New Zealand’s Volley Blacks say belief and teamwork were key to their historic upset over Australia at the AVC Men’s Nations Cup, as post-match comments reveal a side growing in confidence on the international stage.

The New Zealand men’s indoor volleyball team, who feature players from Bay of Plenty, stunned higher-ranked Australia with a 3-2 win in Ahmedabad, marking their first victory of the campaign and their first win over their transtasman rivals since 1999.

In a statement sent to SunLive, top scorer Seth Grant said the result reflected the team’s preparation and unity, describing the win as a major moment for the squad.

“It feels absolutely amazing,” Grant said.

“We all came here with the expectation to show big results, and we really pulled through. We worked together as a team, and it’s just awesome that we finally got a big win on the big stage.”

Grant was one of the standout performers in the five-set thriller, finishing alongside Liam Smith as New Zealand’s leading scorers with 17 points each.

Seth Grant leads from the front as New Zealand upset higher-ranked Australia. Photo / Volleyball New Zealand

After losses to India and Bahrain earlier in the tournament, the victory over Australia marked a significant turnaround for the side, who are ranked 98th in the world, compared with Australia’s 45th placing.

Despite falling behind early in the decisive fifth set, the Volley Blacks mounted a comeback to seal the match, with Thomas Vesty and Carrick Corson combining for the winning block.

Grant said maintaining momentum would come down to continuing their collective effort.

“Just keep going, keep pushing. As long as we just keep working together, we’ll just keep grinding and I’m sure we can get better results.”

The result is considered one of the most significant in recent New Zealand volleyball history, not just for the opponents but for what it represents for a programme that largely operates without fulltime professional support.

Kiwi grit was on show as the Volley Blacks ground out a five-set win over Australia. Photo / Volleyball New Zealand

Players often take annual leave, step away from study and contribute financially to represent the country, making the victory even more notable.

Grant also acknowledged their supporters back home, saying their backing had helped lift the team, despite being far from New Zealand.

“Thank you for all the love and support at home. Being such a small country and finally showing that we can make it has been awesome.”

With confidence rising, the Volley Blacks now turn their focus to upcoming pool matches against Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan, as they look to build on their landmark result.