WAINIBUKA Secondary School’s under-19 girls’ volleyball team defied the odds to claim the Central Eastern Secondary Schools Volleyball Championship title after defeating Kadavu Provincial Secondary School two sets to one in the final.
The Wainibuka girls entered the competition without proper facilities to train and with little expectation of making it to the final.
Captain Penina Ranadi said the team had faced several difficulties but remained determined to give their best.
“We faced a lot of difficulties when we came here, but we never gave up,” Ranadi said.
She said the players did not expect their campaign to take them all the way to the final.
“We didn’t dream of reaching the finals, and yet we did. We went on to win the U19 title.”
The team’s preparation was also affected by the lack of proper facilities, but Ranadi said the players made the most of what was available to them.
“We didn’t have proper facilities to train, but we still came out here and gave it our best.”
Their determination paid off when they overcame Kadavu Provincial Secondary School in a closely fought three-set final to secure the championship.
Ranadi said winning the title was a special achievement for the team, considering the challenges they had overcome.
“It means a lot to us because we came here facing difficulties, and we didn’t expect to reach this far.”
She also expressed her gratitude to the parents and supporters who stood behind the team throughout the competition.
“We are very grateful to our parents and all our supporters for supporting us throughout this journey.”
In other results Gospel High School won the U19 boys title defeating William Cross College two straight sets, the U17 boys Nasinu Secondary School won the title defeating Gospel High School two straight sets and in the U17 girls Mahatma Ghandi Memorial School won the title after defeating Ballantine Memorial School two straight sets at the netball centre in Suva.
