EB's Helios Volleyball Team Takes Regional Title

On Saturday, April 27, the Helios Volleyball Club sent its Girls’ 13 and under team, Helios 13 Malibu, to the Powerzone Volleyball Center in Denville, NJ, to compete in the Regional championship tournament of the Garden Empire Volleyball Association (“GEVA”).

The GEVA Region includes all of New Jersey and south eastern New York, and Helios was competing at the Club level of the tournament. The top 12 teams from GEVA competed in Long Island that day at the Open level. Helios started the day shorthanded, with several players injured or unable to join the squad until later in the day, and they looked to be in some danger as they lost their opening match to Rival Volleyball Club out of Long Island.

With two more players arriving at that point, however, the team never looked back and went undefeated the rest of the day to advance to the playoffs, defeating Rival in a rematch for the Championship.

“This accomplishment would be tremendous for any team in the region,” said club founder and President, Charles Sheard. “But what makes it even more incredible is that this team only formed last November, with some of the girls never having even played before. The coaches and I, and all their parents, are so incredibly proud.”

In fact, this was the very first season that Helios Volleyball Club had any teams in competition at all. Founded in the summer of 2011, the club started with instructional programs only, until last November when they formed three competitive teams for girls.

“Naturally,” continued Sheard, “These girls couldn’t have gotten where they are in a mere five months without tremendous coaching, and we couldn’t have found better coaches than Head Coach Alysia Sachau and Assistant Coach Jack Fredricks.”

“The girls were thrilled,” added Sachau, “And it was terrific to see the contribution from every player on the squad.”

Sachau, who only a week before was playing on her own team in the Adult Regional tournament, joined Helios this season, having coached previously at other prominent New Jersey clubs.  In addition to coaching Malibu, Sachau also coaches the club’s Girls Academy program, which provides instructional training for younger or less experienced players, many of whom graduated to this season’s competitive teams.

The Cclub is already well into the planning stages for next season, according to Sheard, and has hopes to reach even greater heights.

“Between the returning players from Malibu, the up-and-comers from our Academy, and players from other clubs in the area who took note during the tournament, we expect to have very competitive tryouts in November.  Which will be good, because we still have a long way to climb,” he pointed out, “As there are 12 teams in the Region above us, who played at the Open level.  We now have to see whether Malibu will be joining that elite group next season.”   

Sheard was also quick to point out that Malibu wasn’t the only success story.

“Our younger team, Helios 12 Laguna, was also competing in its first Regional tournament on Saturday, and had its best performance to date.  If we read the results correctly, we believe they placed eighth overall in the Regional tournament.”

Next weekend, the club’s older team, Helios 15 St. Tropez, will compete in its regional tournament, at the Club level.

“Malibu set the bar high, but our coaches always have a friendly rivalry, and we know St. Tropez will work hard to match their results,” said Sheard.

-Helios Volleyball Club