South Australia Recap at AJVC 2026

23 July 2026

Performance Our People Juniors Competitive

South Australia’s emerging Volleyball talent has delivered the state's most successful campaign on record at the 2026 Australian Junior Volleyball Championships (AJVC), held on the 9th to the 12th of July at the Lights Community & Sports Centre in Adelaide.

Bringing together the nation's best junior athletes, the annual tournament once again showcased the future of Australian volleyball across SA team squads with the Under 19, Under 21 and Under 23 men's and women's athletes competing for national honours.

South Australian Team Results

The state returned with three national medals, one gold, one silver and one bronze, the highest medal tally ever achieved by South Australia at an AJVC.

The Under 23 Women claimed the national title following a dominant championship performance, defeating New South Wales in straight sets to secure gold. The Under 23 Men finished their impressive tournament with a well-earned silver medal, while the Under-21 Women added a bronze to cap off an exceptional week for the state.

When reflecting on the tournament, Volleyball SA Head of Performance Pathways Manager, Deb Kassing said,

"One moment captured the pride and spirit of the entire campaign. My favourite moment of the weekend was walking into the stadium yesterday and hearing their captain say to the team ‘I am proud to be a South Australian today.’ They didn’t know I was near them and could hear that, it literally made me tear up!”

Team	Result
U23 Women	1^st place (Australian Champions)
U23 Men	2^nd place (Silver Medallists)
U21 Women	3^rd place (Bronze Medallists)
U21 Men	6^th Place
U19 Women	4th Place
U19Men	5th Place

Our Team Lists and Coaches

The six South Australian teams were led by dedicated coaching staff and featured athletes from across the state

Under 23 Women:
Head coach: Harrison Paay
Assistant Coach: Elke Jarvis

Under 23 Men:
Head Coach: Connaire Burns
Assistant Coach: Tara Olonga

Under 21 Women:

Head Coach: Phil Im
Assistant Coach: Tan Huy
Manager: Zenya Zarcinas

Under 21 Men:

Head Coach: Joel Wight
Assistant Coach: Lok Hei Anson

Under 19 Women:
Head Coach: Rebecca Campbell
Assistant Coach: Georgia Duffield

Under 19 Men:

Head Coach: Patrizia Udycz
Assistant Coach: Jack Payne

Congratulations to every athlete, coach, team, manager, official and volunteer who proudly represented South Australia at the 2026 Australian Junior Volleyball Championships. This record-breaking campaign has set a new benchmark for the state and is a testament to the continued investment in developing our next generation of volleyball talent.