University Blues Volleyball
University Blues play Volleyball Friendship Tour in Beijing
University Blues Volleyball, a collaboration between Melbourne University Renegades and Monash University volleyball clubs, will travel to Beijing on 8 March for a playing tour of 10 Chinese universities and schools.
The men’s squad of 15 players hopes the experience of playing in China will put them in good stead for the 2008 Australian Volleyball League men’s season.
Monash Sport Director, Martin Doulton, said the playing group and support staff also hoped to form new friendships with Chinese players, teams and universities and encourage Chinese university volleyball teams to make similar visits to Australia.
“This is an important step in helping our volleyball athletes to develop and in building relationships between our universities, and the universities and schools we play in China,” Mr Doulton said.
Rod Warnecke, Sport Development Manager, Melbourne University Sport said “the men’s squad, coached by Shen Gabrielsen (Qi Shen), had been training hard in preparation for the tour”.
KC Chong, Vice President, Monash University Volleyball Club said “the University Blues came about because both volleyball clubs shared a vision to provide Victorian volleyball players, in particular our club players, with an opportunity to play another level up from state league competition”.
University Blues has a men’s team and a women’s team competing in the Australian Volleyball League, which is an amateur national volleyball competition.
“Our teams contain a selection of players from member clubs in our Victorian state league competition,” said Rosemary Bissett, Vice President, Melbourne University Renegades Volleyball Club. “Our women’s team is the current national league champions (gold medallists) from 2007.”
University Blues is very appreciative of the support provided by Zhao Loong and Grace Chao, from our Chinese sponsor, Beijing Mason Information Consultancy Co., Ltd. We are also appreciative of Mr Zhang Yen from Beijing Union University, Institute of Tourism. The team also acknowledges The University of Melbourne, Melbourne University Sport, Monash University and Monash Sport for their ongoing support and involvement.
University Blues will play the following schedule of matches in China:
Monday 10 March: Tsinghua University
Tuesday, 11 March: Beihang University at Peking University
Wednesday, 12 March: Beijing Communication University
Thursday, 13 March: Renmin University of China
Friday 14 March: Qing Shan High School
Monday, 17 March: Chaoyang Volleyball School
Tuesday, 18 March: Nankai University
Wednesday, 19 March: Masters team
For Further information contact Monash Sport Media Communications Coordinator Steve Pogonowski: +61 400 126 886