Woonona volleyball star Adax Brienen wins gold at Australian Youth Championships

The victory was a sweet one for the NSW team after coming agonisingly short in the final in 2022. The team learnt from that heartbreak according to Brienen as they claimed glory against Queensland.

To make the win even more satisfying, NSW had never beaten this Queensland team in previous attempts in both under 14s and under 17s.

The game went to a thrilling five sets and in the end NSW had too much quality.

Australian Youth Volleyball Championships are held annually and is the premier and highest-level indoor volleyball event for players between 13-17.

The national event in Bendigo featured teams from every state. There were 10 teams in the U-18 division and the NSW team played nine matches over four days.

NSW finished second to Queensland in the pool, winning eight matches and going down to their eventual final opponents by the narrowest of margins.

After going down in the final the year prior, NSW were hungry for redemption. Training hard since July, Brienen said all the team's efforts had paid off with the final victory.

"Getting into that final was a really big achievement for our team because the majority of the team played in it last year and we came so close but in the final we just weren't all prepared and didn't have the energy," he said.

"But this year we all had the energy and we were a lot more fresh and prepared for the final. We had a lot of development. This year everyone shared the court equally, allowing other people to rest. So that's what gave us that extra boost for the final.

"I had a really successful time down in Bendigo. Winning the gold and the top division of the juniors. So that was pretty exciting and it's a really good achievement for me and my team.

"The tournament is really long, so it gets really tiring. I think our team did well each game finding a balance of getting a lot of people on but still winning the game, which was challenging from a coaching perspective."

Brienen has been making waves in both beach and indoor volleyball in recent times. Vice-captain of the team, he came off the bench early in the first set and played a key role.

"I think that was the best game of indoor volleyball I've ever played," Brienen said.

"I've never been so involved. A lot of people said from outside the court that I was the 'hot hands' of the game and that every time I got the ball that I wont the point. So that was a pretty cool thing to hear. So from that point of view, I felt like I played really well."

Brienen will quickly turn his attention back to the sand with the NSW Beach Volleyball Tour the next event on the agenda.

Brienen's family have had a huge influence on his love for the game. His father Patrick and his older sister Kaia both have been involved in the game at a high level.

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