VOLLEYBALL isn’t a sport you would expect Blayney to produce state representatives in, but that didn’t stop three of the town’s players from competing at the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships last week.

The trio represented two NSW teams at the under 17 girls nationals in Dandenong, Victoria, with one team claiming the bronze medal.

Elissa Blowes captained the NSW Sky outfit to third at the championships while Jess McLean and Kasey Le Poidevin helped NSW Navy finish 11th.

Blowes had experienced the national standard previously but it was the first time for McLean and Le Poidevin to test themselves against the best from around Australia.

They noticed a distinct improvement in the standard they normally encounter playing with Blayney High School and at a weekly social competition in Bathurst.

McLean said it was difficult to compete at the national level given the lack of competition the sport endures in the region.

“Volleyball isn’t very big around here so it’s hard,” she said.

“Going from Blayney standard to nationals standard was a pretty big difference.”

Their state team-mates, on the other hand, don’t face the same challenges.

“There is a thing called the SVL, the Sydney Volleyball League, and pretty much everyone that was in the team played that and it’s a comp every Sunday,” McLean said of the competition their team-mates get to enjoy.

“We don’t do much.”

The trio did well to earn places in the two teams as it was a demanding process trialling to represent NSW and then preparing for the nationals.

“We went down to Sydney in February and there were over 50 girls that were trying out,” Blowes said.

“They cut it down to 30 there and then we had to play two more tournaments and then they cut it down to 20 I think.

“We had school training and then every second weekend we’d have to travel to Sydney, to Sydney Olympic Park, to train.”

After nationals, Blowes stayed on to trial for the national side and while the 15-year old was unsuccessful, she was still happy with her nationals experience.

“We ended up getting bronze. That was better than what we expected,” Blowes said.