More international volleyball success for Essex

Essex Rebel player Euan Fraser and Essex Blades player Yusef Butt have been called up to represent Scotland in this weekend’s international match against Ireland in Glasgow.

Volleyball Performance Coach Alex Porter said: “I’m immensely proud of Euan and Yusef, whilst at Essex both have been fully committed to their development as athletes and students. Euan has been the talisman of the Essex Rebels over the last four years and Yusef has been battling it out with Team Essex winning multiple MVP awards. I wish them good luck in the upcoming internationals against Ireland.”

Yusuf said: “I am honoured  to have this opportunity to represent my country on home soil.” 

Euan said: "Representing Scotland is always an honour, this will be my third tournament with the national team and I’m sure it will be just as great an experience as the previous two. Yusef and I have played together since we were 13 years old in Aberdeen, Scotland and so to have gone through this whole process with him and now to be representing our country together is going to be a particularly special moment."

On top of these call-ups to the Scotland national team, another University of Essex-based volleyball player has been selected for England. Ben Osborne has been called up to face Northern Ireland this weekend and will be joining fellow Essex students Nathan Hall, Nico Gajkiewicz and Max Norton-Steele in the squad plus alumni Toby French.

Ben said: "To be selected for this upcoming friendly is not only is a great opportunity to represent my country but also to showcase the work we have been putting in at Essex."

Essex students Thomas ‘TJ’ Jefferson and Thomas Shatimehin, alongside alumni Chester Searle and Cameron Rhodes have also been selected for the Novotel Cup in Luxembourg between Christmas and New Year.

Read more about Essex international success in the news section