A total of 140 children turned up to excellent facilities at Drumbrae Leisure 
Centre in Edinburgh to compete for the right to be named the National Schools Champions.
Teams travelled from the length and breadth of Scotland all in the hope that they can get their hands on the trophy.
The teams arrived sharp and the tournament got underway with some excellent play in the morning pools. The level that some of the players produce at this young age would shock some of the players who have not seen juniors playing for a long time. If these players continue to play the sport throughout school and after, our game is not only looking healthy, but no doubt the performance aspect will be lifted.
In the boy’s tournament, Kyle and Belmont Academy showed great levels of development in these talented youngsters as both teams had 3 teams each progress into the afternoon finals pools.
In the girl’s competition, Marr, Belmont Academy and Queensferry all made the progression into the top pools.
The boy’s competition was fierce, competitive but also very enjoyable for all competitors. The standard of play was excellent in the final round of matches and the tournament came down to the last play of the day for Kyle Academy B over their school opponents Kyle Academy A. Kyle B emerged victorious to take the overall title of National Schools Champions.
The girl’s competition was a bit clearer, with Marr College A winning their games in style. The team had many players who have competed in the under 15 Junior National League and used that experience to power through the competition.
Overall the day of volleyball was fantastic. The players, staff, coaches and parents were all exemplary in promoting their school volleyball but also helping the next batch of Scottish Volleyball superstars in their development phase.
A big congratulations to Ben Dunlop from Queensferry High School and Amber Baird from Marr College who won the Spirit of the Tournament awards and are now thre proud owners of 2 Mikasa mini volleyballs.
A massive thank you to all the teachers, coaches and parents for their help throughout the day and also for their every encouraging words and for letting me ‘tap’ into their experience. Also, to Graeme for his support in ensuring the day ran smoothly and the organisation was well planned out.
The festival was fantastic, if only we could do more.
Martyn Johnstone
School Festival Organiser
Competitions and Performance Administrator
Scottish Volleyball Association