Committee

Club Secretary

Lily Hirons

Hi all, my name is Lily Hirons. I have only been playing volleyball for almost 2 years now, with my third season just about to start. This will be my second season with UTV, and I can’t wait for it as I enjoyed myself a lot during my first. The players at UTV are some of the most friendly and warm people you will meet, and everyone helps to make it a safe environment which encourages everybody to learn and develop. I am excited to be the Secretary of Unity Through Volleyball in its second season as the growth within the past year of UTV has been immense, and I only look to embrace another year of this. What I lack in both volleyball and administration experience, I make up for in passion, and specifically passion to maintain the running of a club all members can be proud of. I encourage those who are either new to the game, or may not have been on a court in a while, to come along and see what UTV is all about.

Head Coach and Club Welfare Officer

Connor Bromley

I have always had a passion for sport, and at college my specific interest in volleyball began. I studied both a BSc and MSc in Sports Psychology at Plymouth Marjon and was chairman of the volleyball club for a couple of years, coached, and was a mental health first aider alongside. During UTV’s debut year, I have helped captain the Dragons, our mixed EDVA Div 1 team who finished 2nd in the league, and coached many training sessions with the whole range of abilities we have. I look forward to this year, remaining as a coach for the club and being one of our welfare officers, as it makes me feel good to know that I can have a positive impact on everybody’s volleyball journey.

Volunteer Development Officer and Club Welfare Officer

Sam Tonkin

Hiya! My name is Sam Tonkin and I first joined volleyball in a rather unconventional way but it quickly became a passion of mine and such a big part of my life. I am very excited to be part of this committee and to help players reach their full potential.

I’ve been qualified as a referee since 2019 and have learned so much about the sport and gained so much confidence in recent years. Using my expertise, my aim for this year it to ensure volunteers develop and gain the confidence and experience to referee themselves.

I want to help and give back to a sport that has helped me so much. As a recent psychology graduate, I understand that people have individual differences which can impact their performance and experience within the sport. UTV is such a welcoming environment and I want to help people from all backgrounds to enjoy their time in our club. My hopes are that all of our members feel they have someone they can talk to, no matter their circumstances.

I am so thankful to have been nominated for my roles and to be part of a committee that will help UTV and its players to progress even further.

Club Welfare Officer

George Piper

I wanted to start playing volleyball because whilst at university I noticed it was a healthy and positive environment. I joined the UTV beginners sessions initially and although I didn’t quite have the skills to play, the mindset of players and the general camaraderie drew me in right away! This eventually led to me becoming a member of the Krakens team and recently volunteering for role of welfare officer to continue to be a friendly face and someone people of all backgrounds can trust and talk to honestly. As well as playing volleyball I consider myself an outdoors person as well as an avid fan of climbing, listening to a wide variety of music and I have also recently picked up tennis!