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South West Volleyball Association
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WESSEX NEWSGo to 2011 beach results on the beach page
Jan '12
Jan '12 The first match of the day was against a strong Ashcombe team. Initially Wessex struggled to deal with the powerful serving and hard hitting of Ashcombe, who raced into a 15-6 lead. However as the set progressed both their serve receive and defence improved and they were able to narrow the gap to 20-15, it was too little too late though and the 1st set was lost 25 -17. Wessex’s passing improved considerably in the 2nd set which gave setter Lois Chitticks a chance to set up attacks for middle hitter Rachel McNeil and outside hitter Holly Merrifield. This made the 2nd set a much closer affair with only 2 or 3 points between the teams throughout . At 23 -23 the travelling Wessex support were hoping for a 3rd set decider, it was not to be though as Ashcombe ran out set winners 25-23. Whilst down heartened the girls were pleased with the way they played in the 2nd set and hoped it would stand them in good stead for the rest of the tournament. Next up were Team Southampton who came into the game in confident mood after a 2-0 win over Richmond. Wessex started the game well going into an early 8-4 lead, but despite playing the better volleyball they never broke clear of Southampton who finally levelled the set at 15-15. Following a time out the Wessex team came out in determined mood and never looked back, finally taking the set 25-18. The 2nd set saw Wessex play their best volleyball of the day, with good attacking play and excellent defence. They soon had a commanding lead which they never let slip, finally winning the set 25-14. The last 8’s were now just one win away and the girls were confident as their last game was against a demoralised Richmond team who had earlier lost to both Ashcombe and Southampton. Maybe they were too confident! In a very scrappy 1st set, littered with mistakes on both sides, Wessex found themselves matched point for point and at 20-20 the game could have gone either way. The experience of captain Beth Gunter really showed at this point as she calmly won consecutive points with clever shots into the corners, over the Richmond defence. The set was final won 25-21. If the travelling supporter’s nerves had been tested in the 1st then the 2nd would push them to the limits! Trailing throughout Wessex found themselves 20-23 down with the prospect of a 3rd set and the possibility of missing out on the last 8’s. It was an apparently nerveless Rachel McNeil that stepped up to serve 3 aces and take the score to 23-23, a Richmond time out had no effect on her concentration and 2 more excellent serves finished the set 25-23. The team of - Captain Beth Gunter, Lois Chitticks, Rachel McNeil, Holly Merrifield, Lizzie Wyatt, Lucy Eaton, Sarah Clarke, Jade Solomon, Mae Trigg, Georgia Heggs and would like to thank all their travelling supporters who they hope to see at the last 8’s when they take on Tameside, North Riding Eagles and VC Barnet.
Jan '12
Wessex Junior Men – National Cup Wessex have so many talented junior players that they entered two teams in the National Under 18 Cup this season. The Wessex Elite team won all their matches 2-0 to progress to the Last 8’s to be held in Kettering on the 25th Feb. The Wessex A were a little slow to get into their stride but Tom MacArthur, playing his normal steady game helped them against the initial attacks from the B team. An improved timing of their blocking allowed A to pull away as the set went on. 25-16. In the second set Will Davison gave a perfect demonstration of float serving to put Wessex A 12-0 up. Left handers, Jordan Randall and Ryan Jones gave some error free displays as Matt Hunter controlled the middle. A won 25-10. ABS were up next but with Ryan Stout setting a faster tempo they were unable to cause Wessex any anxiety. Mitch Abbott and Hunter benefitted as they hit hard through all areas and with Joel Roberts and MacArthur creaming a couple of back court smashes the set was won 25-16. Into the second set Wessex established a lead before coach Lynn Allen, keen to give all the players game time, switched Jones, Randall, Clayton and Davison on for Stout, MacArthur and Koko Stoimenov and Ryan Palmer. It made no difference as the team cruised to a 25-15 win.
With both teams having won all their games the match between Wessex and Southampton would prove decisive. What a start it was. Andrew Clayton, rested for most of the previous matches because of an injury scare, showed everybody what they were missing with a devastating run of twelve jump float serves. Southampton were shell shocked and a series of power smashes from Stoiminov, Abbott, Roberts and Hunter continued the onslaught. The speed and variety of attack that Stout was using was too much for Southampton as Wessex won, conceding just 6 points. 25-6. The second set was a different story as Wessex eased off. Although always keeping a few points ahead, missed serves were starting to be a problem. Luckily Stoiminov and Abbott were still putting the ball away at the net. Clayton came up with a stuff block which was crucial. Jack Arnold was helping to control the pass and, with Will Davison returning to serve, the set was won 25-21 and the match 2-0. A great result and a near perfect first set performance. Squad – Ryan Stout, Matt Hunter, Mitch Abbott, Koko Stoimenov, Joel Roberts, Andrew Clayton, Tom MacArthur, Will Davison, Ryan Jones, Jack Arnold, Jordan Randall, Ryan Palmer.
The second team consisted of most of the under 16 team and the competition was used to give them valuable match practise before the Last 8’s of the National Under 16 Cup on the 26th Feb. Although they didn’t win a match they gave the A team a tough time in the first set, caused problems for ABS, Devon side and reserved their best performance by taking a set from Team Southampton. Squad – Aaron Walrond, Ben Torrens, Sam Walrond, Lyle Anderton, Will Van Wingerden, Fraser Cooper, Dave Corbin.
"We arrived in Kettering for the selection camp on the 17th December and were going to be training till 23rd. It was 6 days of intense training 2 sessions a day with 1 match against the seniors. Selection was confirmed for me midway through the week which was a relief and meant I could focus more on the training. "Then had a short but sweet time at home for Xmas before going back to Kettering for the Bosnia training camp. This was 4 days long but felt a lot shorter because of the previous camp being longer. I then had a bit longer at home before flying out to Bosnia on the 4th January. Trained as soon as we arrived which was a shock to the system. "We then played Lithuania, Bosnia and Sweden in the next few days before travelling home. I was voted best receiver in the game against Bosnia and ranked 4th best receiver over both pools in the first round. Was a great experience and overall a good team performance which we are hoping to improve on for the competition in Italy at Easter."
Jan '12
Jan '12 These are their comments:
Rachel McNeil attended the recent South Schools training at Oakmead on 12 & 13 Nov. She was the only Wessex Under 14 girl to attend. Said Rachel: "I really enjoyed it and was grateful for the opportunity to attend and represent Wessex VB Club".
Jan '12 The team continued to play well throughout the day with consistent, strong serves from Beth Gunter and Katie Nickless against the younger teams, and showed great sportsmanship against some of the less experienced teams. Darshni Pandya showed great versatility throughout playing in almost every position, and the team’s hard work throughout the last few months really paid off. Well done to all the team, and bring on the U18 Competition! Team: Beth Gunter, Darshni Pandya, Emma Crane, Georgia Littlefair, Katie Nickless, Paige Tuttiett and Vicky Olive(Capt) Dec '11 U15 Girls Crowned South West Champions Wessex U15 girls, led by captain Lois Chitticks, recorded a 3-0 against Melksham to be crowned South West Champions 2011. The team of Lizzie Wyatt, Lucy Eaton, Holly Merrifield, Rachel McNeil and Sophie Acott were far too strong for the inexperienced Melksham team who could not cope with the team’s excellent serving and three touch play. Latter in the day the girl’s took the same game into two one set ‘challenger’ games against The Academy of Beach Sports U15 boy’s and Wiltshire Mavericks U17 girl’s, despite losing both of these games the girls performed well, particularly when taking 21 point off an experienced Wiltshire team. Well done to all the girls involved and thanks to all the supporters who braved the chilly Melksham sports hall!
Dec '11
The Wessex Under 15 Boys traveled to Melksham, Wiltshire last month for the South West Under 15Championships. They faced a young Swindon side in the first match. With Joel Roberts and Harry Jones working hard for the team, the Swindon boys were somewhat overawed by the experience of Wessex and the match was won quickly in 2 sets. Wessex had to beat the Beach Academy of North Devon to become South West Champions. Academy had just beaten Swindon by 2 sets to 1 having had a slow start to their match and a number of their players were keen to give us some stiff competition. Will van Wingerden showed his promise on a number of occasions and Nic Morris worked hard to provide his hitters with plenty of opportunities to win points. Peter Rowe settled into his game and his hitting complemented his and Calum Hoare's passing very well. Wessex won the match by 2 sets to nil, to earn the well-deserved title of South West Under 15 Champions.
Dec '11 First up for Wessex were New Forest. The match was a one sided affair with Wessex winning 25-6, 25-9 but gave coaches Andy (Mushy) and Dave a chance to give everyone some court time and the girls the chance to run through their new rotations. Wessex then had a two match break and a chance to check out the opposition, it was evident that the next 3 matches were going to be tougher affairs! And so it proved as a determined Sussex Dolphins teams matched Wessex for the first part of both set, however dominant serving by Beth Gunter and excellent blocking and hitting through the middle by Rachel McNeil proved too much for the Dolphins and Wessex triumphed 25-15, 25-20. The 3rd match of the day, against the Academy of Beach Sports, proved the toughest and longest of the day, which probably should have been no surprise as ABS are coached by ex-Olympian Denise Austin. ABS held the led for the majority of the 1st set, but the Wessex girls toughed it out an never let the led grow to more than 3 or 4 points and even at 24-23 down held their nerve and ran out winners 26-24. Whilst the set win was a team effort particular credit should go to Sarah Clarke and Lucy Eaton who’s serving in the 20’s and at match point down was excellent. The point gained from this set would prove vital at the end of the day. The 2nd set was an equally close affair and proved to be an epic, with to scoreboard running out of numbers!, long rallies and both teams having several match points, in the end ABS ran out winners 32-30! Even though the match ended in a draw Mushy and Dave were extremely pleased with the attitude, fight and desire displayed by the girls. Setter Lois Chitticks, who had an excellent tournament, was deservedly voted MVP for this match. The girls had less than an hour to recover before the final and must win game of the day, against still undefeated Team Southampton. Mushy and Dave were a little concerned as tired team left the hall. Their concerns were unfounded though as a fired up squad arrived for the final game and stormed to 10-1 led before running out winners 25-7. It was vital to win the 2nd set to avoid a 3 team tie and a count back on sets and points. Leading the set throughout Wessex ran out 25-18 winners and so topping the table with 7pts. Everyone in the squad – Captain Beth Gunter, Lois Chitticks, Rachel McNeil, Lizzie Wyatt, Lucy Eaton, Sarah Clarke, Jade Solomon, Mae Trigg and Georgia Heggs – all played an important part in the win and should be extremely proud of their efforts and achievement. Thanks should also go to Team Manager Carol Chitticks for all her help and to all those who came to support. The next challenge is a 2nd round trip to Ashcombe in the New Year, noisy supporters welcome!
Sep '11
Sep '11 Go to: ukschoolgames.com
May '11
May '11
With a 2-0 victory over Ernest Bevin, the confidence grew and the boys were ready to take on a relatively inexperienced Harrogate team who had lost earlier to Newcastle Staffs. Aaron Bellis replaced Will Van Wingerden and immediately began to show his potential with consistent deep serves and a determination not to allow the ball to hit the floor on the Wessex side of the net. Rob Loader came on later in the game to seal the win by 2 sets to nil with some fine serving and great defensive cover work. Next up, Newcastle Staffs, who had drawn 1 – 1 on sets in their match with Ernest Bevin. We knew they were well organised and it would be a tough match but we also knew that we had already qualified for the semi-finals and needed to win one set to top the group. As it turned out, Newcastle were unable to contain the hitting and blocking of our middle players and, with Ben Torrens making some good hits cross-court and Sam Allen making great set selections to maximise our hitting options, the first set was won more comfortably than we had perhaps expected. Wessex were through to the semi finals as group winners. The first set win, gave us the opportunity to rest our middle players and Ben Torrens revelled in the change of position proving unstoppable through the middle. Intelligent serving early on in the second set from Rob Loader, Sam Allen, Sam Walrond and Joel Roberts gave the Boys a good lead in the second set. Will Van Wingerden and Aaron Bellis played key roles out at position 4 with Sam Allen able to use their hitting talents to keep the opposition guessing. Wessex left the group stage without having dropped a set and were seen as the team to beat. Meanwhile, Boswell School had triumphed in the weaker group, with our South West partners Beach Academy coming second, having surprised Boswells with a first set win in their match. A semi-final against Beach Academy was always going to be a tough draw for Wessex as the team had shared sets in their previous meeting and the South West Under 15 Boys’ team is made up of Wessex and Academy players so they all know each other very well. Knowing that Academy are a strong serving team, the Wessex boys dug deep on their passing to ensure they could exploit the multiple hitting options. Sam Allen and Sam Walrond combined particularly well with their defensive work, setting and hitting through position 2, enabling us to take advantage of their superior hitting skills over Academy’s smaller and tiring outside players, leading to a comfortable win 25-16, 25-11. Boswells won a closely fought semi final with Newcastle, so the final was a showdown between the 2 strongest teams in the country. The Wessex Boys were brimming with confidence and were ready to face whatever Boswells threw at them but a slow start saw them go 3 points down early on. Boswells had 2 very good hitters and a setter who used them to good effect. However Sam Allen, who had been improving with every game, had a bigger artillery to play with, with Sam Walrond, Joel Roberts and Ben Torrens showing their experience, Rob Loader keeping a level head, Sam himself winning points with his hitting and Lyle Anderton making like difficult for the opposition. A 25–18 set win put Wessex in the driving seat for the next set. A truly amazing unbelievable second set started with the Wessex boys’ making uncharacteristic passing and serving errors and Boswells raced into an 18 – 6 lead and the set looked lost .... to everyone but the Wessex team. A couple of time-outs in quick succession gave the boys a chance to settle back into the rhythm they had built up throughout the day. Despite the best efforts of Boswells’ loud supporters, Sam Allen took the game by the scruff of the neck and served the team to 13–18. Then the team immediately won back the serve and Joel Roberts went back to the serving line. By the time Joel’s serving run was over, Wessex were 20–19 up and heading for an astonishing second set win. A slight falter at 24-22 in Wessex’s favour with a missed serve threatened to upset the party but an excellent side-out finished the match in Wessex’s favour with a 25-18, 25-23 win.
May '11
The South West won the Inter Regional Under 15's Championships with the following Wessex players in the squad:
Apr '11 Apr '11 The first match in a tough pool was against the talented Northumbria team. Both teams knew that it was vital to win if they wanted to get to the semi and the closeness of the first set showed how much the sides wanted the victory. Powerful jump serving from Ryan Stout and Joe Lambe gave Wessex the advantage while strong blocking from Matt Hunter and Mitch Abbott saw the team home at 25-22. The passing and hitting from Joe Lambe was impressive in the second set as a good team performance saw another 25-22 win. Next up were Ashcombe and this gave the opportunity to rest a couple of players. Ryan Palmer took over setting while Jordan Randall and Tom MacArthur hit successfully on the wings. With Lambe, Hunter and Abbott proving too strong for their opponents the match was won 25-18 25-11. Although already qualified for the Semi Final the last pool match against Newcastle Staffs was always going to be a cracker as these were two of the best sides in the country. The switch of Richard Yates to the left paid dividends and the first part of the set saw a brilliant team performance. Poor service reception allowed Staffs back into the set but Wessex regrouped to win 25-21. The second set followed the same pattern as Wessex continued with their game plan. However a lapse in this allowed another fightback from Staffs and this time it was more successful as they won 25-22. Wessex turned the tide in the deciding set with flair setting from Stout allowing Yates and Lambe to score points on the left. Aaron Walrond’s cross court serving and Ryan Palmer excellent backcourt work helped Wessex reach match point. To everybody’s amazement the referee called a Wessex handling fault which gave Staffs the match point instead. The Wessex defence retrieved a smash from Staffs only for Lambe to make the most basic of errors and fell to get an easy ball over the net. 14-16. This defeat meant that Wessex played Boswells from Essex in the semi final. Again a fantastic start from Wessex especially from Lambe, Yates, Hunter and Abbott saw Wessex gain a big lead. Boswells got into the game but Wessex hung on to win 25-23. It was a big chance for Wessex in the second set to finish the game but they didn’t get control of the pass which allowed Boswells to get a lead. With some of the Wessex players starting to look tired from their tougher pool, and Lambe being blocked by the Boswells outside right, Boswells looked in control but Palmer injected some life and Wessex clawed back into the set. Now with the momentum it looked good for Wessex but the team failed to follow the attack instructions and two missed serves saw Boswells win 25-22. The deciding set was an epic with both sides fighting hard for every point. Wessex dug deep and defended well, as were Boswells. It got to 13 all and neither team yielded. Boswells had a match point, Wessex had several match points but crucially missed two serves. The latter gave Boswells another match point and this time the Wessex defence couldn’t keep the ball off the floor. 20-18 to Boswells. Squad – Matt Hunter, Richard Yates, Ryan Stout, Joe Lambe, Mitch Abbott, Ryan Palmer, Jordan Randall, Aaron Walrond, Tom MacArthur, Jack Arnold, Ryan Jones The Under 16 boys also fell in the semi but it was a really good effort from the small squad, half of whom were under 15’s. The first match was against Croydon who had England Junior, Jermaine Miles playing for them. The Wessex boys took a bit of time to adjust but Koko Stoimenov’s hitting and blocking saw the team clinch the first set. Lyle Anderton made a difference in the second set with accurate hitting and good team spirit. Wessex won 2-0. The next match against Nottingham looked to be even harder but the Wessex boys controlled the pass which allowed setter Sam Allen to spread the attack between his hitters, Stoimenov, Simon Card, Joel Roberts and Sam Walrond. A couple of penetrating serves from Ben Torrens and some steady backcourt play from Rob Loader saw the set go to Wessex. In the second, the Wessex “big four” dominated the net play as Wessex took the match. Already qualified for the semi it looked the opportunity to rest Stoimenov but Anderton sprained his ankle early in the match which disrupted the plans. However with Connor Duggan setting and Torrens playing well on the left the team pushed their opponents all the way. It was only their inability to stop the Staffs big hitter that saw them go down 2-1. The semi was against Boswells who were last year’s u15 champions and therefore favourites this season. Joel Roberts shone on the left as Allen set up his attackers in a mature performance. Card, Walrond and Stoimenov were also all making brilliant contributions as the teams traded points. With nearly all the team showing determination and fight it looked like the set would go on forever with neither team giving an inch. The longest set of the weekend was now attracting crowds of spectators eager to see the two teams having an epic battle. In the end Wessex lost out by 33-31. In the second set this effort took its toll and with Anderton being unable to play Boswells won 25-11. Squad – Connor Duggan, Koko Stoimenov, Joel Roberts, Simon Card, Sam Walrond, Sam Allen, Lyle Anderton, Rob Loader, Ben Torrens, Fraser Cooper. The Under 18 Women disappointed in the early pool matches, losing to Newcastle Staffs, 19-25 18-25 and to Nunthorpe Eagles 25-17 21-25 9-15. They made up for this with a 2-0 win against Ashcombe 25-22 25-16 which gave them a semi final place on points count back. Now playing as a team the side were desperately unlucky to lose an epic first set aginst Redhill, Stourbridge 31-29. Although they continued to fight hard Redhill clinched the second set 25-20. On 27th February, Wessex U16 Girls played in the Last 8s in Kettering. They showed great determination and skill but were up against some of the top teams but unfortunately didn’t reach the Semi-Finals. The squad were missing a few players due to other commitments and injury but with over half the team having played the previous day, the team couldn’t wait to begin. However they had a tough first match against Tameside, the winners of last year, but Wessex played their best defensive work against Tameside’s strong attacks. Wessex led part of the set, but unfortunately lost the set 25-23 despite strong serving from Megan Cheaney. The squad went back on court, with more determination, yet despite some good play all round, their offense was often played safe giving Tameside the chance to take the lead, and win the set (25-22) and match 2-0. Their next match was against Boswells School, another strong team, and having just lost to Tameside they were feeling slightly nervous about the coming match. However the squad improved on their previous performance, taking advantage of Boswell’s errors and with some great serving from Cheaney, took the lead. Unfortunately, the girls lost courage and made small errors, causing them to lose their second match 2-0 (25-20, 25-17). However the team were not to be beaten; determined to go home with a win, the U16 Girls played Redhill Stourbridge. Wessex excelled, storming to the lead. They played to their potential, with Georgia Littlefair taking advantage of some super sets from Emma Crane to win the set 25-9! The team used their gained momentum with a run of unstoppable serves from Beth Gunter and Cheaney to quickly take the lead in the second set. A fantastic running off-court retrieval from Vicky Olive as the ball headed towards the wall (and spectators) inspired the team to work even harder. Everyone played brilliantly, and it paid off; they won the match 2-0. Despite their great efforts, the team had not done enough to reach the semi-finals but went home proud of the performance. Squad – Paige Tuttiett (Captain), Vicky Olive, Megan Cheaney, Emma Crane, Georgia Littlefair, Katie Nickless, Beth Gunter, Sarah Clarke. Coaches – Vince Joyce, Mo Glover, Rex Palmer. Feb '11 The England Women had two local matches against Scotland and in both games came away with successful wins, 3-1 and 3-0. Hannah Ridge and Annabelle Tinker from Wessex U18’s competed in these teams, Hannah made a valuable contribution in two of the sets whilst Annabelle made a short yet very effective appearance as setter.
Feb '11
The Under 15 Boys won their title. In a good squad effort they showed some excellent backcourt skill and great fighting spirit. Squad – Joel Roberts, Lyle Anderton, Sam Allen, Rob Loader, Sam Walrond, Ben Torrens. Coaches-Anthony Roberts and Lewie Lett. The Under 17 girls were missing Annie Tinker who was playing a National Super 8’s Cup match in London but they had a 3-0 win (25-3 25- 20 25-7) against the Devon Academy which got them into the Final. The Wessex girls seemed to be on their way to victory in the Final against Devizes when they went 2-0 up. 25-23 25-20 However, Devizes used their experience to win the next two sets to level at 2-2. 19-25 23-25. The deciding set went point for point until Devizes went ahead at 10-7. With the other Wessex teams shouting encouragement the girls regrouped. Emma Crane set well for her hitters while Page Tuttiett served two vital points. Both sides traded match points with a couple of great pick ups from Marianne McGrath keeping Wessex in the match. A mistake from Devizes gave Wessex another match point. With Megan Cheaney going back to serve Wessex were confident and she duly powered into another winner. 17-15 to Wessex. Squad – Marianne McGrath, Emma Crane, Paige Tuttiett, Megan Cheaney, Vicky Olive, Roisin Fisher, Beth Gunter, Georgia Littlefair, Katie Nickless, Rosie Lauste, Emily Holton. Coach – Rex Palmer. Wessex Under 17 boys split their talented squad into two teams – Warriors and Wizards. Both teams won all their matches 2-0 so the match between them was for 1st and 2nd. Wizards impressed at the start with Aaron Walrond playing a captains role. However the Warriors then used their experience to good effect to win the first set 25-16. The second set was very even up to 11-11 but a few mistakes from the Wizards allowed the Warriors to pull away to win 25-15. Squads – Jack Arnold, Matt Hunter, Mitch Abbott, Ben Allen- Gdanitz, Jordan Randall, Ryan Stout, Andrew Clayton, Aaron Walrond, Tom MacArthur, Ryan Palmer, Koko Stoimenov, Ryan Jones, Phillipp Weber, Simon Card - Coach Lynn Allen. Jan '11 Both Ryan Stout and Joe Lambe started with aces followed by a serving error so without touching a ball Southampton were level at 2-2! After that, with both sides playing at their best in attack and backcourt defence it was a storming start to the game. Points were traded but Aaron Walrond changed the game when he came on at 15-15. His fine run of serves stopped Southampton from attacking and with Jack Arnold now controlling the pass, Wessex got on top. Ryan Stout spread the attack as accurate hitting from Richard Yates, Mitch Abbott and Matt Hunter saw Wessex win 25-17. The second set was highlighted by a stunning hit from Andrew Clayton but Wessex show their dominance in all parts of the game and the team performance saw the win 25-14. Wessex started the match against Cardiff in second gear and it wasn’t until Lambe hit seven unstoppable jump serves that they ran into a big lead. Lambe then made a fantastic running backcourt retrieval as the ball was heading for the back wall. With Ben Allen- Gdanitz replacingthe injured Clayton with good affect, Wessex won 25-14 25-15. With coach, Lynn Allen resting Lambe and Yates, the younger boys took on Whipps. It was a stunning display, full of energy, effort and team spirit. Ryan Palmer took over the setting which Abbott, Hunter and Walrond took full advantage of. However it was Jordan Randall who excelled with his hitting, taking his training form into a match situation. Tom MacArthur showed his versatility towards the end with some brilliant setting as Wessex won 25-7 25-6 Squad – Joe Lambe, Ryan Stout, Matt Hunter, Mitch Abbott, Richard Yates, Jordan Randall, Jack Arnold, Ben Allen- Gdanitz, Andrew Clayton, Aaron Walrond, Tom MacArthur, Ryan Palmer Jan '11 Boswells (Brentwood) provided the first obstacle for Wessex but it seemed that nerves were the biggest threat to the young Wessex side. Although controlled play was let down by missed serves, Wessex dominated. These were calmed by a brilliant serving run from Simon Card and helped by safe setting from Connor Duggan and hitting from Sam Allen. The set was won 25-12. Boswells caused a few more problems in the second set with good blocking but the Wessex pass was good and the powerful hits from Kostadin Stoimenov and 14 year old Joel Roberts sealed the win 25-17. Newbury looked as though they would be Wessex’s toughest opponents and so it proved. Their defence was good and despite the hitting of Roberts and Stoimenov from Duggan and Sam Walrond’s setting, Wessex struggled. From being several points down the whole team made a huge effort to draw level and then pull ahead to win 25-23. The second set was equally hard fought with Cards intelligent tips winning points. However it wasn’t enough as Newbury levelled at 25-22. In the final set Lyle Anderton made vital contributions with his serving and attacking play which allowed Wessex to up their performance level to win convincingly 15-5. Ernest Bevin (London) were the next to try to stop Wessex progressing. Walrond started to shine and Rob Loader came on to give an error free performance. Sam Allen’s setting enabled Card, Stoimenov and Roberts to hammer home smashes. 25-10 and 25-14 set wins saw Wessex safely through to the Last 8’s of the competition which will be held late Feb. Squad: Kostadin Stoimenov, Joel Roberts, Simon Card, Sam Allen, Lyle Anderton, Sam Walrond, Rob Loader, Connor Duggan, Fraser Cooper Coaches Lynn Allen , Anthony Roberts, Annetta Minard Jan '11 Following an organised warm up, the team began their first match against Tendring. The girls played well and hammered the opposition 25-5 and 25-10. The strong victory fuelled the team’s spirits as they prepared to face the next team: Croydon VC. The first set went very well with a final score of 25-8. However, the second set posed stronger, rejuvenated efforts on Croydon’s part as they were able to win many consecutive points. Unfortunately for them, Wessex pulled back the points, unwilling to let the game continue to the third set; they closed down the deficit, until they won 25-22. The final match of the day was against the formidable home team, who had also been victorious throughout the day. Despite high team morale, Wessex were unable to win the first set, and lost 10-25. This was partly due to small, avoidable errors, but also due to the big servers from the opposition. Wessex improved significantly during the second set – a greater proportion of spikes were hit, fewer balls were shanked and the team were less tense with each other. Although everyone pushed hard until the final whistle, the set finished extremely close at 23-25. Proud with their efforts, the team are now looking forward to fighting for their place in the National Finals, at the Last 8s on 27th February. Sep '10
As usual the structure of the event was a box league where each regional team played each other team followed on Sunday by the final which would be contested by the two teams topping the table. The group matches provided some very exciting and closely fought contests. On Thursday 2nd September the girls from the South swept aside the Welsh girls 2 - 0. On Friday however their first match was against England Central which proved to be a real nail biter. England South were triumphant, winning the third set after saving match points. The second match on Friday against the East of Scotland was a more routine affair where the South came through 2 - 0. On Saturday the girls had three scheduled matches the first against Northern Ireland (2 - 0) the second match against the West of Scotland was also a 2 - 0 victory however in the second set at 24 - 17 down they found themselves facing seven set points. The prospect of a third set seemed to focus the whole teams performance , due to some strong serving and a very solid team effort the South pulled back the deficit and went on to win the second set 27 - 25. As in previous years the crucial box match would be against the North of England - this always seems to be a very tense affair with both sets of supporters really getting behind their respective teams. This year’s contest didn’t disappoint. Historically the North have always beaten the South at this stage of the tournament but this year the girls hadn’t read the script. The first set was won by the North 25 - 22. The South had already qualified at this point however personal pride and their acknowledgment of the spirit of the school games provided extra motivation to overcome their fatigue, the girls went onto win the second set 25 - 19. Everything was now square the decider was an epic, the North always marginally ahead. Once again they found themselves match point down at 15 - 14 but again showed great character by maintaining their composure and taking the decider 16 - 14. What a day. The Final on Sunday was a rematch of the previous evenings encounter against the North of England this time though the North had recruited an army of supporters with drums and trumpets to drown out the South of England’s Cheers. We were all ready for another 3 set battle but it was not to be - the South destroyed the North 25 - 14, 25 -11 in what was their strongest and most accomplished performance of the tournament. The girls were delighted to receive their gold medals and Paige took the champions trophy. Annie was awarded a Super Six for her role as a setter. As a tribute to their courageous friend 'The South of England Girls UK Schools Games Squad' would like to dedicate their victory in the 2010 tournament to the amazing Emily Singleton who is consistently showing us all what being a competitor is all about. You're an inspiration to us all Emily and we're all proud of your bravery." England South Boys There was a strong contingent of Wessex boys in the boy’s squad for the UK School Games squad. Joe Lambe, Richard Yates, Tyler Everitt, Matt Hunter and Mitch Abbott. The drama started on the journey from the 3 day holding camp at Kettering when the coach broke down meaning that the team arrived in Newcastle late at night. There was only one game against the North but an injury to one of the South’s hitters and clever attacking from the North led to a 2-1 defeat. Richard Yates shone in the first set of the match against arch rivals Central and Tyler Everitt did the same in the second which led to a 2 - 0 win. Inconsistency against Scotland West took its toll and despite a close match it was another defeat for the South. Matt Hunter and Mitch Abbott made excellent contributions to the teams victories against Wales and Scotland West. A win was needed against the surprise team of the tournament, Northern Ireland. Another injury, this time to Joe Lambe unsettled the team but they still managed to force NI all the way before losing 28 - 26. Regrouped and with the team spirit to the fore the South won the next 25 - 13. The deciding set was an epic but the South just lost out 15 - 13 to finish fourth. Sep '10 Sep '10
Aug '10 Jul '10 2009-10 South West Mini Volleyball Grand Prix – October 2009–March 2010 The Mini Grand Prix kicked off at Weston-super-Mare in October and our 2-man Under 14 team of Sam Walrond and Rob Loader earned a worthy 3rd place in the 3-a-side event, earning 6 points for the Club. Sam’s serving caused a lot of problems for the opposition and for Rob did very well on his first time playing in a pair. The next Mini Grand Prix event took place at Melksham in November and we entered 2 teams in the Under 14 event. Sam played in a team of 2 again, this time with Joel Roberts. Ben Torrens led our other team with Rob and Will Van Wingerden, the latter playing only his second tournament. They played better as the tournament progressed and earned 3rd place after losing narrowly to a Priory team who have been playing together for the last 2 or 3 seasons. Sam and Joel dominated the competition, sweeping all before them with consistent serving and excellent team play. Their victory earned the Club the maximum 10 point, which put us level with Priory over the 2 Grand Prix events. It was back to Melksham in January for the third of the 4 main Grand Prix events. This time we were only able to enter one team again, comprised of Sam, Joel and Ben. Their experience told against most of the opposing teams but unforced serving and hitting errors resulted in a narrow 1 point loss to Academy Xtras, which cost the boys first place in the competition. A valuable lesson learnt, but the 8 points earned as runners-up meant that we were now overall leaders in the Grand Prix, with just one event to go.
Congratulations to Sam Walrond, Rob Loader, Joel Roberts, Ben Torrens and Sam Allen for contributing to the Grand Prix win for Wessex Under 14s.
South West Under 14 Championships – March 2010 This 4-a-side competition took place at Bridgwater College. We entered 2 teams. Sam Allen, Joel Roberts, Ben Torrens and Sam Walrond made up the Wessex team, while Rob Loader, Lyle Anderton and Tom Allen were ably assisted by Millie Constable from the Academy of Beach Sports club in North Devon, playing as Wessex Hitters. We faced teams from Academy and Priory. Wessex won all 3 of their games, dropping just one set. Sam Allen shone through with intelligent serving and alertness in defence. Joel, Ben and Sam Walrond played strong net games and the latter did an excellent job setting to his 3 team-mates. Wessex Hitters started the day as the underdogs but after an initial 2-set loss to Wessex, had 2 exciting encounters with Academy and Priory. Academy ran out easy winners of the first set but a quick tactical change and improved team-play helped the team to a win in the second set, with everything to play for in the third set. With confidence starting to grow, some excellent serving by Millie and Lyle creating problems for the opposition at the net, Wessex Hitters took victory in a close 3rd set, winning the game by 2 sets to 1. The team’s final game was against Priory, who were desperate to win a game. Hitters, still on a high from the previous match, won the first set quite convincingly. Rob dictated much of the first set through his serving, setting and finding gaps in the opposition’s court. Priory improved in the second set with more consistent serving and the occasional good hit but Hitters handled the pressure quite well, losing the set by just 2 points, 25-27. Re-focussed and increasingly determined, Hitters took the third set by storm. Although he had played well all day, Tom played even better in the final set and controlled the service reception, ensuring good balls into Rob or Millie. Both Rob and Tom were also hitting more, which the Priory team were unable to counter. The 2 sets to 1 win gave Hitters the runners-up position in the Championship. Congratulations to Sam Allen, Tom Allen, Lyle Anderton, Rob Loader, Joel Roberts, Ben Torrens and Sam Walrond for their performances at the Championship ... and thank you to Millie Constable, who enjoyed playing in our team and was a joy to have in our team.
In an effort to focus on gaining experience and developing new strengths and skills in the final indoor event of the season, Ben Torrens led one Wessex team with Lyle Anderton and Will Van Wingerden, while Sam Allen and Sam Walrond played together to make up another Wessex team. As expected, both teams got stronger as the competition wore on. Early losses to the Academy Originals cost both sides a chance of winning the competition overall but they were 3rd and 2nd respectively and all 5 players gained valuable competition experience. Wessex Under 15 Boys’ - Season 2009-1 The Under 15 boys also had some successes during the 2009-10 indoor season. We had a relatively young squad, relying on the Under 14s to help boost the squad numbers and bring additional experience. Again the focus for the season has been on the ongoing development of the players and increased exposure to more regular competition. Poole & Bournemouth Volleyball Association Local League Playing in the Ladies Division in the Local League gave the Under 15 players valuable experience throughout the season. After narrowly losing the first match of the season against Sandbanks Ladies, the opponents accurately predicted that it would not be long before the Under 15 boys would be beating them. The boys finished the league strongly and finished in 3rd place behind Bournemouth University and Wessex Under 18 Girls, having won 9 and lost 6 games during the season. There were many opportunities for the younger and less experienced players to play some competitive volleyball, all of the boys acquitting themselves well. With the experience of this season behind them, the boys will be looking to improve further on their position next season. The following boys represented the team during the season: Sam Allen, Tom Allen, Lyle Anderton, Simon Card, Connor Duggan, Rob Loader, Joel Roberts, Ben Torrens, Sam Walrond, Wojciech Zuber.
The following boys made up the Wessex squad for the Championships: Sam Allen, Tom Allen, Lyle Anderton, Simon Card, Rob Loader, Joel Roberts, Ben Torrens, Sam Walrond National Under 15 Volleyball Championships The ‘Last 8s’ were held at Camp Hill School in Birmingham on 20 March. The Wessex Under 15 boys were up against favourites Boswell’s School, Nottingham Rockets and Tyndale in their pool, while the other pool of 4 teams included Academy of Beach Sports, Ernest Bevin School, Wigan and Newcastle Staffs. Relative to Boswell’s School, our team was very inexperienced 3 of our squad having been playing volleyball for less than 1 year, whereas the Boswells players had been training and playing as a team for a number of years. Meeting them in the first match would give the Wessex boys a sense of how they might fared against the best in the age group. Boswells were rocked in the first set as the Wessex boys matched them point for point until an unforced error followed by a run of strong Boswell serves gave them the set 25-21. They also took the second set but Wessex had done enough to believe that they were perhaps better than they had originally thought. The boys beat Tyndale convincingly with strong serving and hitting from Simon Card and consistent serving and setting from Connor Duggan. Both Tyndale and Nottingham Rockets were bigger teams but Wessex also saw off the Rockets by 2 sets to nil through good serving, serve reception and determined hitting from Simon, Ben Torrens, Joel Roberts and Sam Allen. Above all, the boys were disciplined in their approach and play, thanks to great preparation by Dr Annetta Allen, which led to the strong performances on court throughout the tournament. Finishing second in the pool, earned a semi-final match against Ernest Bevin School from London, a team that included an England Cadet player. The boys were in awe of the athleticism and size of the Ernest Bevin team and fell to strong serves and aggressive hitting by the opponents. The first set was lost 25-15 but as the Wessex boys understood that better serving and more self-belief might make a difference, they were able to test the confident Ernest Bevin team a lot better in the second set though it was lost 25-18. To finish joint 3rd in the National competition demonstrates the progress the boys had made throughout the season and the experience gained through such competitive matches. The results have been all the more impressive with all but Simon and Connor in the squad still eligible to play as Under 15s next season. The following boys made up the Wessex squad for the Championships: Sam Allen, Tom Allen, Lyle Anderton, Simon Card, Connor Duggan, Rob Loader, Joel Roberts, Ben Torrens, Sam Walrond South West Under 15 Boys Squad A number of the Wessex boys attended monthly training sessions for Under 15 boys in the South West region, receiving invaluable coaching from ex GB International, Jurek Jankowski, the Head Coach for the South West boys’ squads. Four Wessex players, Simon Card, Joel Roberts, Ben Torrens and Sam Walrond were selected for to join the squad for the Inter-regional Championships at Kettering in May. Simon and Sam had played for the team at the annual Exeter Challenge event, performing well, with Jurek pleased with their play. At the Inter-regionals, the South West team were up against Wales, Yorkshire, South East and North East, avoiding the stronger pool containing the East, West Midlands, North West, London and East Midlands. Finding their feet in the first match the South West team went down to the eventual pool winners, South East, 25-20, 25-21. However the rest of the pool games were won convincingly by 2 sets to nil as the team got stronger and stronger, with the 4 Wessex boys playing an increasingly influential role as Coach Jurek Jankowski was able to place more reliance on their consistently strong play. Simon caused the opponents no end of problems with his serving and hitting; Sam served aces, set consistently and took advantage of his opportunities too hit; Ben played mainly as an outside hitter, aggressively finishing off rallies; and Joel served consistently and, playing as a middle hitter for the first time, won many a point on his hits. All 4 players gelled very well with their team-mates from Academy of Beach Sports and Kings in Exeter. Second place in the pool meant the South West team would play against the second placed team in the other pool, as the organisers had unfortunately elected not to stage cross-over semi-finals where 1st place in one pool would play 2nd place in the other pool for a place in the Final. London had won through to second place in the other pool and contained most of the Ernest Bevin team. Jurek elected to play all 4 of the Wessex boys throughout the match and asked Sam to act as sole setter. After a narrow first set defeat with the boys adapting to the new system, the South West boys came out all guns blazing in the second set, running out winners 25-16 thanks to irretrievable jump float serving from Ben and Sam’s set selection, using his hitters to good effect. The momentum continued in the third and deciding set, with Joel becoming the strongest hitting option against a reasonable block and Simon’ s all-round play frustrating the opposition. The set was won 15-7 and the team deserved their 3rd place in the competition. Congratulations to Simon, Joel, Ben and Sam on their performances during the tournament. Other coaches were impressed with their play and have seen a lot of potential in each of the boys.
The competition was fierce as the South team where up against a select bunch of players from England Central and players from the England squad as well as a touring team from Taiwan. Under the expert guidance of Vince Joyce and Andy Jones the newly put together South squad where soon playing as a formidable team. Wednesday’s play saw three very closely fought matches with all three scores going to the wire. England South finished in 3rd place which meant they had to play England select in the semi finals. Although the England South team put up a tough fight the experience of the England Select team finally paid off resulting in a two set victory 25 – 15 , 25 – 19. The South Team eventually finished the tournament in 3rd place. The girls all agreed that the two day event was invaluable as it was an experience to play against a foreign team such as Taiwan who where the eventual overall winners. Their style and discipline was a lesson for us all.
Apr '10
The local boys have shown great determination to improve this season and, as their preparation for this match had gone really well, they were quietly confident. Tom MacArthur had the chance to attack first and he won the first point with an accurate back court smash. A cross court smash from Andrew Clayton followed, showing the Wessex intent right from the start. The pressure was carried on by Aaron Walrond’s run of five float serves intermingled with a MacArthur block and outside hit. Ryan Stout stopped the Boswells fight back with a stunning line shot following Ryan Palmer’s overhead set.
The passing unit of Matt Hunter, Walrond and MacArthur were making it easy for setter Stout to spread the play and Matt Hunter took full advantage with powerful smashing from different positions. Too many service errors let Boswells back into the set and the Wessex backcourt started to struggle. A Walrond smash and MacArthur block stemmed the flow of Boswell’s points but mistakes were still being made. A Stout / Clayton block was vital but it was the introduction of Jordan Randall that turned the match as he chased down every ball. He even set up Walrond for a couple of outside left hits as Wessex took a 19-16 lead. Walrond’s pick up and Stout’s second touch smash increased the lead. With Stout and Hunter blocking well the Wessex team were back on top. Randall served the five points for victory 25-18. The second set saw Palmer spreading the attack and then Hunter dominated with power hits from both the back and front court. Randall got in a stuff block as Wessex led 9-5. Stout continued serving to enable Wessex to dominate. MacArthur and Walrond were having fine games on the outside while Clayton’s block kept the Boswells attack quiet in the middle. Wessex again made serve errors but Walrond rectified and Stout took advantage with a hit and block. A long rally saw the Wessex backcourt players excel as they picked up the Boswells attacks – eventually the pressure told and Boswells made the error. Ben Allen-Gdanitz won a point with his first attack and libero Sam Walrond made some vital calls on the baseline. Everything else went perfectly in a superb team performance in a 25-16 second set win.
You don’t expect Boswell teams to give up and they fought hard in the 3rd set. Despite some good smashes from Clayton and MacArthur the passing let Wessex down so Palmer was unable to control the play. Boswells were now playing a clever game and took a 5-1 and then 8-3 lead as the Wessex defence struggled. A time out refocused the local boys and Hunter and Randall shone. The Wessex passers got control again and at the same time Walrond and Hunter started to cause problems for the Boswell passers. This was a much closer set but some amazing backcourt retrievals from Aaron Walrond, Randall and Sam Walrond demoralised the opposition. Clayton got a block and MacArthur another outside hit while the defence continued to pick up attacks from Boswells. Hunter wiped off the Boswells block as Wessex edged closer. Jack Arnold, despite still suffering from his ankle injury, came on to put in two excellent serves that saw Wessex edge towards glory. Hunter then hammered a smash down the line before Sam Walrond made two stunning saves. Frazer Anderton strengthened the Wessex block before Stout tipped the ball down for the winning point. 25- 21. In the press interviews, coach Lynn Allen made the point that Wessex had an exceptional squad who were all prepared to work hard and this, combined with their team spirit, gave them the success that they fully deserved. Squad – Ryan Stout, Matt Hunter, Tom MacArthur, Aaron Walrond, Jordan Randall, Ryan Palmer, Andrew Clayton, Frazer Anderton, Jack Arnold, Sam Walrond, Ben Allen- Gdanitz Wessex had excelled by getting two other teams to National Finals but both lost in narrow 3-2 defeats. The Under 18’s girls were very upset as they lost 15-12 in the final set to Ashcombe while the Under 18 junior Men, hampered by serious injuries to four of their senior players, fought hard but went down 3-2 to Newcastle. Both teams fielded very young players so will be looking to go one better next year. Junior Women – Annie Tinker, Paige Nelmes, Rosie Kirk, Zoe McAulay, Hannah Ridge, Abi Davies, Marianne McGrath, Roisin Fisher, Megan Cheaney, Emily Singleton, Georgia Littlefair, Bola Adeyemi. Junior Men – Joe Lambe, Matt Hunter, Richard Yates, Seain Cook, Tyler Everitt, Mitch Abbott, Andrew Clayton, Ryan Stout, Ryan Palmer, Aaron Walrond, Tom MacArthur, Sam Pitcher. Mar '10 The Last 8’s were held in the new National Volleyball Centre in Kettering and the competitions proved a huge success. Volleyball England said “The final matches concluded a superb weekend of volleyball and everybody “created a great atmosphere.” The Under 16 boys were slow to start in their first pool match against Middlesbrough and it was only a run of serves from Ryan Palmer that got them ahead. From there it was one way traffic as the team coasted to a 25-5 win. The players didn’t heed the warning of their causal approach though and soon found themselves struggling against the younger team. The coaches weren’t pleased as the complacent Wessex players scrapped a 26-24 second set. Thankfully this was to be the last of the below par performances. The next match was against Nottingham so it needed a better effort and this is what happened. Setters Palmer and Ryan Stout were given plenty of good passes from Matt Hunter and Tom MacArthur which allowed all the hitters to win points. Hunter, Aaron Walrond and Frazer Anderton and Andrew Clayton were particularly effective. The set went to Wessex 25-17 and with Sam Walrond playing his part in the backcourt and Jordan Randall on the right wing the second followed 25-10. With both teams through to the semi’s the last pool match against Boswells was a dead rubber. Not that it seemed that way as the match got under way and the spectators were soon witnessing a top quality match. Both teams started with fresh players, Jack Arnold and Ben Allen- Goanitz for Wessex, with the former being outstanding as was Hunter. Boswells took the 1st set 27-25 but Wessex responded with the second 27-25. Despite Hunters effects and MacArthur’s serving run Boswells took the third 15-11. Had both teams impressed but at the expense of leaving themselves tired for the semi final?
Squad - Matt Hunter, Andrew Clayton, Ryan Stout, Ryan Palmer, Tom MacArthur, Aaron Walrond, Jack Arnold, Jordan Randall, Frazer Anderton, Ben Allen- Goanitz, Sam Walrond. The Under 18 Junior Men were, for the first time in decades, not one of the favourites for the Championship this year as all but one of their squad are still eligible next year. Although written off, the team thought they had a chance of progressing to the Final if they played their very best. This was quickly shown in the first match against a very good Middlesbrough side. The first set went according to plan and with Joe Lambe and Seain Cook powering home the outside attacks, the set was won 25-16. Middlesbrough showed their quality and fighting spirit in the second set as the Wessex attack became predicable. The game was levelled at one set all so all depended on the deciding set. Setter Ryan Stout was now mixing the play up so Tyler Everitt was able to establish control in the middle. This allowed a few combination plays which England Jr, Lambe and Scottish Jr, Cook buried. With Matt Hunter and Andrew Clayton giving vital support Wessex managed to hold on to take a hard fought and exciting set 15-13. Wessex made hard work of beating a young Boswells (Essex team) but Wessex’s younger players, Tom MacArthur, Mitch Abbott and Aaron Walrond showed their quality as the team ran out 25-16 25-12 winners. Normally these two wins would have seen Wessex into the semi final but Middlesbrough caused a shock with a 2 – 0 win against hot favourites, Ernest Bevin from London. The last pool match saw Wessex playing the London side with both teams knowing that a defeat would see them knocked out of the competition. Wessex responded superbly by setting a fast attacking tempo from the first point. Strong and accurate serving from Everitt caused Bevin problems while Everitt, Clayton and Hunter got in some “stuff” blocks. Stout had the benefit of some great passing from Cook and Lambe so was able to use his hitters effectively. The pace and control of Wessex’s game seemed to be too much for the tall and powerful London team and the set was convincingly won 25-9. There seemed certain to be a fightback from Bevin in the second but Wessex carried the momentum and gave their opponents no easy points. This was superb volleyball from the Wessex team who were giving one of their best performances. Then disaster – Everitt suffered an ankle injury and had to be carried off. Richard Yates who had started on the bench due to his own leg injury was called upon to fill the centre position and he fitted in perfectly as Wessex won 25-14. A fantastic win. The semi final was against Chadwell Heath and surely a repeat of the performance against Bevin would see Wessex into the Final? It wasn’t to be that easy. The first set went to plan, with Cook and Lambe excelling, the set was won 25-19. At the start of the second set, 3 out of the first 4 Wessex serves were missed which gave Chadwell Heath a lead and huge psychological advantage. Not that they needed it as they were a very skilled, hard working team with big hitters. Wessex looked down and out with few ideas as they lost the second set 25-14. Into the third set and the Final was at stake for both teams. Wessex had regrouped with the plan to attack harder and it worked to the extent that they took a two point lead at 8-6. However the match was still evenly balanced and with Wessex playing some ineffective shots Chadwell Heath took advantage to hit with force to take a 11-9 lead. With the Wessex coaches urging the players to start attacking again the lead switched back to Wessex. Both sides were feeling the pressure but Clayton served with purpose. Chadwell Heath’s pass wasn’t as strong while Wessex made a few silly mistakes. Match point came but it was lost. The tension was unbearable, not least for the spectators! The third match point for Wessex came and went and then Chadwell Heath had their own match point. It was saved with a fantastic smash of the block from Lambe. This was followed by a backcourt hit from Cook. Stout went back to serve with Wessex on their 4th match point. A short serve to the right side saw a Chadwell Heath error and the match was won 19-17. Amazing scenes as everybody rushed onto the court to congratulate the team. Squad – Joe Lambe, Seain Cook, Tyler Everitt, Ryan Stout, Matt Hunter, Andrew Clayton, Richard Yates, Mitch Abbott, Tom MacArthur, Aaron Walrond, Ryan Palmer, Jack Arnold As the team celebrated they started to realise that the Under 18 girl’s team were still in action in their semi final. (See below for match reports.) Their supporters were being outshouted by the large Newcastle crowd and the Wessex girls were 11-5 down in the deciding set. Up stepped the Cavalry! The girls gave the Wessex supporters plenty to cheer with a spirited recovery, fighting hard for every ball and attacking when they could. Newcastle seemed to have the game at 14-13 but again Wessex came up with some brilliant efforts to give themselves a match point. As Volleyball England said “The noise and support for both teams from their army of fans was phenomenal and the atmosphere could have replicated a finals match.” It was the Wessex supporters who were ecstatic though as the girls won 16-14. They will play Ashcombe from Dorking in the Final while the boys will play Newcastle. Mar '10 The semi final was an epic battle on behalf of both teams, where the standard of play was unbelievable. In the first set Wessex were unstoppable, they won 27-25, leaving them one step closer to the National Finals. However the second set Newcastle made a comeback notwithstanding Wessex’s hard fight to regain control of the set Newcastle took the set 25-23. The third and final set was an amazing game to watch, both teams were in equal positions to take the victory and the match could have gone either way. The start of the set didn’t look good for Wessex as they were 11-5 down. A few of the players had sustained injuries in the earlier matches. Head Coach Dave Hubbard called a time out. This proved to be the turning point for Wessex. The boys had just finished playing on the adjoining court having won their semi finals match in a close three set battle against Chadwell Heath and had moved over to support the girls. Newcastle Staff supporters also came over to watch it was unbelievable as the two sets of crowds started to cheer for their teams. Point by point Wessex started to claw back Newcastle Staffs got to match point. Wessex thought it was all over as England player Megan Viggars spiked a ball out wide over the net at them. Marianne McGrath had other ideas and the Wessex libero dived to retrieve the ball. The match continued. Wessex put one final effort in which every player on the team played their best and came back to beat Newcastle Staffs 16-14 securing them a place in the National Final. The girls were ecstatic at the result and are now training hard for the final on the 25th April where they will face Ashcombe Dorking again for another battle. Well done to Zoe McCauley (captain) Hannah Ridge, Annie Tinker, Paige Nelmes, Rosie Kirk, Abi Davies, Marianne McGrath, Emily Singleton, Roisin Fisher, Megan Cheaney, Georgia Littlefair, Ellie Strong, Dave Hubbard (Head Coach) and Geoff Allan and Rex Palmer (Second Coach). The U16’s competition was held on the Saturday where Wessex were put in a tough pool against Boswels School, Tameside and Nunthorpe Eagles. The girls played at the highest standard through all three games beating all teams except Tameside which they lost in 3 sets. This meant Wessex came second in their pool and were through to the semi-finals where they were to play Newcastle Staffs. The semi-final was a gruelling match; Wessex put all their remaining efforts in to successfully win the first set, 25-20. However, Newcastle fought back to win the second set 14-25. Despite Wessex’s best efforts they lost in the third set 5-15. Well done to Paige Nelmes (Captain), Annie Tinker, Roisin Fisher, Megan Cheaney, Marrianne McGrath, Emily Holton, Ellie Strong, Rosie Lauste, Lorna Trent, Georgia Littlefair, Ellie Lewis, Vicky Olive, Dave Hubbard (Head Coach) and Rex Palmer (Second Coach). Jan '10 Although England Jr, Richard Yates was missing through illness, Wessex had a strong squad and it showed throughout the day. Wessex made the ideal start in the first set against Devon with Ryan Stout’s serving causing so many problems that the Wessex block stopped any attacks that were made. With Joe Lambe, Tyler Everitt and Tom MacArthur passing well Wessex stormed to a 25-5 win. The second set saw Everitt and Mitch Abbott dominate in the middle in a 25-15 win. Everitt continued with point winning attacks in the second match against Southampton before being replaced by Andrew Clayton who came up with several stuff blocks. The Southampton attacks was picked up by libero, Sam Pitcher and with Ali Mitchell and Ryan Palmer settling into the line up the set was won 25-10. Matt Hunter’s hitting plus Clayton and Aaron Walrond’s serving was the key to a 25-11 second set win. The crunch match was against the classy Wiltshire Mavericks team. Joe Lambe had been the star player throughout the day but blotted his copybook with a needless yellow card for swearing at the referee. MacArthur reacted with some aggressive hitting on the outside before Lambe made it up to his team mates with some outstanding smashing through 4 and 6. It was a closely fought set but Wessex kept their focus and won 25-20. The second set was dominated by the serving and backcourt play from Hunter and, combined with excellent setting from Stout and unstoppable power from Lambe it was good enough to give Wessex a large lead. Clayton finished it off on match point with a smash. 25-13. Squad: Joe Lambe, Tyler Everitt, Sam Pitcher, Matt Hunter, Ryan Stout, Aaron Walrond, Andrew Clayton, Tom MacArthur, Mitch Abbott, Ryan Palmer, Ali Mitchell Dec '09 In the second set Leicester created more problems for Wessex, who seemed to make life difficult with poor passing and serving errors. After a closely fought opening half to the set Wessex were able to pull away in the closing stages with strong backcourt attacks and disciplined defence. Wessex closed out the set 25-21. Wessex played poor volleyball in the 3rd set, much to coach Mushy Jones frustration, lacking the drive to push through and take the game clinically, Leicester forced the tempo of the game and took the set 23-25 after a string of unforced errors from the home side. A strong start the 4th set was needed if Wessex were to stop Leicester’s progress, Wessex emerged the stronger of the 2 teams and with Dan Hunter and Tom Edge prominent, raced to a significant lead. Wessex needed to survive a slight ‘Wessex Wobble’ where they got stuck on one rotation for successive points but managed to finish the game strongly 25-17. Final Score: 3-1 (25-15 25-21 32-25 25-17) Squad: Richard Collins, Bobby Hudson, Aaron Robertson, Craig Duckmanton, Lewi Lett, Alex ‘the lion’ Clare, Tom Edge, Ian Wood, Dan Hunter, Joe Lambe, Matt Pretty and MarkGarcia-Kidd Copyright ©2012 Wessex Volleyball Club Wessex Volleyball Club Home | About Wessex Volleyball | Team Fixtures | Wessex Beach Volleyball | Club Code of Conduct volleyball | beach | indoor | poole | dorset | wessex |
Sam Walrond on England Summer Camps
Jan '12
The National Championships took place at Thorns Community College, Birmingham on 15 May. The Wessex Boys were drawn in a tough pool with Ernest Bevin, Newcastle Staffs and Harrogate. First match was against a resilient Ernest Bevin side lead by the big hitting England Cadet International, Leon Chambers. After a slow start, determination and intelligent play meant that Wessex managed to get a lead on their opponents and kept their lead to win the first set. Although hampered by a number of unforced errors, momentum was sustained in the second set through consistent serving from Will Van Wingerden, Ben Torrens and Sam Walrond, combined with excellent net play by the middle hitters Joel Roberts and Lyle Anderton.
Wessex Girls, Annie Tinker, Paige Nelmes (capt) ,Megan Cheaney and Beth Gunter featured in the team representing the South of England. Tinker and Nelmes, now seemingly veterans of this event, experiencing their third UK School Games, were both aiming for their hat trick of gold medals, having helped the team to victory in 2008 and 2009. Once again the coaching team comprised of Peter Brookes and his assistant, Wessex’s Paul Locke.
The final event was at the Sir David English Centre, our home venue. To be outright winners of the Grand Prix, the Wessex team needed to do better than Priory. Sam Allen, Joel and Ben focussed on consistent serving and measured 3-touch volleyball to win all but one of their games. The game lost was the result of a temporary loss of discipline against the Priory Under 15 team, whom they had beaten convincingly earlier in the day. Neither game against the Under 15 team counted toward the Under 14 Grand Prix. Consequently the Under 14 event was won. More impressive, though was the performance of our other team, with Rob Loader, Lyle Anderton and Will Van Wingerden (back from injury) playing as Wessex Raiders. Together for the first time as a trio, they played with enthusiasm and worked hard for each other. Their teamwork paid dividends against the Priory Under 14 team, resulting in Rob, Lyle and Will winning second place in the event and pushing Priory down to third and out of the running for the overall Grand Prix, losing out to us by 7 points.
Overall, our boys showed good progress throughout the Grand Prix events and our less experienced players not only benefited from the competitions but also played significant roles in helping Wessex achieve good results.
Wessex had to play London who had won their pool. Clayton excelled with his blocking in the early stages as Aaron Walrond found his passing range. The set was won 25-20. Stout and Palmer were having an off day with their serving and this handed the initiative to London. London had the momentum and made Wessex pay with a 25-18 win. Into the final set with everything at stake. Again poor serving let London in to take a 4-1 lead. Walrond helped get the team back to 5 all at which point the Wessex spirit really came to the fore. Hunter kept the pressure on London with his serving while Clayton did the same with his blocking. MacArthur suddenly started to find all the gaps on the London side’s court and they had no answer. Hunter was still serving so the set was won without conceding another point. 15-5.