The Hawks under-14s girls team will travel to Sydney on Saturday to compete at the Australian Club Championships. Illawarra qualified for the tournament after finishing on top of the ladder in this year's Junior Premier League, before putting in a strong showing at the NSW Waratah League.

Hawks assistant coach Maddison Delaney said the team had bonded nicely and were well prepared to succeed at nationals.

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"They all started quite young, and they were all great friends before they came together as a team a few years ago,'' Delaney said.

''When you watch them off the court, they're like a bunch of sisters who are constantly together, which I think translates to how they play on the court.

''They put up a united front and there's a connected feeling.

"I think that this group of girls are very talented, and they can really do anything they set their minds to.

''Hopefully they can win a couple of their first games and lock themselves into the top 12."

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The Illawarra Basketball Association held a fundraising effort ahead of the competition, which Delaney said had been well supported.

"We've gone over our initial target and the Illawarra community has really got behind us," she said.

"We've had lots of local sponsors who've jumped in to help the girls with their trip and the girls are very excited about it."

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