FUNDING cuts have thrown three women’s volleyball players Olympic hopes into doubt.

Lucy Wicks, Nichola Osborne and Victoria Palmer, who all started their careers at Wessex Volleyball Club, are in the 18-strong British squad for London 2012.

But budget constraints have forced the team to suspend training until next April, and Lucy Wicks, a former Parkstone Grammar School pupil, has flown out to join a German club.

Before she left, the team cycled 300 miles from Sheffield into London’s Earls Court, where the indoor competition will take place, as part of their Money 4 Matches campaign to raise much-needed funds enabling them to train abroad as a group next winter.

British Volleyball has been given £4.2m from 2009 to 2013 to train both men’s and women’s teams across indoor, beach and paralympic categories.

This is just a quarter of what’s needed, and although Lucy is looking forward to playing for a professional team, it’s crucial they get enough cash together to re-band and compete in Europe before 2012.

“All we need now is to raise sufficient funds, perhaps through a sponsor, to help us make it happen,” she said.

“We are grateful for the funding we do get, but we wanted to take responsibility ourselves for raising the additional funds we believe we need.

“If we can raise enough money to keep playing meaningful, competitive matches, then we might really achieve something special at the Olympics in two years time.”