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2025 Volleyball NSW AGM

Published Wed 14 May 2025

Celebrating Growth, Vision, and Leadership at the 2025 Volleyball NSW AGM 

Sydney, 10 May 2025 — Volleyball NSW proudly hosted its Annual General Meeting and Stakeholder Meeting, bringing together a vibrant community of players, administrators, and professionals to reflect on achievements, share insights, and chart the course for the future of volleyball in New South Wales. 

A Day of Insightful Presentations 

The event featured a stellar line-up of speakers who shared their expertise and vision for the sport: 

  • Hamish Macdonald from the  Australian Sports Commission introduced Game Plan, a free digital platform designed to help sporting organisations build capability. With over 6,000 clubs already engaged, Game Plan provides tailored insights, action plans, and resources to support sustainable growth across all levels of sport. 

  • Matthew O’Connor, Manager of Recreation Planning and Design at Blacktown City Council, shared his passion for community sport and outlined a strategic approach to improving volleyball facilities across NSW. He emphasised the importance of localised planning, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy to address the sport’s visibility and infrastructure challenges. 

  • Rob Regent from Sport Integrity Australia presented on the National Integrity Framework, highlighting the importance of safeguarding sport through education, policy, and community engagement. His work with Volleyball Australia ensures that integrity, fairness, and safety remain central to the sport’s culture. 

  • Caitlin Honey, General Manager of Growth and Development at Volleyball Australia, introduced Play Volley, a new national junior program for children aged 5–12 currently in development. Developed in partnership with Flinders University, Play Volley focuses on fun, inclusive activities that build fundamental movement skills and introduce young Australians to volleyball in schools, clubs, and communities. 

  • Elise Stacy, Head of Marketing and Community Engagement for the 2025 Beach Volleyball World Championships, shared exciting plans for the November event in Adelaide. With 192 of the world’s best athletes competing and a festival-like atmosphere, the Championships will be the first in Oceania and a landmark celebration of sport, culture and community. 

 

The AGM reflected on a transformative 2024, a year marked by record-breaking growth and innovation: 

  • Membership reached 9,994, representing 108 nationalities, with over 10,000 members recorded during the membership year. 

  • The Sydney Volleyball League hosted a record 280 teams. 

  • The Beach Volleyball Tour saw a 73% increase in participation, culminating in the largest-ever beach championship with 384 athletes. 

  • Blacktown City Beach was launched — a landmark inland beach volleyball facility in NSW’s largest local government area. 

  • Volleyball NSW achieved a financial surplus of $139,000, reflecting sound financial management and strategic investment. 

  • The organisation’s ranking with the NSW Government improved significantly, increasing funding from $15,000 to $180,000 annually. 

  • New commercial partnerships were secured, with Mahindra Australia 

  • Volleyball NSW introduced inclusive uniform policies, which were celebrated as a step forward in diversity and equity. 

  • NSW athletes and administrators proudly represented Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with beach volleyball taking centre stage under the Eiffel Tower.  

 

Over the past 4 years, Lucy Coggan has led Volleyball NSW through significant growth and transformation in the role of President. In line with the Volleyball NSW constitution, Lucy is due to step down from the Board at the end of her current term in 2026.  As part of the Board’s focus on good governance, Lucy will take a sideways step for the remainder of her term to allow for succession planning and a steady transition for the next exciting phase of VNSW. 

Julien Prosser, one of Australia’s most accomplished beach volleyball athletes, is stepping into the role of President.

Lucy said, “It continues to be an absolute privilege to serve our sport and shape the future of our game – we are all doing this in different ways, whether we lend our skill and time to coach, officiate or administrate. I’m very grateful to the many contributors and our team in the office for your support during my time as President. I’m so excited for the next phase of Volleyball in NSW under Julien’s leadership – he is a passionate, inclusive, fun, kind and capable leader and teammate.” 
 
Julien represented Australia at three consecutive Olympic Games — Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, and Athens 2004 — achieving a best finish of fourth place in Athens. Over a 15-year professional career, he competed in 144 FIVB World Tour events and won 14 Australian National Titles, more than any other Australian player. 

 

Beyond the sand, Julien has built a successful career as a performance consultant, working with individuals and organisations to develop leadership, resilience, and high-performance cultures. His deep understanding of elite sport and passion for community development make him a powerful advocate for the future of volleyball in NSW. 

“Firstly, I must acknowledge the hard work and commitment of Lucy Coggin in leading our Board and the sport through significant growth over the last several years. Her energy and positivity in always looking for ways to progress our governance and strategic focus were critical in how we evolved along with the growth of our sport. 

Secondly, I’m excited for the future of our sport as we pursue new initiatives at a state level. This is to not only offer our members, clubs, and affiliates improved access to participation, but to increase the profile of volleyball, new places to play and resources to support our affiliates' governance. 

Volleyball is such a great sport to play. It’s diverse, equitable and fun. With the World Championships in Adelaide in November and the pathway to Brisbane 2032 Olympics becoming clearer, we are in a fantastic position as a sport to capitalise on this exposure and have more people play and enjoy our game.”  

 

2025 is a year of stabilisation and strategic alignment. Key initiatives include: 

  • Launching the Winter Beach Season at Blacktown City Beach. 

  • Expanding social competitions and court hire availability. 

  • Deepening engagement with Play Volley and coach development. 

  • Preparing for the 2026–2029 Strategic Plan, focusing on venues, marketing, and club capacity building.  

 

 

On behalf of the entire team at Volleyball NSW, we would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone in our community — players, coaches, officials, volunteers, partners, and supporters — who contributed to the success of the 2025 AGM and the achievements of the past year. 

As we continue refining our processes, we remain committed to formalising our outputs and celebrating big and small wins. The successes of 2024 — from record participation and team entries to Olympic representation and inclusive innovation — are a direct result of your passion, dedication, and collaboration. 

We are building a stronger, more vibrant volleyball community across New South Wales. Thank you for being part of the journey. 

 

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