Our wāhine brought home silver after a thrilling three-set final against Australia. Liv MacDonald, buzzing with excitement, reflected on the milestone: “My first international podium… only took six years!” The team has a special place in their hearts for the Nuvali tournament, with MacDonald adding, “It’s one of my favourites to play; the facilities are awesome and the people are lovely.”
Meanwhile, Ben and Jack barely had time to breathe after winning gold at the Coolangatta Futures, jumping straight back into competition after just one day off.
There were plenty of standout moments for our teams, including an unforgettable match where Jack and James pulled off a marathon win, edging out a 33–35 first set before taking the match in three.
Now competing in Thailand, our athletes are handling the heat after their battle-tested stint in the Philippines. “The athletes feel like they can handle the heat now,” says coach Jason Lochhead.
Coach Antonia Harrison also shared her pride in the group: “I’m proud of the growth in everyone’s game, carrying on from a strong NZBT season. It’s hot here and the athletes had some gritty matches to push through to the quarterfinals and beyond. For the early stages of competition, the base level of play is high, it’s exciting to be a part of it all and to see how we can keep building.”
Our athletes are now diving straight into the Songkhla Qualifiers today for the Futures World Tour event, followed by another AVC tournament in Thailand.
