Sport News
Interschool Volleyball - Girls
On Thursday 5 March, 12 girls from Years 9 and 10 went to play volleyball, representing Nossal for interschool sports at Dandenong stadium. We showed amazing sportsmanship and played very well as a team. In total, we played 5 matches. We won 4 of them (including the finals) and had a narrow loss in our 4th against Fountain Gate.
In our first match against Timbarra, everyone played exceptionally well, despite the nerves that come from the first match of the day. We won our first set, and our second 20:8, even though we were still getting used to playing all together as a team due to having had few prior opportunities to practice together.
The team kept playing well, especially in our second game (against Doveton). We were constantly scoring points one after the other, and our confidence had grown. Everyone on the court worked super well with each other, we won two consecutive sets.
In our third match, which we played against Gleneagles, the girls' teamwork had already significantly improved since the first match. We were diving, digging, making hits and Eva and Afomia had some great aces throughout the match. We also won 2-0 for this, the second set being 20-7.
In our fourth match against Fountain Gate, we were nervous and thought it would decide if we made it to the finals (but we found out later that we were already in). It was tense because both teams had won all of their previous games, and every point they scored kept us on edge. We were tired and almost ready to give up after losing the first set and the match, but we stayed strong and kept going— eventually losing that game. (Hey at least we had fun and were still in finals!)
For the finals our strongest six were put on court. The group included Lara, Emma and Dawn who were our strongest defensive players, as well as Eva, Afomia, and Hannah, our strongest offensive players. They made exceptional plays, from Lara’s setting, Eva’s hits, Emma’s passing, Hannah’s dives, Afomia’s aces, and Dawn’s saves. They significantly improved on their communication, and calling for the ball and serve receives from their prior match. With all of their strengths combined, benched players and some of the Nossal boys cheering, we are glad to say that they won the finals and are progressing to regionals.
Overall, we can say everyone in the team played exceptionally well, and we hope that the team continues to play this well!!
Aarya Panchal & Hannah Haneef
Senior Boys Cricket
Nossal, led by captain Aiyaan Ariketty, produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat Mount Eliza.
Mount Eliza batted first and were immediately put under pressure by Nossal’s bowlers. Early breakthroughs left them struggling at 3/18, making it difficult to build momentum. Despite recovering slightly later in the innings, Mount Eliza finished on 4/124 from 20 overs. Rish Kumar led the bowling attack with 2/29 from 4 overs, while Adit bowled very tightly, taking 1/11 from 4 overs.
Nossal’s chase started aggressively. The opening partnership raced to 57 runs in the first six overs, putting Mount Eliza on the back foot straight away. Captain Aiyaan Ariketty played an outstanding innings, finishing 70 not out from 40 balls and controlling the chase with confident stroke play.
He was strongly supported by Rish, who scored 44 from 29 balls. Together they ensured the target was reached comfortably, with Nossal finishing 1/129 in just 13.3 overs.
The match highlighted Nossal’s strength in both bowling and batting, with early wickets and a powerful start to the chase securing a convincing victory.
Vidhujan Sivasuthan
Casey North Division Volleyball
On Wednesday 11 March, the Senior Nossal girls and boys team proudly represented Nossal High School at the Casey North Division Volleyball tournament!
The day started with both teams arriving bright and early to warm-up, fueled by passion and adrenaline, and ready to hit the court.
While the boys' team faced some incredibly tough competition and didn't walk away with the wins they hoped for, they showed great character and passion on the court. They fought hard in every match and maintained a positive attitude throughout the day, representing Nossal with pride against some very strong opponents.
Meanwhile, the girls' team showcased exceptional performances in resilience and skill. Despite the early setback of losing a teammate to injury in the opening match, the team rallied together to remain undefeated, never dropping a single set throughout the day.
Although the loss of our teammate hit hard, the opening match saw the team deliver an outstanding performance against Fountain Gate, securing the win with an exhilaratingly close lead 2-0 (20-18, 18-16). This momentum carried into our next game against Gleneagles; while both teams brought their best, and Gleneagles' impressive hits earned them plenty of admiration. Nossal ultimately triumphed in straight sets.
Our next matches saw us facing the Hallam A and B teams. These were two particularly tense games as fatigue began to set in, yet we remained focused and came out on top. This led to our final match of the day—a rematch against the Hallam A team. Despite the physical toll of a full day of volleyball, both sides gave their all to compete for a place in regionals. To our delight, the girls' hard work and persistence paid off, as we won in straight sets and secured a spot in Regionals.
A special thanks to Ms Vanstan and Mr Rule who coached and supported both teams on the day!
Esther Siu
Volleyball
Our journey in this year's interschool volleyball competition was defined by grit, explosive rallies, and a level of teamwork that kept us competitive until the very last serve.
Throughout the day, we focused on refining our transitional play and defensive positioning, turning every match into a high-energy showcase of skill.
The day culminated in a heart-wrenching, narrow defeat in our final game—a match decided by the thinnest of margins in a deuce-heavy final set. While that result ultimately kept us out of the finals due to a total point percentage loss of 5%, the scoreline doesn't reflect the massive growth we achieved as a squad. We walked off the court with our heads high, knowing we left everything on the floor and laid a solid foundation for next year’s campaign.
Austin Li