Upwey pip Morning Glory

By Paul Pickering
STARVED of competitive opposition in the lead-up to their November tour of New Zealand, Upwey High School’s supreme girl’s volleyball team turned to an unlikely combatant last week: SEN 1116’s Morning Glory team.
The event was arranged as part of the breakfast radio show’s SEN to the Rescue segment, with the team agreeing to help the Upwey girls promote their upcoming defence of the New Zealand National Schools Title.
Few of the 400 people gathered in the school gymnasium, could have predicted that a team consisting of two retired footballers, a TV/radio personality and their production crew would have provided such staunch opposition.
But the SEN boys – led by former Geelong spearhead Billy Brownless, former Essendon captain Tim Watson and host Andy Maher – belied their jovial demeanours to lock their more experienced opponents in a three-set struggle.
Brownless quickly won over the crowd of students and teachers with his clowning around, at one stage claiming that the girls were preoccupied with trying to impress their male classmates.
After winning the first set and taking a commanding lead in the second, the SEN team was overrun by their well-drilled opponents, going down in a tight final set.
Upwey coach Peter Bundy said he was not surprised by the level of skill displayed by his guests, and was pleased by the girls’ performance in an unusual situation.
“They were a bit nervous to start with, but I think they learnt a lot playing in front of a big crowd,” he said.
After the match, Watson said that his team had enjoyed the workout.
“We’re a competitive bunch of blokes, and once we get started there’s no mucking around,” he joked.
The Upwey girls can expect more stiff competition in Rotorua later this year, where the Australian champions and top-ranked Australasian team are sure to have a sizeable target on their heads.