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Dedicated to Player Success
VolleyPro is an innovative offering in the New Zealand landscape - a volleyball programme committed to supporting and developing players for professional placement in overseas leagues.
VolleyPro has existing partnerships with European volleyball clubs, providing a clear and predictable pathway to professional opportunities.
With structured coaching, development programs, and a clear idea of what it takes to succeed, VolleyPro is dedicated to ensuring that our athletes reach their goals.
Once placed, VolleyPro remains engaged in your success overseas, and is a home for all programme alumni to return for future development should they require it.
The VolleyPro Programme
The purpose of the VolleyPro programme is to identify interested athletes, support their development and eventually select and nominate athletes for professional opportunities.
The goal of the programme is to support athletes to reach a level where they are likely to be successful in the professional environment in which they are placed. Further to this, the athlete should be likely to be able to improve during this initial professional posting, such that they are able to gain subsequent contracts in increasingly competitive leagues.
The programme will be structured to best prepare our school-leavers to navigate this journey. Detailed programme design is still on-going, and will continue through consultation with athletes and experienced coaches and volleyball administrators throughout New Zealand in preparation for launch in 2027.
The VolleyPro Academy
VolleyPro will offer a limited number of our most promising athletes a position at a full-time, high-performance volleyball training academy.
Located in Palmerston North and operated in conjunction w. the Massey University Academy of Sport, the VolleyPro Academy will ensure that aspiring volleyball athletes are given opportunities to develop at the rate necessary to reach success.
Professional training environment
The VolleyPro Academy will give athletes the best chance to reach professional level, with a training environment designed specifically to prepare for life as a volleyball professional.
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5+ on-ball sessions per week for 8-10 months of the year, including:
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Targeted, technical training with Academy squad.
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Team training as part of club team.
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2-3 programmed strength & conditioning sessions per week.
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Supported by accredited sport science professionals.
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Quality training resources & equipment, including AI video analysis & feedback.
Top-level competition
As well as Academy trainings, VolleyPro athletes will be full members of the MVC club, and take part in an expansive competitive calendar.
Each season, Academy players will have the opportunity to compete to win the Central Zone qualification series, UTSNZ Tertiary Champs, Australian Club Champs, and the New Zealand Club Champs, as well as competing in a series of additional friendly matches, tournaments and series.
World-class programme support
Operating in conjunction with Massey University, VolleyPro enables athletes to access expertise to support in balancing study with an emerging sporting career.
In addition to technical and physical training, the Academy programme will offer strength and conditioning and support in areas such as nutrition and performance psychology through the Massey Academy of Sport.
For many athletes, scholarships will also be accessible to reduce the cost of tuition.
How do I apply?
The application process for the 2027 intake is now closed.
However!
Connecting with ambitious athletes early in their journeys aligns with our longer-term goal of establishing an on-going pathway to professional volleyball.
For all ambitious athletes, of any age, we welcome you to submit this generic expression of interest. This lets us know that you are keen, and enables us to connect with you to understand where you are at, and how you can connect in to the VolleyPro programme.
We will make contact with all athletes that submit an EOI, and in many cases there may be opportunities to participate in the programme in the short-term.
If you are interested, but want to understand the process further, please contact programme director Tim Middlehurst on tim@volleypro.co.nz.