Making your debut for your country in any sport can be a daunting task, but for a pair of Mount Maunganui teens they have the perfect tool to ease the nerves.

Mount Maunganui College volleyballers Samantha Mellow, 17, and Emerson Tod, 16, are raising funds for their trip to Thailand with the NZ Junior Women's Volleyball team. Photo by Tracy Hardy.

Next month Mount Maunganui College volleyballers Samantha Mellow, 17, and Emerson Tod, 16 will wing their way with the NZ Junior Women's Volleyball team to contest the Thailand Age Group Championships.

An exciting prospect given they'll make their debuts alongside each other after forming a close bond at Omanu Primary School, then taking volleyball seriously from Year 9.

The pair, along with Tauranga Girls' College's Jessica Lawrence and Emma Mabbott, made the final 12 after a series of training camps following the 2015 New Zealand Secondary School Volleyball. TGC finished sixth and Mount Maunganui College 10th.

And to help their individual $4000 fundraising goals the two Year 12 students have organised top sports psychologist David Galbraith to speak at Mount Maunganui College next Tuesday, with tickets costing $25.

David specialises in performance psychology in the sporting and business arenas, supporting individuals, teams and communities to establish robust and productive cultures based on personal and collective excellence.

He works with the best, including the All Blacks Rugby Sevens, The Chiefs, NZ Women's Football Team and the NZ BMX Team.

'I've heard him speak three times and he's really different to what other speakers are like,” says Emerson.

'He talks about passion and courage, which are two things you need in sport, and he's just a really good speaker.”

Samantha says their looking forward to the Thailand experience and have great support from the community and college. 'Everyone is pretty proud for us to have made it,” says Sam.

'It's pretty special for the two of us to make this side.”

The Thailand Age Group Championships is on July 10-23.

Everyone is welcome to attend David's talk from 6.30pm-8.30pm on Tuesday at Mt College Hall purchase a $25 ticket. Contact Jodi Tod on 021 053 0034 or Angela Mellow on 027 310 4640.