THE Cuvu Volleyball Association is hoping to gain experience from their first ever Vanua Challenge tournament that starts tomorrow in Suva.
The Naviti Hotel-sponsored side, which was formed last year, is fielding two teams — one in the men's and two women's — in the competition.
Association spokesperson Jella Botei said they had not set high expectations because the side had faced problems with preparation.
He said rain over the past two weeks did not spare their small community.
"Since we have grass courts, the non-stop rain made it impossible for us to train at our grounds because the ground was really muddy and we were afraid the players might get injured," he said.
"We cancelled most of our training sessions but the players are all looking forward to the tournament because it is an opportunity for us to get much-needed exposure."
In the men's competition, Cuvu has been drawn in pool 4 with Kinoya Gold, USP Green and Waiyavi 1.
The women's competition will see their Blue team face Security Forces 1, USP 1 and Topline 2 in Pool 2 while their Yellow team takes on Kinoya 1, Raiwai 1 and Topline 1 in Pool 3.
"We have been drawn in tough pools for the tournament but we are looking forward to playing.
"This tournament will give good exposure to our players, especially our young girls.
"The players have been told to play with all their hearts," Botei said.