all jumping higher and moving faster as a result of their experience on sand. The top Tikipunga girls' team made up of Briahn Ruri and Jasmine Stephens, also came off good progress on hard courts to find success on sand. The pair's sand coach Suzy McAsey, who competed on the national circuit this year, picked up on the sound skills instilled by the school's long-time girls' coach, Gavin Turketo. The Tikipunga students are now beginning to return to the court for more hard work but they will be back on the sand next year.
