Welcome!

Hello from your new committee!

• President: Jesse Martin
• Vice President: Natalie Ung
• Secretary: William Weston
• Treasurer: Darryl Schwilk
• Committee: Rachel De Carlo, John Getape

We would like to thank Chris Poppell for his work as President over the last year. To name a few achievements, Chris led changes which have seen strong growth in our junior programs, upskilling CVA members in refereeing and scoring, plus the updating of the CVA Constitution to suit modern club requirements.

Upcoming CVA events can be found on our calendar here: calendar

• 
• President’s Report
• Introduction
• It’s been another remarkable year for Cairns Volleyball Association. After years of focusing on membership growth, 2024/2025 has seen a shift toward elevating the quality of our indoor competition. With increased membership came a wave of talented players, allowing us to diversify and raise the standard of offerings across all levels.
• I’m proud to say this year’s committee has been one of the most collaborative and supportive I’ve worked with. Their shared commitment and communal spirit have made stepping down as President a guilt-free decision. CVA is in excellent hands, and I’ll continue to support the new committee.
• Membership & Competition Development
• Indoor Competition: The rise in playing standards has created a gap between recreational players and those seeking high-level competition. To support this higher standard we reintroduced nominated referees—after nearly a decade of relying on team volunteers. This move has significantly improved match quality. Special thanks to Will Weston and Stephen Ung for leading this initiative.Division 2: Plans are underway to develop a Division 2 competition to support emerging players. The challenge remains in sourcing suitable convenors to manage this expansion.
• Thursday Development Program
• Under John’s leadership, our ‘Learn to Play’ program has remained strong. However, a wide range of skill levels led to the creation of ‘C Grade’ to accommodate intermediate players. Despite this, a gap still exists between C Grade and Division 1/2, so Thursday nights will continue focusing on fundamental skill development.Participation has surged from 45 to over 60 players this term, with two time slots already full and a third likely to be added soon.Congratulations to John and Amber on the new addition to their family! While John was on parental leave, I had the pleasure of stepping in to support the program.
• Pathways to Representation
• The Thursday program has proven its value, with many players progressing to represent Cairns at the QLD Junior State Championships. It’s not just about competition—it’s about fostering passion and connection to the sport.Thank you to Kirsty Soda for her continued dedication to the women’s representative program.Under Brian Geck’s guidance, the men’s program returned with strength, sending two teams away this year.At the Junior State Championships:U19 Girls earned Silver under coach Natalie Ung.U17 Boys & Girls and U19 Boys all placed 6th in divisions of up to 18 teams.
• Acknowledgements
• Jesse (Secretary): Please join me in thanking Jesse for his tireless work—handling Fair Play vouchers, launching programs, sourcing venues, and co-running Wednesday nights with Nat.Cairns Cup: The event has outgrown its city facility model. Last year’s dual-venue format required more coordination, so this year we’re moving to Edmonton. This will allow all divisions to compete together and expand the men’s competition to two divisions.Beach Volleyball: Cairns juniors performed strongly at AYBVC on the Gold Coast, with some finishing 2nd in their age group. Our juniors are now on par with interstate-level pairings. CVA hosted the NQ Games and has also secured its place on the QBVT calendar, kicking off the QLD Beach Tour alongside the Cairns Festival. Thanks to Brendan Begley too. Iain Cooper (Treasurer): Thank you, Coops, for your dedication over the past two seasons. Your support for volleyball and the broader community is deeply appreciated.Brian Geck: Known affectionately by myself as the “Godfather of Volleyball in Cairns,” Brian’s VQ Life Membership is a testament to his decades of advocacy and leadership. Regional Queensland is stronger because of him.Darren Saint: Darren has been a mentor, friend, and pillar of CVA. His 2024 VQ Club Administrator of the Year Award reflects years of behind-the-scenes dedication—fixtures, payments, tournaments, and leadership. Thank you, Darren.
• Infrastructure & Governance
• We’ve added a new fridge (yes, it’s fancy!) and updated our Constitution to better serve CVA’s future.
• Looking Ahead
• To continue our momentum, CVA should focus on:
• Targeted growth in the women’s Wednesday night competitionExpanding beach volleyball engagement and advocating for improved facilities at the Esplanade—potentially the best public courts in QLDSupporting Brisbane 2032 athlete preparation in Cairns, with council works expected to begin in the next 2–3 years
• While I won’t be on the committee in the short term, I’ll always be part of CVA. Volleyball remains my sport, and I look forward to spending more time at the grassroots—perhaps coaching, definitely playing—and beginning a new adventure soon.
• Yours in sport, Chris Poppell

https://www.vq.org.au/2023-vq-annual-report-final-compressed-2/

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