Essex volleyball squad

Essex is just one of five universities to be selected by Volleyball England as a Senior Academy.

The academy will act as a springboard for athletes who could go on to represent England in senior competitions as well as preparing them to play professional volleyball abroad either indoor in a club environment or on the beach in European and World tours events.

The University of Essex currently has 19 volleyball scholars, led by Performance Team Coach Alex Porter. Out of the current scholars five are past and present England Junior Internationals, Toby French, Cameron Rhodes, Mitchell Lawrence, James Baker and Amelia Stamp as well as Welsh Junior International, Tom Davey.

Alex Porter said: “Our programme has only been running for one year and we are already attracted a high calibre of international and national players drawn by the impressive mix of academic and sporting success at Essex.”

Performance Sport Director Dave Parry said: “The recognition by Volleyball England, placing us alongside long established university programmes as one of the five best programmes in the country, is a tremendous achievement.

"Our athlete-centred approach differentiates us from other programmes, and this accreditation as a Senior Academy clearly illustrates that our commitment to excellence is beginning to get Essex recognised at a national level in elite sport."
 
All the selected universities are Sport England TASS (Talented Athlete Scholarships Scheme) accredited centres. As a TASS centre Essex offers a high performance volleyball training environment including quality coaching, facilities and support services, combined with a wide range of academic opportunities.