The Socceroos are making the headlines, but their volleyball counterparts want a piece of the spotlight, too.
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Australia's men's volleyball team, the Volleyroos, are out to make their presence felt when they host a round of the lucrative $8 million World League for the first time in 15 years this weekend.
The Volleyroos are in Canberra for a double-header against Finland at the AIS Arena on Saturday night and Sunday.
The majority of the Australian team plays professionally either in Europe or in Asia, with towering 212-centimetre outside hitter Tom Edgar making his living in South Korea.
Edgar hoped the exposure the World League games in Australia would generate - with matches against Canada in Adelaide and Belgium in Sydney to follow later this year - would help to kick-start the game's popularity in this country.
"There's definitely a buzz to be able to play on Australian soil again,'' Edgar said.
''It's a big investment not only from our federation, but the Australian sporting community in general. It's a great opportunity for us to showcase what we can do and hopefully generate a bit more knowledge and popularity within Australia.''
Saturday night's match, which includes a pre-game performance by international recording artist James Blunt, is close to selling out, while ticket sales have been slower for Sunday.
Fox Sports will show the first game on replay on Sunday morning and the second will be live.
The Volleyroos are in the second tier of the World League and will move on to the final six tournament in Italy in July if they win their division.
It would be a massive achievement and would build on the great work from two years ago when the Volleyroos defeated world No.4 Poland at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
By earning a place in the World League, the Volleyroos have the opportunity to continue to improve as they aim to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
''One of the things we wanted to focus on after the London Olympics was getting competition year-in and year-out,'' Edgar said.
''The World League is a great opportunity to play the best teams in the world on a yearly basis. Getting a lot of match practice and a lot of development is what we need to get better.''
The Volleyroos lost their two opening games in Belgium a fortnight ago and are coming off a training camp in Bulgaria.
VOLLEYBALL WORLD LEAGUE
Australia v Finland at the AIS Arena. Saturday at 7pm. Sunday at 4pm. Tickets from Ticketek.
