6 YEARS

Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) scholarship athlete

2015–2019

Australian youth & junior representative, beach and indoor

3 COUNTRIES

Pro seasons in Denmark, Sweden and France

12 YEARS A SETTER

Now a pro opposite (3+ years)

I was a soccer kid. When I started high school, soccer wasn't offered in our first semester of sport, so I gave volleyball a go. It was a completely different game, and I was hooked almost straight away.

Two things drew me in. The people: friendly, fun, enthusiastic and easy to relate to. And the game itself: fast, technical, and suited to my strengths. At 191 cm (6'4") with long arms, I felt at home at the net. After my first school competition in Brisbane, there was no going back. I went to development camps, trained in my backyard, and started making highlight videos of my own games at 14.

I was eventually scouted as a young talent for the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), Queensland's elite development program. That's where my development really took off.

QAS training focused on the fundamentals first. Mistakes were part of learning, and technical growth mattered more than results. Decision-making and outcomes came second. Learning in an environment like that meant I built strong technique quickly, and it's the single biggest reason I play the way I do today.

I didn't make the first state team I trialled for. It stung, but it didn't stop me. That setback drove me to keep improving, and the habit of chasing constant improvement is what eventually let me stand out among peers in my age group.

If you've just missed a team, you're not behind. You're at the start of your story.

From 2015 to 2019 I represented Australia multiple times at youth and junior level, in both beach and indoor volleyball. I medalled consistently at the Australian State Championships in both formats.

I was offered scholarship opportunities in Canada, but I chose to stay in Australia, earn my university degree, and keep playing in my state league.

After my degree, I went straight into the workforce: nine to five, writing reports, running meetings, long days in front of a computer.

Meanwhile, friends I'd grown up playing with were at colleges in Canada and the US, or playing professionally overseas. Honestly, I had serious FOMO watching their experiences.

In 2023 I played at the Asian Volleyball Championships with the Canberra Heat.

Somewhere in that tournament it clicked: I wanted to play a professional season, at least once in my life. I believed I had the skills. I just hadn't had the burning desire until then. At 23, I decided to take the leap.

Since then I've played two seasons in Denmark (one as a setter, one as an opposite), a season in Sweden, and I'm now playing in France.

Taking the leap has given me different cultures, ways of life, styles of volleyball and languages. It has also given me real appreciation for how precious life is when you're figuring things out on your own on the other side of the world. It's been a truly humbling experience.

Fundamentals first

Solutions under pressure

Every time I step onto the court in a high-pressure moment, I'm grateful for the technique I built as a junior. It's where I start with every player.

Pro volleyball teaches you to find answers in tough situations. I help players build that same confidence.

Both sides of the ball

The real pathway

12 years as a setter and now a pro opposite. I understand what setters need from hitters, and what hitters need from setters.

State teams, national juniors, college offers, and the leap to pro. I've been through all of it and I can show you how it works.

My journey has been so rewarding that I feel I need to share it. Every young player with real drive deserves someone who has walked the path and can show them the way, whether the goal is a local or state team, a college scholarship or a pro contract overseas.

Every time I step onto the court, I'm grateful for the fundamentals I learned as a junior, the confidence that comes from finding solutions in tough moments, and the open mind I've gained from travelling the world playing the sport we love. That's what I want to pass on.