Australian Volleyroos captain Beth Carey wants the Canberra crowd to be their seventh player as they look to repay their supporters with a drought-breaking gold medal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Volleyroos are in Canberra eyeing group three gold in the World Grand Prix finals following their first Federation of International Volleyball win outside the Sydney Olympics since 1982.
Hungary and France open proceedings before Australia host Venezuela on Saturday, with the winners advancing to Sunday's gold medal game at the AIS.
Carey has been staple in the Volleyroos squad since 2009 and wants to repay family and friends in the wake of their long-awaited maiden World Grand Prix victory over Trinidad and Tobago.
The 26-year-old middle blocker expects the home crowd will lift the Volleyroos to another level as they look to finish the tournament with a bang.
"Everyone always plays a lot better when they're in front of friends and family," Carey said.
"Having that crowd back you actually helps you on the court. It's like having an extra player to pick us up."
Volleyball Australia moved the women's program to the AIS but its future is uncertain after the Australian Sports Commission rejected a proposal to turn the AIS Arena into a 'Volleydome'.
Carey says winning the gold medal in Canberra would be a perfect way to repay Volleyball Australia for the effort they went to in shifting the program.
"To do it in front of home and in front of Volleyball Australia, they've been working very hard with the program, setting up in Canberra... it'd be an excellent way to give back to them," Carey said.
"But also, just for us, getting that win in finals after four years of Grand Prix and not winning a match, I think would be proving we are going in the right direction with this program."
Not only did the Volleyroos claim a win, they were the only team to take a set off 2016 European champions Hungary and went the closest to upsetting France in the preliminary rounds.
That form has the Volleyroos brimming with confidence and they believe they can shock their rivals in international volleyball's third tier.
"There is a lot of confidence going around the team," Carey said.
"We've played some really good sets and if we find the consistency we can beat any of the teams that are here. I think the girls are pretty excited and eager for the challenge."
The journey to the Commonwealth Games starts in Canberra and Volleyroos coach Shannon Winzer says it will be a big boost for her side to get a taste of playing on home soil.
"It's amazing playing on home ground," Winzer said.
"We don't get to do it a lot. We've done it a lot more in the last few years than previously. To play in front of your friends and family in a court that you're familiar with.
"It's exciting and it's one of the best feelings in the world to play in front of a home crowd."
FIVB WORLD GRAND PRIX FINALS
Saturday: Hungary v France at 4:10pm. Australia v Venezuela at 7:10pm.
Sunday: Gold medal game. All games at AIS.
