Australian Volleyroos prepped for Oceania Zonal Qualification Tournament – Volleyball Australia

Australian Volleyroos prepped for Oceania Zonal Qualification Tournament

Volleyball Australia is pleased to confirm the Australian Men’s and Women’s volleyball teams for the upcoming Oceania Zonal Qualification Tournament, which will be held at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra from 17-23 December 2025.

This tournament serves as a key qualifier for 2026 international events, including the 2026 Asian Championships. For Australia, it represents the first opportunity to directly qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, making it a critical step on the pathway to the Olympics.

The competition format will see the Women’s Teams compete in a best-of-three series between Australia and Samoa, while the Men’s Team will play in a single round-robin format against New Zealand and Samoa, culminating in a final.

Women’s Team athlete Mikaela Stevens said the chance to represent Australia on home soil is both special and motivating, as the squad looks forward to showcasing its progress while helping grow the profile of women’s volleyball nationally.

“It’s super rare that we get the opportunity to represent Australia at home in front of our family and friends, so we are very grateful and excited for the matches ahead,” Stevens said.

“We are excited to show the Australian community how we can compete and continue to improve our style of volleyball.

“Hopefully opportunities like this continue to come through so we can build the profile of women’s volleyball in Australia, especially in the lead up to the 2032 home Olympics!”

On the men’s side, Max Senica reflected on the team’s preparation and confidence ahead of the tournament.

“I think the men’s team are very confident in our abilities, even with several of our players currently overseas,” Senica said.

“But I think for us, we’ve put in the work together and a lot of the athletes know each other from previous tournaments, so for us it’s about being confident in our abilities and being able to execute when it comes to qualifying.

“The last time I saw men’s volleyball like this on home soil, I was actually in the crowd, so for me it’s incredible to have it back especially in Canberra where we train very often, and we’re familiar with the space so we feel very confident going into it that we can execute on what we need to and continue our pathway to qualification for LA 2028.”

Volleyball Australia congratulates all selected athletes listed below:

AUS Women Team

• Mikaela Stevens (NSW)
• Halle Rillie (ACT)
• Mali Towers (NSW)
• Sophia Soderberg (SA)
• Cameron Zajer (SA)
• Holly Uren (ACT)
• Georgie Vanloo (SA)
• Caitlin O’Dea (QLD)
• Anni Tang (NSW)
• Lana Hollway (SA)
• Chelsea Cocks (NSW)
• Jaiha Birkett (ACT)
• Rachel Linskey (QLD)
• Lilyana Stanojevic (QLD)

AUS Men Squad

• Zachary Upton (QLD)
• Steven MacDonald (QLD)
• Caleb Watson (WA)
• Joel McGruther (QLD)
• Dylan Lucchesi (VIC)
• Nicolas Borgeaud (ACT)
• Benjamin Bell (QLD)
• Benjamin Carleton (QLD)
• Simon Coat (SA)
• Thomas Heptinstall (WA)
• Matthew Pallot (WA)
• Max Senica (QLD)
• Isaiah Meredith (QLD)
• Travis Passier (ACT)
• William D’Arcy (QLD)
• Jack Connell (ACT)
• Andrew MacLean (QLD)
• Nicholas Butler (WA)

Competition Schedule:  

• Thursday 18 December – Women’s Volleyroos / Samoa at 5:00pm AEDT 
• Friday 19 December – Men’s Volleyroos / Samoa at 4:00pm AEDT 
• Friday 19 December – Women’s Volleyroos / Samoa at 6:00pm AEDT 
• Saturday 20 December – Women’s Volleyroos / Samoa at 3:00pm AEDT 
• Saturday 20 December – Men’s Volleyroos / Samoa at 5:00pm AEDT 
• Sunday 21 December – Men’s Volleyroos / New Zealand at 5:00pm AEDT 
• Monday 22 December – Men’s Final at 5:00pm AEDT