Shelly Beach’s Billy Greber says his shock call-up to the Australian team makes all the hard times, including a run of injuries, worth it.
The 18-year-old was selected in the national squad for the prestigious Volleyball Nations League, contested in a bubble in Italy from May 28 to June 27.
“It’s a pretty awesome opportunity,” he said.
“There are slightly bigger squads than normal for each nation, so they (Volleyball Australia) have seen this as a chance to get some younger guys involved.”
Greber initially received an email from selectors saying he was being considered. Two weeks later, he received confirmation he was in the line-up.
“It’s a pretty unreal feeling,” he said.
“I’ve had lots of injuries and tough stuff to go through, with a lot of sacrifices.
“It’s during those times you don’t necessarily see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“So, for this to happen out of nowhere … to get the opportunity to dip my toes in the water at the highest level … everything I’ve gone through was worth it.”
Greber had multiple stress fractures in his back and ankle injuries, which stifled his rise through the ranks and made him question his future in the sport.
“During that prolonged time out of the game … in those times you get a bit low and wonder if it’s all worth it,” he said.
A former talent in the volleyball academy at Caloundra State High School, he moved to Canberra at the start of 2019. He finished his schooling there and honed his skills with the Australian Institute of Sport.
“That was a huge decision, to leave everything I’d known and go to another state,” he said.
“It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve done. There are a lot of times when you go ‘is this really what I want to be doing with my days, when I’ve got mates at home camping every weekend?’
“Then you get injured and have time away from the sport that you moved states for.
“But then you get these moments where you get international opportunities, and it really makes everything worth it.”
Greber hopes the Nations League is “just the beginning” of his international career.
“It’s just a starting point. In no shape or form am I stepping back. It’s one thing going on tour in a squad, but the extra thing is becoming a starting player and really performing and taking it to the best teams in the world.”
The Volleyroos are eager to fare well at the Nations League, especially after missing out on qualification for the Tokyo Olympics.
A new head coach, Marcos Miranda, was recently appointed for the next Olympic cycle.
“The start of that new group is pretty much now, and the end goal is in three years’ time at Paris,” Greber said.
He also has one eye on 2032, especially because South-East Queensland is the preferred bidder for those Games.
“That’s a long way away but it’s something to keep in the back of my mind on a rainy day when I’m finding it tough,” he said.
Aside from the Nations League, Greber said he could compete in upcoming state competitions.
He hopes to play professionally in Europe after borders re-open.
“It’s a bit tough trying to figure out the next steps, with COVID, but that (playing overseas) is still the goal. Hopefully, I can end up with a contract somewhere.”
Fellow Sunshine Coast product Caitlin Bettenay is also an Australian representative.
Her father Cameron Bettenay is a prominent coach at regional, state and national levels. He was Greber’s coach at times as he emerged on the representative scene.
“He’s a sensational person and an amazing athlete,” Bettenay said of the teenager.
“He will look through the net and will set the ball for the hitters where the blockers aren’t.
“His vision on the court at such a young age is outstanding and quite unusual.
“And he’s able to put the ball on a dime for somebody to hit it.
“He also understands the requirements for the different hitters, so puts the ball right into their hitting window.”
Bettenay said Greber was “always ahead of his time” on court.
“Even when he was 15 he was setting at an open athlete level.”
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Greber phoned Bettenay to let him know he’d been selected in the Aussie squad for the Nations League.
“In speaking to him, he was very mature about his opportunity to see court time,” Bettenay said.
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Caloundra High volleyball co-ordinator Lauren Schweiso said the Greber brothers showed immense talent early on.
“Their volleyball skills developed incredibly quickly, and the rest is history,” she said.
“They picked it up a little faster and understood the game quicker than the other kids, and their skill development was outstanding.”
The school has developed a strong reputation for its volleyball focus.
“Our numbers are extremely high, with the amount of kids in the program,” she said.
Almost 30 students in the program focus on volleyball instead of practical physical education, but also do theory for health and physical education.
They trial for the program in Grade 6 and enter it in Grade 7, with subsequent trials to stay in the program.
