YORK Phoenix Volleyball Club are planning to expand the outfit by bringing in more ladies and forming a men's team.

The club's successful ladies' team has seen numbers dwindle over the past year - but rather than let the situation worsen, club chiefs have decided to go the other way and push for growth.

It was agreed at the club's annual general meeting that they should try not only to bring more women in but also organise a men's side, seek a Sports Lottery grant, and promote volleyball, and the club, as much as possible.

This has already begun with the first of four taster sessions having taken place on Thursday for anyone who wants to play again or is interested in giving the sport a go.

These are free to anybody, male or female aged 14 and above, of any standard, and will continue over the next three Thursdays. They are held at Macmillan Sports Hall, York College, Tadcaster Road, from 7.30pm to 9pm, and all are welcome to attend.

A sports grant has also already been achieved, which covers the cost of these taster sessions, plus a kit for the proposed new men's team.

Press officer Gordon Fallowfield said: "These sessions are for absolutely anybody whether they've played before or not. It was through people who had never played before that we actually started."

That was seven years ago, when the club was called Pocklington Ladies and played out of that town.

They have since moved base to York College and took the new name York Phoenix, with the Phoenix moniker being needed to distinguish themselves from the well-established York Volleyball Club, who have three men's teams and a ladies team.

The Phoenix ladies have had their fair share of success, twice winning the Yorkshire Premier Ladies' League in the past three years.

Last season, however, the ladies had a mediocre campaign in comparison as player availability through work commitments and the arrival of babies - three of the team gave birth - became a problem and led to inconsistency on the court.

At the same time, the club began to face financial problems which still exist - with only six or seven players able to train, subscriptions were not covering the hall fees.

Fallowfield said they were now aiming for a turnaround in fortunes. "We would like to bring more ladies down so we can have good continuation, in addition to creating a men's team.

"It's a fantastic sport and the object of the exercise is to enjoy yourself."

In volleyball matches, six players per side are allowed on court at any one time, though substitutions are regular and squads realistically need to comprise at least eight or nine players.

The new season starts at the back end of October and Phoenix are hoping to have a men's team in place by then to compete initially in West Riding League division one, which is predominantly for development sides.