BACKAUCKLAND VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Rangitoto College achieved an outstanding double victory at the Auckland Volleyball Championships, securing both the Senior Boys’ and Girls’ titles. This marks a three-peat for the girls and an incredible four-peat for the boys, continuing the school’s proud legacy of excellence.
The Senior Girls were unstoppable throughout the tournament, not dropping a single set in all eight matches. They capped off their flawless run with a commanding 3–0 win over Carmel College in the final. Molly Caunce was named Girls’ MVP, while teammates Grace Giles, Zaria Ruby, and Jezariah Tere Mataora (Jezaria) Holmes were all selected for the Tournament Team.
The Senior Boys showed grit and determination in a thrilling final against Takapuna Grammar, emerging victorious 15–13 in the fifth set of an epic battle. Kenai Stevenson earned the Boys’ MVP honour, with Riley Bull, Rico Boaler, and Malekh-Kai Baatjes-Walker also chosen for the Tournament Team.
These remarkable results highlight the dedication, teamwork, and spirit of both squads. A huge thank you goes to our amazing coaches and managers, whose leadership and support helped make these championship triumphs possible. Rangitoto College continues to set the standard in Auckland and NZ school volleyball.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
History wasn’t just made this year; it was rewritten. After a grueling week of competition in Palmerston North, our Premier Girls Volleyball team have officially been crowned the NZ National Secondary School Champions, capping off one of the most dominant seasons in the history of Rangitoto Volleyball.
The pathway to the podium was a masterclass in consistency. Over the course of nine games, the girls went past some of the best teams in the country—Matamata, Manurewa, Takapuna, Burnside, Otumoetai, Naylands, Westlake, and Western Heights.
Their dominance was shown across these matches, only dropping one set throughout the entire preliminary rounds (to Burnside), entering the final with confidence.
The final was against rivals, St Margaret’s College (Christchurch). This was a rematch of the 2025 final where Rangitoto missed out on the gold. This year, however, the Rangitoto girls were determined to rewrite the script.
Set 1: Rangitoto exploded out of the blocks, taking a quick and dominant lead to claim the first set.
Set 2: St Margaret’s showed their class, fighting back to take the second and leveling the score at 1-1.
Sets 3 & 4: With the pressure on, Rangitoto’s composure shone through. Behind a clinical and powerful service performance, the team pushed until the final whistle to take the match 3-1.
This victory marks the 3rd National Title for the Rangitoto Girls’ programme.
Special congratulations to our players named in the Tournament Team: Zaria Ruby, Jezariah Holmes, Grace Giles, and Molly Caunce, who was also deservedly named the Tournament MVP.
The National Title was the cherry on top of a perfect season. The Premier Girls finished the year undefeated across every single competition:
North Harbour Super League Champions
Auckland Premier League Champions
Auckland Championship Winners
NZ National Secondary Schools Champions
Success like this is built over years of dedication. We extend a massive thank you to our departing Year 13 students: Keira Webster, Grace Giles, Jezariah Holmes, Natalie Campbell, and Renhanrui Li. Thank you for your service and your immense contribution to Rangitoto Volleyball.
We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to our incredible coaching staff: Adam Watson and Hannah Davenhill, along with our dedicated Manager, Jamie Sowter.
Our Premier Boys team also showed why Rangitoto is the home of volleyball, battling their way to yet another National Final. In a high-intensity match against a formidable Takapuna side, the boys fought until the very last point, ultimately walking away with a National Silver Medal.
Congratulations to Kenai Stevenson, Eduardo Bertao, Kai Baatjies-Walker, Kyson Norton, and Riley Bull who were all selected in the tournament team.
We salute our Year 13 boys for their years of hard work: Kenai Stevenson, Eduardo (Dudu) Gubert Bertao, Malekh-Kai Baatjies-Walker, Kyson Norton, Riley Bull, and Rico Boaler.
A huge thank you to the leadership behind the boys’ success: coaches Johann Timmer and Sam Bell, and long standing dedicated manager, Josh Bullen.
We would also like to welcome and thank our new Premier Boys and Girls sponsor of Volleyball, Hatton Construction.
What a year for Rangitoto Volleyball. Whether it was gold or silver, our athletes represented the school with pride, grit, and excellence.
