Six new faces and a clean bill of health leaves the Bermudian volleyball community confident of international success.

National team try-outs were completed last weekend with 30 of the best Island's setters, blockers and hitters being put through their paces.

The team, only formed back in 2002, have now been further strengthened with Bermuda Volleyball Association President Bill Bucci confident an 18-month bonding process will be rewarded with a medal at the 2005 Island Games in the Shetland Isles.

The 31-strong volleyball contingent, Bermuda's largest in the Guernsey delegation, made great strides during last year's Games with the men's team counting themselves unlucky to finish fourth after 11th hour injuries threw meticulous preparations out of the window.

But with the six new faces adding both strength and variety to a team previously lacking depth in the power and right-side slots, Bucci is a happy man.

"The try-outs went pretty well and we are happy with the team we are putting together," he told The Royal Gazette.

"We did lose a few players, and without underestimating their value, we are very happy indeed with the new players we have in place.

"We were struggling a little in the power slot and on the right side but with this roster we have the right balance and a good side.

"If these gentlemen can stay fit we would like to think a medal is a distinct possibility come next year."

The try-outs saw last year's men's and women's squads return along with invitations to those scouted from the myriad of local leagues with the carrot of at least two international trips in the pipeline to inspire them.

The team will be making their annual pilgrimage to Boston for the 'Beanpot' tournament, an event in which fatigue cost the men a place in the final last year, going down to Granite State in the final four.

In May, the squad will be heading off for the tougher challenges of either the Canadian or US Seniors tournaments.

But the overall goal remains next year's trip to the Shetlands where improving on the fourth-place finish has to be the aim for a side which have now added Bruce Sinclair, Yves Charbonneau, Art Shaver, Bill Bailey, Dirk Tuenissen and Adam Fowler to their ranks.

"The Games last year did wonders for the sport," Bucci continued.

"The publicity we got, and the sponsorship we gained, did a lot for volleyball. We were pretty unlucky out there after losing both Mark Coy and Gary LeBlanc just before the tournament.

"This left us pretty light on the right-hand side and when we had to move players out from the middle to cover, we were weakened in the centre.

"We had been training together for nine months and then had our plans blown apart.

"But with the squad we have now, if everyone can stay fit, we would have to fancy our chances of a medal next year."

As well as the obvious goal of medals in international competition, Bucci is also hoping to spread the volleyball word around the Island, with the national team players working with schools and coaching juniors to try to produce a new generation of players in what remains a relatively minor sport in Bermuda.