Formation of Reds Volleyball Club – February 2018
Reds Volleyball Club officially launched on Facebook on 1 February 2018 following a month of discussions and preparation regarding the formation of a new volleyball club in Perth. Inaugural President Anthony Meo, Vice-President Jarrod Cocks and Connor McNab led the Club’s formation process in the 12 weeks prior to the commencement of the WAVL season. In the Club’s first season, 5 Western Australian Volleyball League (WAVL) and 7 Western Australian Volleyball Junior League (WAVjL) teams comprised of 133 athletes competed for Reds with the Club securing its first championship title in the Y9/10 Boys Junior League division.
John McGrath announced as inaugural Patron of Reds Volleyball Club – May 2018
John McGrath, the Member for South Perth, was announced as the inaugural Patron of Reds in 2018. John’s previous involvement in volleyball, connection with members of the club and the local South Perth community made him a fitting choice to be the Club’s first Patron. In his time as Patron, John supported Reds at various events including the Club Launch in 2018 and at Volleyball WA Awards Nights, and offered his time and assistance to further the interests of Reds.
Pictured (L-R): John McGrath – Member for South Perth, Robyn Kuhl – CEO of Volleyball WA and Peter Robertson – Dean of Development at Aquinas College.
The inaugural Western Australian Volleyball League match: Reds v UWA – May 2018
Reds hit the court for the very first time on 4 May 2018 at The Rise in Maylands in the opening round of the 2018 WAVL season. The Reds Super League 2 Men came up against UWA Volleyball Club on the first Friday night fixture of the season. Jason Laverdure coached the SL2 team in a tight 3 set contest, with UWA proving too good on the night as they took home a 3-0 (25-23, 27-25, 25-12) victory.
Burswood Isuzu UTE and Aquinas College announced as Major Partners – March 2019
Aquinas College and Burswood Isuzu UTE joined the Reds as the Club’s first Major Partners in 2019. Aquinas College supported the Club in its foundation in 2018 and was an active supporter of the Club’s endeavours. The relationship with the College enable Reds to access Aquinas facilities including use of the Br Paull Centre for trainings and matches. Burswood Isuzu UTE joined Aquinas as a Major Partner of the Club for the 2019 WAVL and WAVjL competitions and supported the Club throughout the 2019 season.
WAVL Division 1 and 2 Men’s Champions – September 2019
The 2019 Reds Division 1 and 2 Men capped off superb seasons by claiming the Club’s first WAVL championship wins on Grand Final Day. After finishing the regular season on top of the table, the Division 1 Men led by Anthony Meo defeated ECU in straight sets in the final, while the Division 2 Men coached by Greg Hunt, came from 4th place and recorded three consecutive wins in their finals campaign including a 4-set win in the final over ladder-leaders UWA to cap off a successful Grand Final Day for the Club at Warwick Stadium.
2019 Volleyball WA Club of the Year – October 2019
2019 was a highly successful year for Reds as the Club grew to 7 WAVL teams and 9 WAVjL teams, and a new Kids Volley program was initiated for Y3-6 students. The successes on and off the court saw the Club recognised as the Volleyball WA Club of the Year at the 2019 Volley Awards. The award aims to acknowledge the Club or Association that has contributed most to the development and growth of the sport. Reds also celebrated the achievements of club member Michael Dempsey who was awarded Volleyball WA Life Membership for his service to volleyball.
Formation of Reds Junior Volleyball Club and Reds Volleyball Association – June 2020
The surging growth of Reds Volleyball Club resulted in the need to restructure operations to provide the most benefit for members. Reds Junior Volleyball Club was formed to more effectively target the needs of junior volleyballers in the WAVL competition and better support the transition of athletes from junior to senior grades of the sport. The formation of Reds Junior marked the formation of the first junior-specific volleyball club in Western Australia. Logan Vanderweide served as the inaugural Reds Junior President, while Anthony Meo took on the role of Reds Volleyball Association (RVA) President. The Association has united both Reds Volleyball Club and Reds Junior Volleyball Club under the RVA and provided support to benefit the affiliated clubs.
Women’s State League and State League Reserves Champions – September 2020
Reds claimed the 2020 State League Women and State League Reserves Women titles in two pulsating matches on centre stage at Warwick Stadium. The State League Women, led by Laurel Wentworth, were able to overturn a loss against ECU Chequers in the semi-final to record an impressive 5 set victory over the Chequers in the final. The State League Reserves Women were also victorious in the final as Greg Hunt guided the team to a 4 set win in the decider against Rossmoyne after going through the season with only a single loss.
Reds Junior claim maiden WAVL title in Division 2 Women – September 2020
The newcomers were not to be taken lightly as Reds Junior claimed their first championship win in their inaugural season in the WAVL competition, following a pulsating finals campaign and Grand Final victory by the Division 2 Women. The team, led by coaches Jimmie Mok and Tia Chamberlain, finished the regular season in fourth place and secured two 5-set victories in the semi-final and preliminary final, before taking down the top of the table Fremantle Fury side in a 4 set thriller in the Grand Final to secure the Club’s first Divisions title.
2020 Volleyball WA Club of the Year and Robyn Fittock Champion Club Indoor — October 2020
Reds Volleyball Club was awarded the 2020 Volleyball WA Club of the Year for the second year in a row and also took home the 2020 Robyn Fittock Champion Club – Indoor on the back of all State League, State League Reserves and Division 1 teams reaching finals. The Club’s WAVL program grew to 9 teams, and the number of WAVjL teams increased to 18 teams. The Club overcame COVID challenges to grow the Reds Volleyball program in a shortened COVID impacted season.
Cassie Dodd, Sarah Burton and Tom Dempsey join the Australian Volleyball Academy in Canberra – January 2021
Cassie Dodd, Sarah Burton and Tom Dempsey became the first Reds athletes to be selected to join the Australian Volleyball Academy (AVA) in Canberra. The athletes departed in early 2021 to further their volleyball journeys at the Australian Institute of Sport as part of a revitalised national academy program. The AVA is designed to identify and develop Olympic potential athletes for Volleyball and Beach Volleyball. It is the High Performance Development Program for volleyball and beach volleyball athletes who aspire to reach the elite level of their sport.
The Good Grocer and Brilliance Removalists announced as new Major Partners – March 2021
Following a COVID impacted season in 2020, Reds were able to secure The Good Grocer and Brilliance Removalists as Major Partners of the Association in 2021. The support of these organisations represented a significant milestone for the Association to be able to attract the support of two local organisations with an aligned vision, common values and an interest in supporting the development of Reds Volleyball.
The Good Grocer: www.thegoodgrocer.com.au
Brilliance Removalists: www.brillianceremovalistsperth.com.au
First club-based All Abilities and Sitting Volleyball Program in Western Australia – July 2021
Reds Volleyball Club initiated the first club-based All Abilities and Sitting Volleyball Program in Western Australia in 2021. The program was led by Dani Francis and Will Neates at Aquinas College on Saturday afternoons throughout winter and provided opportunities for athletes living with a physical or intellectual disability to participate in modified drills and games to teach the game to participants living with a physical or intellectual disability.
2021 Beach Volleyball Champion Club – October 2021
Reds Volleyball Club was awarded the 2021 Beach Volleyball Champion Club at the 2021 Volley Awards. The launch of the Reds Beach program at SandSports in Nedlands and Curtin University in October 2020 marked the expansion of Reds programs onto the sand and contributed significantly to the award. The inaugural Reds Beach program was spearheaded by Josh Court, Greg Hunt, Shelby Maher and Kody Hooson and provided a training environment for junior and senior beach athletes to develop on the sand.
Launch of Reds Reach – March 2022
Reds Volleyball Association launched a new community engagement program to increase volleyball participation and expand the charitable contributions of Reds in the community. Reds Reach aims to make volleyball more accessible to enable a wider range of participants to engage in volleyball and offer new opportunities to better support current members. Reach Reach focuses on Adaptive Volleyball participation, Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) participation, mental health and wellbeing support for members and regional volleyball participation.
Cassie Dodd and Sarah Burton debut for the Volleyroos – June 2022
After being a part of the championship winning State League team in 2020 and then joining the AVA in 2021, Cassie Dodd (#11) and Sarah Burton (#21) made their debut for the national senior Australian women’s indoor volleyball team in Thailand. The 10-day tour at the FIVB Training Centre in Bangkok was the first international tour for the Volleyroos following 2 years of COVID disruptions.
2022 State League Reserves & Division 1 Champions – September 2022
Reds Volleyball Club won the men’s and women’s 2022 WAVL Reserves and Division 1 titles. The 4 Grand Final wins marked the most number of Grand Final titles in a WAVL season in Reds history and the first time the Club has taken out the Reserves Men and Division 1 Women titles. Head Coaches Victor Gabriel Goncalves, Greg Hunt, Anthony Meo and Sam Hoskin led the Reds teams to championship victories in four tightly contested matches.
Reserves Men: Reds d Busselton (3-2: 22-25, 30-28, 25-23, 15-25, 15-12)
Reserves Women: Reds d Busselton (3-2: 25-15, 23-25, 25-22, 15-25, 15-8)
Division 1 Men: Reds d VIRSA (3-2: 27-25, 21-25, 25-20, 27-29, 15-9)
Division 1 Women: Reds d Balcatta (3-1: 26-24, 16-25, 25-22, 25-15)
2022 Robyn Fittock Champion Indoor Club & Beach Volleyball Club of the Year — October 2022
Reds Volleyball Club claimed the 2022 Robyn Fittock Champion Indoor Club & the back-to-back Beach Volleyball Club of the Year at the 2022 Volleyball WA Awards Night. The awards marked the most successful season for Reds since the club was formed that included championship victories in the WAVL State League Reserves Men and Women, Division 1 Men and Women and in the Year 9/10 Female Division of the WAVJL.
Employment of first full-time staff member – January 2023
Reds Volleyball Association announced the employment of Max Wason as the association’s first full-time staff member. Max was appointed as the organisation’s Director of Volleyball to strengthen the quality and delivery of programs, events, courses and competitions within the Reds Volleyball Association.
Establishment of the Luke Perry Volleyball Academy — July 2023
Captain of the Australian Volleyroos, Luke Perry, teamed up with the Reds Volleyball Association to launch the Luke Perry Volleyball Academy (LPVA) in June 2023. The Academy aims to create new opportunities for aspiring volleyballers in Western Australia and interstate through specialist trainings, camps and volleyball education courses in a high quality program environment.
Launch of the Youth Volley League – August 2023
The Association announced the establishment of the new Youth Volley League (YVL) and Youth Volley League – Kids. The 2023 edition of the competition marked the first internally operated volleyball league run through the Association. YVL and YVL – Kids provides new playing opportunities for athletes in Y3-12. The competition was open to all schools, clubs and groups of friends to be involved in a fun, central, inclusive and action packed competition environment.
Reds hit the court at the Australian Club Volleyball Championships – September 2023
Reds Volleyball Club became the first team from Western Australia to compete in the Australian Club Volleyball Championships in Bendigo in September 2023. The Tour marked the first time that Reds Volleyball Club toured interstate to compete in a national tournament. The team was led by Coach Jason Laverdure and Captain Ryan Slater and placed 4th in the Premier Men’s Division.
2023 Robyn Fittock Champion Indoor Club & Beach Volleyball Club of the Year — October 2023
Reds Volleyball Club claimed back-to-back Robyn Fittock Indoor Volleyball Champion Club honours and was also named Beach Champion Club for the third consecutive year at the 2023 Volley Awards. These awards marked the fifth consecutive year that Reds Volleyball Club has been awarded a club award at the Volley Awards.
Perth Reds Volleyball Association – October 2023
The team at Reds announced that the Association would be known as the Perth Reds Volleyball Association (PRVA) moving forward. This decision to insert ‘Perth’ into the association’s name aimed to increase the awareness about the location of the organisation and its operations both here in Western Australia and abroad.
International Hall of Famers Giba and Maurício visit Perth — January 2024
Internationally renowned Olympic Indoor Volleyball Gold Medalists from Brazil, Giba and Maurício flew to Perth as part of the their Legends’ Volleyball Tour of Australia.
Perth Reds Volleyball Association partnered with the Melbourne based Volleyball Institute of Performance (VIP) to bring the pair to the west to host a series of clinics, seminars and exhibition matches aimed at promoting the game of volleyball in WA and Australia.
Reds Volleyball Club host the first WAVL Regional Round in Albany – June 2024
Reds Volleyball Club host the first ever Regional Round of the Western Australian Volleyball League (WAVL) with the Reds State League Men and Women travelling to Albany for Round 10 against UWA.
The Albany Regional Round formed part of the Great Southern Volley Mania which was delivered in partnership between Volleyball WA, Perth Reds Volleyball Association, Reds Volleyball Club, UWA Volleyball Club, Albany Volleyball Association and Denmark Volleyball Club.
