The Volleyball NSW 2025 Annual Report is now live

2025 was not just a big year for volleyball in New South Wales. It was a transformational one.

With record participation, historic competitive achievements, major infrastructure milestones and stronger systems underpinning the sport, Volleyball NSW entered a new era of scale, maturity and confidence.

Today, we are proud to release the Volleyball NSW 2025 Annual Report, which captures the story of a year defined by growth, renewal and bold ambition.

A community bigger, more diverse and more engaged than ever

In 2025, Volleyball in NSW reached a record 10,397 members across 104 nationalities, with an average age of 22.7 — reflecting the sport’s diversity, youth and accessibility.

This growth reflects sustained investment in schools, clubs, competitions, and people, and a sport increasingly chosen because it is inclusive, flexible, and community driven.

Record participation and events that pushed new boundaries

Across 2025, Volleyball NSW delivered its largest and most ambitious events calendar to date.

Indoor Volleyball

Another record-breaking year for the Sydney Volleyball League and Youth Sydney Volleyball League, with record team entries and the largest-ever SVL Finals Day crowd, peaking at more than 1,000 spectators.

The introduction of new competition formats and groundwork laid for Premier League Volleyball signalled a shift toward maximising quality competition within constrained venue environments.

Schools Volleyball

Schools’ participation reached unprecedented levels in 2025:

These results confirm schools as one of the strongest drivers of sustainable growth, connecting thousands of young people into long term volleyball pathways.

Beach Volleyball: national leadership and world class exposure

2025 marked a landmark year for beach volleyball in NSW and Australia.

New South Wales became the first state to deliver a Volleyball Australia sanctioned Winter Beach Volleyball Tour, hosted at Blacktown City Beach. This demonstrated that high-level beach volleyball can be delivered year-round.

The year was further elevated by:

• Australia hosting the Beach Volleyball World Championships on home soil
• NSW staff and athletes gaining hands on experience in a global elite environment
• 27.1% increase in participants in Men’s Beach Volleyball
• 28.7% increase in participants in Women’s Beach Volleyball

Together, these milestones positioned NSW as a national leader in beach volleyball innovation and delivery.

Performance milestones and a proud NSW Phoenix year

2025 will be remembered as a breakthrough season for NSW Phoenix.

For the first time in the program history, both the Men’s and Women’s teams reached the Semi Finals of the Australian Volleyball Super League. This marked a defining moment for high performance volleyball in the state. Both our teams were proudly sponsored by Scape Australia and we thank them for their incredible support to our NSW Phoenix Senior Indoor Program.

Across youth, junior and sitting volleyball pathways, NSW athletes consistently performed on the national stage, supported by:

• A growing coaching workforce
• Improved alignment across performance programs
• The continued evolution of the NSW Phoenix Volleyball Academy

Stronger Foundations: venues, inclusion and governance

Beyond participation and performance, 2025 was about building the foundations required to sustain growth.

Places to Play

Volleyball NSW activated two critical new venues at Blacktown City Beach Volleyball Courts and Blacktown Disability Sports Centre.

These venues now support indoor, beach and adaptive volleyball, forming the early architecture of a connected venue ecosystem across NSW.

Inclusion and belonging

Inclusion remained central to everything delivered in 2025, including:

• Expanded sitting volleyball programs
• Progress toward Pride in Sport Silver status
• Inclusive uniform options designed around choice and participant experience
• NSW’s first sitting volleyball team competing nationally

Looking ahead: building the next era of Volleyball in NSW

As we move into 2026, Volleyball NSW is focused on:

• Building a connected, statewide venues network
• Strengthening clubs and community capability
• Advancing pathways and Premier League Volleyball
• Embedding inclusion and belonging at every level
• Continuing to advocate for a permanent home for volleyball in NSW

The story of 2025 is one of collective effort, delivered by athletes, volunteers, clubs, referees, coaches, staff, partners and supporters who continue to show up for the sport every day.

Explore the full Report

The Volleyball NSW 2025 Annual Report provides a detailed look at the people, programs and outcomes that shaped this defining year.

CLICK HERE to read the 2025 Annual Report and discover how, together, we are building a stronger future for volleyball in New South Wales.