The volleyball community in Northern Ireland celebrated another exciting milestone as Dalriada School hosted its annual mini volleyball tournament under the umbrella of the CEV School Project. The event welcomed 31 primary school teams from across the Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council area, marking the biggest turnout yet and highlighting the sport’s rapidly growing popularity among young children in that region.
Top honours went to Castleroe 1, who were crowned tournament champions after a strong performance throughout the day. Kilmoyle 1 finished as runners-up, while the Plate Final was won by Straidbilly 1, with Kilmoyle 3 taking the plate runners-up position. In addition to the team achievements, eleven individual awards were presented to children who demonstrated exceptional performance and exemplary conduct, reinforcing the tournament’s focus on both skill development and sportsmanship.
Event organiser and award-winning coach Ian Walker, recently recognised at the NI Volleyball Awards for his contribution to Volleyball, reflected on the event’s success:
“What a fantastic day at Dalriada! We were so thrilled to host 31 primary school teams for a brilliant volleyball tournament. It’s amazing to see how our sport has grown in NI and the many young players who now enjoy a sport we love. It feels like we are on the crest of something great in volleyball. Huge thanks to all who helped and took part!”
The tournament was a memorable one for Castleroe Primary School, who won the title for the second time. Teacher, David McMillan, reflected on both the victory and the school’s journey with the sport:
“It was another fun-filled day at the Dalriada Volleyball Tournament, made extra special as our Castleroe team clinched the cup. This is our third consecutive year taking part, and we’ve seen continuous improvement each time.
Remarkably, just five years ago, volleyball wasn’t even part of our curriculum. I used to think it was only appropriate for older pupils, but after attending teacher training with Joanna from NI Volleyball, I gained the skills and confidence to bring it to our school. I now attend the coaching sessions for teachers every year, as I always learn something new that I can take back and use with my pupils.
Thanks to that training, the culture of sport in Castleroe has changed. Pupils who once identified only as footballers or hockey players now proudly call themselves volleyballers.”
David also spoke of the recent CEV Coaches Convention in Sofia, Bulgaria, which he attended alongside Stephen McCartney, Sports Development Manager at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.
“The conference was a brilliant opportunity to share knowledge with coaches from across Europe. Stephen, who also attended, has since introduced volleyball into another local school through our Shared Education partnership, giving even more children access to the sport.”
Stephen McCartney added: “Volleyball is proving to be one of the biggest growth sports in our Borough and we’re delighted to see this season over 20 primary schools throughout the Borough playing the sport, through schools coaching, shared education and the Dalriada school tournament. Council are delighted to partner Northern Ireland Volleyball in promoting the CEV Schools Project and providing more children to experience volleyball.”
Joanna McCrory, CEV School Project Manager in Northern Ireland, also shared her reflections:
“I’m incredibly proud of the progress we’ve made. We started with just five schools several years ago, and now we have hundreds of children playing volleyball at grassroots level. These results wouldn’t have been possible without the teamwork and commitment of so many dedicated individuals — from teachers and coaches to school staff and our council partners. Together, we’ve created something really special. We have even bigger and more ambitious plans for next year to reach even more pupils and schools across the region.”
NI Volleyball President Jonathan McFadden was present at the tournament, where he took time to speak with players, coaches, and organisers. He personally thanked everyone involved for their dedication to promoting volleyball at grassroots level and for making the event such a success. “To see the highlight of our primary schools volleyball project come together for a festival of this size shows how much volleyball has and continues to grow. We would like to thank the organisers from Dalriada school, staff from Sports Development at Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, the participants and their schools for coming together and make it a memorable event.”