Volleyball stars are on a Euro mission

The Wolverhampton duo are set to represent England in the first round of the CEV Volleyball European Under-19 Championships.

The girls have landed a place in the 12-strong squad that faces clashes against hosts Georgia and Belarus later this week.

Breen, 17, and Murmanis, 16, started their playing careers with Tettenhall, aged 10 and 11 respectively.

They still represent the club in the West Midlands League as well as turning out for Black Country Volleyball Club in the higher standard National League.

Now their potential has caught the eye of the England selectors, much to the delight of their long-term coach at Tettenhall, Nick Shaffery.

Shaffrey, who's side play their home games at Kings School in Tettenhall, said: "We are very proud of the girls.

"It's a fantastic achievement and really good news for them and great to have players from our club recognised nationally.

"We have had a number of players who have represented England in the past and it's great to carry on that tradition.

"That's something we aspire to as a club, helping players progress through the different levels.

"I have known and coached Charlotte and Katy for six years. You could see they had some talent and were very able when they first came here at the age of 10 and 11.

"But volleyball isn't the type of sport where you can just rock up and be good at it straight away. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and they have put that in.

"They still play for us in the West Midlands League and also come and help out with the younger players at training. They are perfect role models.

"That's something we pride ourselves on as a club, having people who give up their time to help others."

The call-up for Breen, who attends Kings School, and Coppice High School student Murmanis has also delighted Black Country Volleyball Club chairman Peter Bragg.

Black Country are an amalgamation of three clubs – Tettenhall, Redhill in Stourbridge and Cleobury Mortimer.

They were formed four years ago to help provide a route for talented players to progress to a higher level.

Bragg said: "It's great to see Charlotte and Katy earn national recognition. We formed Black Country four years ago.

"It was to provide a pathway for players to progress to a higher level and to give players from Tettenhall, Redhill and Cleobury the chance to play at National League level.

"We have had a women's team for four seasons and now we have added two men's teams, so the club is expanding.

"Two of our men have also been involved with England. Jacob Jones is in the England Cadets squad while Tom Peart was in the training squad. All this helps raise the profile of the club."

Bragg's daughter, Rachel Hutt, is playing a key part in the development of latest internationals Breen and Murmanis.

Hutt represented Great Britain in the 2012 Olympic Games in London and she also spent three years playing abroad in France and Germany.

Bragg added: "Rachel plays and coaches at the club and she's passing on her experience at the club. It's great to see her coaching and giving something back to the sport."

While Breen and Murmanis will be aiming to help their country make a winning start to the new year, the England men's under-20 team have headed to Poland to take on Kosovo and Belarus.

Great Britain have failed to qualify for this year's Olympics in Rio, but the competitions in Europe will play a crucial role in the development of the players with a view to the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

Audrey Cooper, technical and talent director for Volleyball England said: "This is a great opportunity for our teams to benchmark ourselves against the best in Europe.

"The players and staff are really up for this challenge and will be looking to put in their best performances in this first group stage

"Two years ago the men's team made it through to the second round so we'd be delighted if both squads were able to match that achievement again.

"There are some incredibly talented athletes in our junior squads and together with exceptional coaching staff who have come on board, it's a genuinely exciting time for the future of our sport."

Both teams need to finish top of the table to qualify for the next round, scheduled to take place in March.