WARRNAMBOOL sisters Emma and Hillary Hannagan hope to continue their good form on the sand when they play for Victoria at the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships in Coolangatta.
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Emma, 14, was selected in the under 16 team while Hillary, 13, will line up for the under 15s when the tournament begins at the end of April.
The under 16 team will play games in pairs while the under 15s are in trios.
The sisters found out they would be representing their state not long after they claimed victory in the year nine girls pairs at the Volleyball Victoria Schools Cup.
The Emmanuel College duo, who went through undefeated, used the strong connection they'd built playing in the backyard to propel them to the state title.
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"We just decided to pair up because it was easy and we were at the same school," Hillary said.
"We practice together at home but this is the first time we had played together. I felt like we communicated well and we were always on the same page.
"Playing with Emma has been good as I know how she plays and she likewise. It makes it easier to understand what we'll do on court.
"We played a lot over lockdowns and we just know how each other play now and that helped."
The duo, who also play together in the state league with Phantoms, plan to compete together at more tournaments in the future.
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It will be Hillary's first time representing her state at a national championships, a goal she has been striving to achieve since she started playing in 2019.
"It was really exciting (being selected in the team) and it's a great opportunity to have," she said.
"I'm looking forward to going to nationals."
Emma was part of a Victorian indoor team which scored bronze in the national indoor championships in 2019.
Hillary said she enjoyed the unique challenges indoor and beach volleyball have.
"It keeps you on the edge all the time," she said. "It's fun when it all comes together and seeing a team working together is satisfying and really rewarding."
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Sean Hardeman
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
I'm a sports journalist for the Warrnambool Standard who covers a number of different sports across the south-west of Victoria. I enjoy watching cycling, surfing, football, soccer and Formula 1.
