Denison College's all-conquering girls volleyball side celebrates a brilliant career together

Kelso High School's Jerry Sheader has confirmed that he will not be resuming the volleyball program at Denison College in 2022, opting to spend additional time with his family.

Over the past two decades Sheader has dedicated much of his time towards fostering volleyball talent in the Central West, and it was over the past six years with one particular Denison College side that he truly struck gold.

What began in 2016 as a challenge to build up a year seven girls' squad into something competitive would, by the end of 2021, result in numerous titles and a raft of representative selections.

Sheader points to what he refers to as the "core five" of Maddie Vallis, Lily Grimmond, Teagan Bush, Zara Sheader and Harriet Fitzsimmons who were a force to be reckoned with every time they played.

"Each one of those five girls each represented NSW in Combined High Schools competition and also represented outside of school sport. We built the team around those five core players ... and they were essential to our success," he said.

"Between them we had two outside hitters, one libero, one setter and one universal. They're filling the five most crucial positions and doing so at a very high level."

Sheader believes that over the course of their careers the quintet would have lost somewhere in the vicinity of only six games out of the 80 or so that they played.

Of those defeats they mostly came either in finals or against more experienced opposition.

It was a remarkable achievement from a group who couldn't have achieved such a record without plenty of dedication.

"In year seven term two that's when the program started, when I ran it at Bathurst High for a year. I'd take the minibus over from Kelso once a week to train.

"We had 30 girls when we started out, and three teams that went to Sydney for the first tournament. I was surprised over the years, especially that second and third year, of the ability that those girls in that core group were showing.

"In the state program they were travelling every weekend to play for the state team, and it was surprising that we had five girls from the one team representing the state.

"Not only were they committed but they were talented. They had the energy, interest and skill level but it was a big commitment from their parents as well, given the costs involved. They provided a lot of support."

The team came fourth in year nine with Western at the CHS tournament and then would win in 2019 and 2021.

If it weren't for COVID cancelling the 2020 tournament then it's likely the side would have made it a hat-trick.

Sheader said it's been an amazing experience.

"I was at Blayney prior to here, so I've spent 22 years coaching in the region," he said.

"I still go away with a lot of the ex-students, including the Blayney ones, with the Beavers team each year. It's great hearing from them about how volleyball gave them something that helped them connect to other like-minded people."

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