The regional side has high hopes for the 2012 Volleyball Victoria State League, with the addition of another two sides to the one they fielded last season.

Players combine from Sunraysia, Bendigo, Horsham and even Warrnambool to be part of the side.

The season was initiated with a two-day training camp at St Joseph’s College Stadium.

Squads and team captains will be named ahead of the season opener on April 28.

Paul Freckleton of Sunraysia Volleyball said the extra teams would be a great opportunity for more local young guns to show their stuff.

“It is an opportunity to give the kids exposure at a higher level of competition,” he said.

“Last year we had one men’s team who played in Division Two (behind Premier Division and Reserves Division), they went through the season undefeated, losing just four sets over the year.

“They have been promoted to the Reserves division, but we are hoping to push up into the Premier Division soon enough.”

While metro teams have the advantage of all being close by to training and game-day facilities, travel is part of the job description for the Phantoms.

But head coach David Berry said this had not deterred the enthusiastic group.

“We had 12 players almost every week, it was really well supported,” he said.

“And now with there being more opportunities, we have had more than 50 players here trying out this weekend.

“The players have been hanging out for this for a long time.”

Berry is confident the Phantoms could push for finals in 2012.

“I’m pretty confident the guys can make the finals but we won’t look too far ahead yet, the girls will be very competitive and should be thereabouts, while the other boys is a younger side so it will be more about giving them the big game experience,” he said.

Freckleton said it was also the Phantoms’ aim to make the players the stars of show come game day.

“We want to present the players to the crowds with the lights and the music and make them the stars of the show, because they are,” he said.

The Phantoms will be playing a gala weekend in Mildura on July 14 and 15.

This article appeared in Monday's Sunraysia Daily 30-1-2012.