Sitting Volleyball Grand Prix round 1 preview - Stephanie Fu (Nottingham Casualties)

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When Stephanie Fu volunteered at the Stoke Mandeville International in 2015, little did she realise it would one day lead to setting up her own sitting volleyball team.

Originally from Hong Kong, she moved to the UK in 2010 to further her education as a sports enthusiast who had always been interested in playing a range of sports.

But after playing basketball, football and badminton for much of her younger years, it ended up being volleyball for which she developed an unexpected passion.

Stephanie’s volleyball journey started at her local team Nottingham Rockets, where she quickly progressed through juniors and regional level sides before joining the club’s National Volleyball League (NVL) roster.

She continued playing volleyball alongside her studies while at Nottingham Trent University, competing in the BUCS League and creating a lasting impact on the university club through her role as a Higher Education Volleyball Officer (HEVO) and then Senior HEVO.

Two more years in the NVL followed after graduation until Stephanie decided she could not meet the demands of playing any more and instead took up a coaching role with Nottingham Casualties in 2017, where she became Head Coach the following year.

But having discovered sitting volleyball by chance two years previously, it did not take her long to establish a new sitting team at the club, to go alongside the existing indoor women’s and men’s teams.

“It was at Stoke Mandeville where it all started,” said Stephanie. “I was volunteering at an event where the GB Men’s and Women’s teams hosted Canada and Latvia.

“I was supposed to be helping out with social media duty, but with the Wi-Fi at the venuedown for the whole weekend, and, with Latvia not having a women’s team for the event, I was invited to be part of a composite team, led by Richard Osborne.

“I asked him if I could train and play with them for the weekend and, from never played sitting volleyball ever before, two hours later I made my debut against Canada!

“After my first taste of sitting, I was very keen to continue to play the sport but there wasn’t a club in my area where I  could play.

“Even though I was unable to train with them due to distance, South Hants and Manchester Marvels had regularly invited me to join them at the Grand Prix and I have always appreciated the welcoming and inclusiveness of the sitting volleyball community.

“Last year, I decided to start my own team and I’d like to welcome anyone to participate in the sport… just like how the community welcomed me!” 

Nottingham Casualties was originally set up in 1995 by staff at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, hence the name.

The club’s men’s and women’s compete in the East Midlands Regional League and a mixed team compete in the local league, while the sitting side has become a popular fixture at the Sitting Grand Prix Series in Kettering.

Having firmly established themselves, the Casualties’ aim now is to develop the sitting team still further in the 2024-25 season.

Stephanie added: “We were proud that our sitting volleyball team competed in every single GP in our first ever season.  

“This year, we’d really like invest in our sitting volleyball offering. Sport development is something I truly passionate about. Sitting volleyball, in comparison to indoor or beach, is not as well established in terms of funding, development pathways, or, generally speaking, the opportunities to participate. 

“I believe there is so much potential and there is so much to be done. Sitting volleyball is truly inclusive. Disabled and non-disabled, mixed gender, all ages and abilities… everyone plays together – you don’t really get that in other competitive sport.”

“As a team we hope to expand. We would really like to challenge for a spot in the Final 4! I think we have really grown together as a team in our first season, we have some new players joining us this year and we have so much potential.” 

Stephanie feels that playing sitting volleyball has given her a much greater understanding of how having a disability can affect people.

It has made her doubly determined to continue to provide opportunities for people in the Nottingham and East Midlands area through the team.

“I have learnt about people’s experiences and the challenges they face,” said Stephanie. “It makes me realise, sadly, as a society we are not very thoughtful.

“There is a lot more needed to be done in terms of raising awareness of disability, accessibility and inclusivity.  

“The low interest and exposure to the sport, plus the cost of equipment and hall hiring have been the biggest challenges to our team’s sustainability.

“Some of our players compete with the indoor teams as well; finding the time to fit everything in has not been easy.”

In August, the Casualties were rewarded for their collective hard work across the different volleyball disciplines by being named as Every Body Moves Club of the Month.

Stephanie believes it is the work that has been done by members away from the court that has secured them the accolade.

She added: “Alongside organising training and competing regularly, members of the club have attended various outreach events and volunteered in competitions to promote volleyball and encourage health and wellbeing.

“We are very proud and honoured to be recognised for our work in sitting volleyball. Being recognised by ParalympicsGB is a great stepping stone to further our effort to promote disability sport and making sport inclusive.

“It will open doors for collaboration with disability sport organisations and the local community, provide and enhance opportunities to participate and help put inclusive sport on the map!”

To find out more about Nottingham Casualties, go to the club’s website and Facebook page.

Find out more about the Sitting Grand Prix Series by clicking here.