About the Program
Craigslea Volleyball Academy (CVA) was founded in 1988 by Randel Robertson. His devotion to the sport has resulted in the school being viewed nationally as one of
Australia’s premier volleyball schools.
A significant event on the CVA school calendar each year is the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup (AVSC), which is a key focus of the program, providing athletes with the opportunity to measure their success against the best schools in Australia.
Since the inception of AVSC, Craigslea has been the only Queensland school to attend all 36 events and has
consistently been the most successful Queensland school, winning the overall title of 'National Champion' in
1989. CVA currently has a state ranking of 1st and a national ranking of 2nd. As a school, we are incredibly proud
of these results and strive to achieve excellence every time we compete.
The CVA provides athletes with the opportunity to play both beach and indoor volleyball (competing at a state and national level) and has close working links with the following community partners:
Although the CVA program aims at excellence, it provides more than a volleyball focus. It is about personal development. The preparation for AVSC provides opportunities for our students to develop important personal, interpersonal and life skills as they work co-operatively within their learning environment in pursuit of individual and team goals.
The program provides our students with a significant learning experience where they learn to deal with the joy of success and the disappointment of defeat. Over the years, CVA has provided our students with a lifetime of memories and the opportunity to meet and establish lifelong friendships.
2025
Achievements
The Craigslea Volleyball Academy (CVA) continued its tradition of excellence in 2025, achieving outstanding success across state and national competitions while maintaining a strong presence at major volleyball events throughout the year.
State Success
Crowned Champion School of Queensland 17 times in the past 18 years, Craigslea Volleyball Academy (CVA) continues to set the standard for school volleyball across the state.
In 2025, Craigslea reaffirmed its position as one of Queensland's leading volleyball programs, being named Champion Volleyball School of Queensland (Indoor).
The academy also celebrated major team successes at the state level:
- Open Boys – State Champions
- Open Girls – State Champions
National Success
Craigslea also achieved national recognition in beach volleyball, being named Champion School at the Australian Beach Volleyball Schools Cup. The program has been ranked in the top 3 in the nation for the past decade and demonstrated exceptional depth with 44 teams competing across divisions at the national beach competition.
Major Competitions and Milestones
Throughout the year, CVA athletes represented Craigslea at several major events, including:
- Australian Volleyball Schools Cup (AVSC) — marking Craigslea's 40th year of participation in the nation's premier school volleyball tournament.
- Queensland Intermediate Schools Cup — where multiple Craigslea teams delivered strong performances across divisions.
- Queensland Junior Schools Cup — showcasing the skills of younger CVA athletes and supporting the next generation of volleyball players.
- Senior Schools Cup — one of Queensland's largest volleyball events with approximately 2,500 participants.
Growing the Game
In addition to competition success, Craigslea played a key role in supporting the growth of volleyball in Queensland by hosting the Volleyball Queensland Primary Schools Cup, welcoming younger athletes to the Craigslea campus and inspiring the next generation of players.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The Craigslea Volleyball Academy (CVA) has begun 2026 with strong momentum as the program continues to grow and build on its tradition of excellence.
The season kicked off at the Volleyball Queensland Beach Schools Cup at Coolangatta, where 50 Craigslea teams competed across multiple divisions. Despite challenging heat and weather conditions, CVA athletes demonstrated impressive skill, determination and sportsmanship on the sand, representing the academy with pride.
In addition, the Craigslea community will celebrate a significant milestone in 2026 with the “Cheers to 40 Years" celebration, recognising four decades of volleyball excellence and the many students, coaches and supporters who have contributed to the legacy of the Craigslea Volleyball Academy.
As the season progresses, CVA athletes look forward to competing in major state and national competitions while continuing to develop their skills, teamwork and passion for the game.
Our Facilities
Craigslea SHS is the first school in Australia to have fully equipped indoor and outdoor facilities. We offer four olympic-size indoor courts and two olympic-size beach courts.
Opening of Our Volleyball Centre
We are excited to announce the recent opening of our much-anticipated volleyball and community sports centre. This incredible facility was officially opened by Principal, Mick Leigh, alongside The Honourable Tim Mander MP, Minister for Sport and Racing and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and The Honourable John-Paul Langbroek MP, Minister for Education and the Arts.
We were honoured to have former Principal, Mark Farwell, P&C President, Cindy Chiu Chong, Naomi Pucko from the Craigslea Volleyball Parent Committee, Past Program Managers, Bruce Mann and Tim Walsh, Craig Marshall from Volleyball Australia and John Brown from the Craigslea Volleyball Working Party join us for this special occasion. Their hard work and commitment, spanning over a decade, have brought this goal to life.
It has been wonderful to see the partnership between the departments of Education and Sport come together for this project and we would like to acknowledge the team from Department of Sport, Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games, QBuild and Hutchinson Builders for their dedication to what has been a great project to work on.
This marks an exciting new chapter for our school and volleyball program. Thank you to everyone who helped make this vision a reality!
Entrance to the CVA Program
All students who wish to apply for the Craigslea Volleyball Academy (CVA) Program will need to:
1. Complete an online application.
- Ensure you have considered all of your previous sporting experiences, including years played, club names and any representative honours.
- Do you have any certificates or trophies? Provide us with any information that shows the degree of competitive sport played over the past few years.
2. Partake in a trial afternoon.
Once online applications close, applicants will be notified of subsequent steps that they must take to finalise the application process. The Volleyball trials will take place shortly after this.
Expert Staff
All CVA curriculum staff are Level 3 'Elite Coach' qualified.
The current
program has around 230 players with 15 teaching staff and over 20 alumni forming the core of the
coaching group. The Academy class is an extension of this existing framework managed and operated by the
Academy’s Program Managers, Tenielle Payne and Connor Rudder, and its coaching staff.
Maintenance of Position in Program
It is expected that students who enter the program will maintain high achievement levels in CVA classes and display suitable behaviour and effort not only within the CVA but in all subjects. They will also be required to attend extra-curricular CVA sessions and tournaments. The school reserves the right to withdraw students from the program at any time.
Pathways
There have been hundreds of Craigslea students who have
represented not only their school, but also their district, region and state since the early eighties, with some
players going on to national representative honours.
CVA recognises and acknowledges volleyball as a unique part of Craigslea SHS's history. The ongoing commitment to a structured program provides our athletes with direct links to key support bodies, including Norths Volleyball, Volleyball Queensland,
Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) and Volleyball Australia. This provides those students who have a genuine
commitment to the sport with an opportunity to pursue volleyball along the many pathways that now exist.
This includes the option of pursuing the sport as a career, as have a number of our graduates.
2015 CVA graduate, Phoebe Bell (pictured left) and Jessyka Ngauamo lived up to their status and won title at the 2018 Daegu one-star stop on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.
CVA Alumni
It is extremely gratifying that many of our alumni want to maintain their association with Craigslea, returning to give something back as coaches, team managers and support staff. They see their participation in volleyball as a significant part of their life and want to give back to the school through donating their time.
Highlights
CVA has been Queensland Champion School each consecutive year from 2008 - 2023
CVA is ranked #2 nationally
Three past students represented Australia in the 2000 Olympics
One past student represented Australia at the 2014 Youth Olympics and Youth World Games
Two past students are international beach volleyball coaches
Over 60 students gaining national selection
Over 200 students gaining state representation
Over 40 players were selected in the Queensland elite Development program
Eight National schools Open Honours Division titles, including a rare three-peat win for the Open Girls in 2012, 2013 and 2014
Six National Schools Junior Honours Division titles