Laois school volleyball stars continue to shine

Volleyball at Portlaoise College continues to go from strength to strength, with both teams and individual players making impressive progress at national level.

After strong performances in the opening rounds of this year’s schools’ competition, the U16 boys’ and girls’ teams have reached the All-Ireland semi-finals. Last year, the boys claimed the U16 Division A All-Ireland title and followed it up by defeating a top team from Northern Ireland. The girls have also enjoyed recent success, having previously won a Junior Division A All-Ireland title, underlining the strength of the programme.

This season, national recognition has been a major highlight. Four U16 boys were selected by Men’s National Team Head Coach Graham Bell for a national squad training weekend — a tremendous achievement. Congratulations to Akachi Ogbulafor, Tajus Subelko, Marcin Schimmelpfenig and Unity Ebele.

Akachi also represented Ireland at the Men’s U18 Small Countries Association European Zonal Qualifier in Dublin. The tournament featured Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and marked the first-ever double-gender U18 SCA event held at home. Ireland secured a historic silver medal, qualifying for the next round of the European qualifiers. Akachi played a key role, including scoring the match-winning point against Scotland.

Portlaoise College has a proud tradition of developing national-level players. Former students Paddy Cawley, Aiden Grace and Luke Ivers have all represented Ireland and continue to compete at a high level, providing excellent role models for current players.

Current student Jeremiah Phillips has also been involved in the national set-up and has won multiple All-Ireland titles. Competing in the national league and coaching at the Laois Development Centre, he continues to set high standards on and off the court.

Coach Pawel Nowakiewicz said he is extremely proud of the boys’ achievements and believes there is even more to come. The girls, coached by Ollie Hally and Fiona Carroll, are working hard and preparing for their upcoming semi-finals.

With national medals, international experience and continued school success, the future of volleyball at Portlaoise College looks very bright