The Volleyroos will have their first crack at earning selection for Tokyo 2020 when they contest the Olympic Qualifying Campaign in Italy next month.
The squad left Canberra this week, bound for Russia – where it will finalise preparations with a series of warm-up matches against their hosts.
It’s then onto Bari, Italy where Australia has been drawn in Pool C against Italy, Serbia and Cameroon.
The Aussies face a tough ask, with the world number 15, coming up against a strong Italian outfit currently ranked third, whilst Serbia (10th) and Cameroon (22nd) will prove difficult opponents too, with only the group winner earning qualification for next year’s Olympic Games.
Seeded nations have been drawn into groups of four countries, split across six groups, with each series being held in a different country.
All six group winners will earn selection for Tokyo, with Australia set to fight out the Asian Championships late this year, where the eight highest ranked nations will earn invitation to regroup in January next year, for a final qualification tournament that will provide the top team with a continental berth through to the Olympic Games.
If the Volleyroos can find a path to Tokyo, WA is set for strong representation, with five representatives boasting previous international experience in; Luke Smith, Max Staples, Sam Walker, Luke Perry and Nicholas Butler.
Australia finished the recent 2019 Volleyball Nations League in 13th place with three wins from 15 matches against the best nations in the world.
