Scotland’s Junior Women ( those players born after 1/1/94) are about to go on a volleyball adventure that none of their predecessors have ventured on before.
For the first time ever a Scottish Junior team have entered the European Championships and they have been drawn to play a pool match in the Small Nations Tournament between the 13th and 15th January 2012 in Malta.
The team will take on Cyprus on the 13th, Malta on the 14th and Northern Ireland on the 15th.
Should the team finish in the top two then they will head to the finals of this tournament at Easter 2012.
Selection/training days have taken place and the 12 players squad is as follows :
Gemma Ramsay – (captain) – City of Edinburgh
Sophie Hunter – (vice captain) – City of Edinburgh
Katie Sampson – City of Edinburgh
Michalina Ognewa – North Lanarkshire
Eilidh Cruse – Troon
Katie Shaw – City of Edinburgh
Naomi Symonds – City of Edinburgh
Mhairi Agnew – Su Ragazzi
Claire Ramage – Troon
Katie Barbour – Troon
Nicola McKenzie – Dundee
Becky Arthur – City of Edinburgh
non travelling reserves
Gillian Grant – South Ayrshire
Sarah Driscoll – unattached
Emily Irving – South Ayrshire
Courtney Elliot – Marr College
Caitlin Howie – Marr College
Elise Rodgers – Su Ragazzi
It is a measure of the opportunities available to young Scottish players these days that this can be viewed as an experienced squad, with all 12 players having made at least one appearance at the UK school games and no fewer than 10 of them have been at the games on at least 2 occasions. 11 of the players are also training and playing with Scottish First Division sides.
The coaching and management staff of Vince Krawczyk, Tom Rooney and Aileen Hall are convinced that they are taking a very talented group to Malta whom they expect to do Scotland proud.
The girls have a very full training programme over Xmas and the New Year culminating with matches against a junior North of England select on the 7th and 8th January in Scotland. We will supply information on these matches closer to the time as it would be beneficial to have spectators at these games to help create something like the atmosphere that the players will face in Malta.
You will be able to read details about the girls and the championships on the CEV website and may be able to follow the live progress of the girls matches there but whether that is the case or not we will post their results as quickly as possible onto the Scottish Volleyball Facebook page and onto the SVA website.
The girls are understandably very excited about their trip in to history.
We know they take the good wishes of the Scottish Volleyball community with them to Malta.
Vince Krawczyk
Head Coach to the Scotland Young Senior Women