Stratford School's Lavinia Serban secures GB U18 volleyball team spot

STRATFORD School student Lavinia Serban expressed her surprise after securing a place on Great Britain’s U18 volleyball team.

Serban was one of 80 players fighting for just eight places on the team during the trials at Dudley College. Here, she was put through her paces alongside players from across the country and demonstrated her individual skills of serving, passing, hitting, smart play, diving and receiving.

She then played with others in competitive games so her team-working skills and competitive strategy could be assessed. At the end of an intense day, Serban was one of the chosen eight to make the GB squad.

“I was so honoured to have been asked to the trials and after seeing the standard of players there, I didn’t expect to get chosen, I had just immersed myself in the experience,” she said. “When they called my name it was absolutely fantastic.”

Guy Wnuk, PE curriculum leader at Stratford School, said: “We are incredibly proud of Lavinia’s achievement, she has worked so hard to get where she is in the sport. Lavinia is a fantastic role model to our students, regularly volunteering to coach volleyball in lower school PE lessons and motivating her peers in sixth form to practise after school.

“I can’t think of anyone who deserves this accolade more.”

Serban will be playing with the GB team in the West Midlands Championship at the end of April and will be training with the other GB players until the season starts again in October.