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South West Volleyball Association
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
MATCH REPORTS
Half the Bristol team turned up late so didn’t have a warm up before the match started. Despite a good first few minutes it looked like Wessex who were half asleep. Between them Kurchajewicz and Polkinghorne served 15 points against the Wessex passing unit who couldn’t cope with the float. No meaningful attack could be set up so the Bristol block proved difficult to beat. 25-11 In the third, Pretty and Roberts started to get the sets in the middle which allowed them to win points. Hunter demonstrated some power hitting when left one on one on the wing but again, lapses of concentration in defence saw Wessex fall short 25-20. Squad: Matt Pretty, Andrew Clayton, Matt Hunter, Jack Arnold, Tom Edge, Anthony Roberts, Ryan Stout, Ryan Palmer, Tom MacArthur, Ryan Jones
Another Win for 2012 Pheobe Jeffries demonstrated courage in the third set, serving consistently strong to keep the team in the set when they were down 21-24. The exceptional setting from Annie Tinker allowed all players to connect with her sets with purpose. However Lizzie Smith's fearless powerful attacks at crucial points deservedly won her MVP. The whole team effort and determination prevented Ashcombe from getting any set off Wessex Ladies!
Wessex Win First Game of 2012 The first set, started off with Wessex taking a 4 point lead, with some good serving from Annie Tinker putting the away side under pressure. However, Swiss Cottage battled back with a string of 6 serves from Yalkin. This along with some errors from Wessex meant Swiss Cottage won the set 25-17.
Wessex Junior Men v Bristol Bristol are riding high in the table and it showed but Wessex with Ryan Palmer, proving an inspiration with a terrific all round performance, looked their equal for most of the first set. Jack Arnold ensured accurate passes went into the setter and Matt Pretty and Tom Edge benefitted through the middle. Mitch Abbott, Matt Hunter and Ryan Palmer all won points with powerful smashes but the team didn’t push on to get a large lead. At 19-18 Wessex still had the advantage but errors crept in and Bristol surged ahead to win 25-23. Despite this disappointment there was no excuse for the start to the second set. Due to hitting errors Wessex went 6-0 down and then 8-1 down. The introduction of Craig Duckmanton and some strong serving from Pretty saw Wessex trading points but they couldn’t make up the difference and lost 25-18. Ridge’s determination was rubbing off on his team mates and Wessex matched Bristol to 8-8 and then went 10-8 up. The passing had been good up to this point but Kixhajrwice caused huge problems with his serve to put Bristol 15-10 ahead. Andrew Clayton, returning from injury, came on to strength the block and to give more attacking options. Added to this was Pretty’s serving which saw Wessex back to 18-18. Wessex were now fighting really hard but faced a match point at 24-23. They saved it and went on to level the match 26-24. Into the decider and Wessex were on a roll. Clayton, Ridge and Palmer were dominating as Wessex went 7-2 up with the help of Abbott and Duckmanton’s serving. Again the passing wasn’t good enough as Bristol won 6 points in a row to go 8-7 up. Roberts and Abbott came on to help the attack but it was the strong serving from Bristol that won the day. 15-13. Ryan Palmer received the MVP award. There were many positives to come from this match but not so many from the match against City of Bristol. The Wessex passing couldn’t match the COB powerful serving while the COB libero, Michaelides controlled the ineffective Wessex serving, aside from Tom Edge who won 3 points with his floats. This meant that the impressive setter for Bristol, Okello, was able to dictate play. Using his high jumping power hitters COB carved holes in the Wessex defence. 25-15. There was a slight improvement in the second as Abbott, Ridge and Hunter stepped up their serving but it wasn’t enough to stop COB having a field day through the middle. 25-19. Again Wessex showed good fighting spirit. Pretty served four points to help Wessex to a 8-4 lead. COB fought back but some brilliant stuff blocking by Hunter and Clayton kept Wessex level. Ridge and Pretty were having some success through the middle but with the pass not coming in Wessex got stuck on a rotation, unable to put the ball away. Klosinski then served seven straight points for COB to allow them to take control of the set. Wessex fought to the end but lost 25-21. MVP – Andrew Clayton Squad – Matt Pretty, Tom Edge, Tom Ridge, Ryan Palmer, Mitch Abbott, Matt Hunter, Andrew Clayton, Tom MacArthur, Joel Roberts, Craig Duckmanton, Jack Arnold, Ryan Jones.
Wessex ladies against Polonia The second set saw both teams fighting hard and at 20-20 it was anyones game. Unfortunately Polonia came out on top winning the next two sets as well. Although Wessex lost 3-1 it was one of their best performances with Annie Tinker being awarded MVP. Taking a lot from the loss Wessex are ready to face them in the cup in the new year.
Wessex Junior Men had a busy weekend with three National League Division 2 matches. Next up were Cardiff. Wessex JM made a couple of changes to the starting six and Ryan Jones made it pay with a couple of good attacks and blocks on the right. Wessex were struggling to cause the Cardiff passers any problems at all and this failure led to their powerful hitters scoring easy points. 25-18 to Cardiff. The second set followed the same pattern with Cardiff’s Brazilian player, Rauen, playing his last game for Cardiff, proving too good for the Wessex blockers. 25-16. The introduction of Joel Roberts in the third set improved the blocking and some better serving from Matt Hunter helped the JM to a 25-17 win. It looked as though Wessex had turned the match around and they continued in the same vein in the 4th. They held a 4 point lead right up to 18-14 but an incorrect refereeing decision unsettled the team. The team had eased off too much and had given cheap points away and now they were under pressure. A couple of poor setting decisions and missed smashes saw Cardiff win 5 points in a row to win 25-20 and 3-1 overall. Solent were an experienced team with excellent backcourt skills so it was important that Wessex had to work hard as a team to overcome this. This they did. They looked a different team, full of energy and working hard for the side. Hunter and Jack Arnold controlled the pass which allowed Rich Collins to spread the ball wide to Tom MacArthur and Craig Duckmanton. This worked well , as did the quick switch to the middle as Anthony Roberts and Mitch Abbott scored at will. Roberts with clever balls past the block and Abbott with power. With the Solent middle blockers tied up Collins made sure of outside hitting success by setting faster balls to Hunter, MacArthur, Duckmantonan and Abbott. A run of 4 serves from Roberts was enough to clinch a 25-21. Much of the same followed in the 2nd but a healthy led to a lack of concentration and saw them pipped 25-23. The spirit in the team was very good now and a run of serves from MacArthur gave Wessex a lead. Again Roberts and Abbott were unmatched in the middle and Hunter, back to his best after his injury, hammered home smashes on the left. Collins kept control with a series of quick moves which got back the Solent defence. 25-20. It was pleasing in the fourth set to see, not only the controlled passing but also some fantastic diving retrievals from Arnold, Hunter, Duckmanton and MacArthur. It was obvious from the body language that the Wessex JM wanted the win and they took the set25-18 in an excellent performance. Squad - Rich Collins, Anthony Roberts, Mitch Abbott, Matt Hunter, Joel Roberts, Matt Pretty, Jack Arnold, Tom MacArthur, Craig Duckmanton, Ryan Stout, Ryan Jones, Tom Edge, Andrew Clayton.
National league Wessex Women - Super 8's Sundays match saw Wessex travel further North to play Team Northumbria. Wessex started positively with Jessica Grimson showing her determined defensive skills and fearless attacking. Lizzie Smith proved invaluable on the front court once again, with her dominant blocking. Despite the girls determination, the 15 hour travelling seemed to get the better of them as well as Northumbria's unpredictable serves and varied attacks. this resulted in a 3-0 loss for the young Wessex team. Wessex lladies remain positive and look to their next match against Polonia.
Match report Wessex JM v Wessex BU As 2nd set came around the Juniors were raring to go. The difference was evident and points were fought with intensity. Strong attacks from Mitch Abbott and Joel Roberts won points and Ryan Jones, playing his best game so far, contributed with strong serving and opposite hitting. Adding to this was fine passing from Roberts and libero Jack Arnold which helped the JM to a 20-14 lead. The match got heated with a couple of poor refereeing decisions and a lack of focus thereafter saw the JM fail to restablish their superiority. The Wessex BU team were now playing very well and they brought the set back to clinch a 26-24 victory. With the 3rd set needed by both side there was all to play for. Heavy attacks through the middle from Matt Pretty and Anthony Roberts kept the Juniors in the game but the more experienced and impressive Wessex BU team outsmarted the Juniors defence with tips. The JM were behind but with the whole squad showing fantastic determination they gradually got back into the set. The momentum was with the Juniors but two missed serves at the death saw the Wessex BU team win 25-22. Squad – Rich Collins, Matt Pretty, Anthony Roberts, Joel Roberts, Mitch Abbott, Sam Walrond, Ryan Jones, Jack Arnold, Tom MacArthur, Ryan Stout, Matt Hunter.
Wessex Junior Men v New Forest Rich Collins started the match as he finished, full of drive and determination and this helped his younger colleagues. Craig Duckmanton responded well with his passing and hitting showing great control. Having worked hard to gain a lead Wessex then threw it away with hitting errors and net touches. A couple of successful middle attacks from Matt Pretty helped Wessex clinch the set 25-22. The passing became inconsistent which meant Collins struggled to get the attack into any rhythm and with the Wessex blocking being almost nonexistent the backcourt defenders couldn’t manage to recycle the ball. Joel Roberts and Sam Walrond came on but it was expecting too much of the 15 year olds to change things round. 25-19 to Forest. It was much the same in the 3rd set which went to the home team 25-16. However it was much to Wessex’s credit that they continued to fight against all the odds. Collins and Duckmanton continued to lead the fight as Roberts replaced Ryan Jones in the middle. Ryan Palmer gave a better performance on his return to the action, blocking, hitting winners before serving the final six points as Wessex won 25-17. Wessex started the deciding set on the up and took a 7-4 lead. New Forest came back as Wessex still struggled with their block. Forest took a 8-7 lead and then the officials caused a storm as Wessex were wrongly denied a time out. A further point was lost before the time out was granted and the team regrouped. Pretty put in a couple of strong serves to give the momentum to Wessex but he then missed, so back it went to Forest. Collins was still leading by example but two attack errors which should have led to a Wessex win turned instead into a 15-13 defeat.
Wessex Junior Men v Sussex Dolphins A slow start with passing errors allowed Sussex to take an early lead before the Wessex passing kicked in and powerful hits from Matt Hunter and Mitch Abbott brought the Wessex team even and created a noticeable lead at the second break. But the Wessex team didn’t let off and continued in their prowess to the end of the set winning 25-21. Second set dawned and Wessex were determined not to, in their typical fashion, let off. A small lead formed at the first break in which competent passing and very good setting by Rich Collins allowed the gap to increase and increase going into further breaks. An excellent all round team performance saw Wessex dominate. Soon after, Wessex finished off the set giving only 11 points away commanding a 25-11 victory. The 3rd and final set came for an anticipating Wessex team ready to continue where they left off. Strong serving from the off by Tom MacArthur was too good for the Sussex defence enabling Wessex to take full advantage of the free balls over. Andrew Clayton and Abbott proved unstoppable and MacArthur played intelligently to win his points. Again great hitting by Matt Hunter and communication between the attackers and setter allowed effective moves to come into action extending the lead further. Wessex followed the momentum throughout the set and eventually ended the set 25-13, a straight 3-0 victory. Squad – Rich Collins, Andrew Clayton, Mitch Abbott, Tom MacArthur, Ben Allen – Gdanitz, Matt Hunter, Ryan Palmer, Craig Duckmanton, Joel Roberts, Sam Walrond, Jack Arnold.
Wessex JM vs Guildford A couple of well timed blocks from Ryan Palmer gave Wessex a dream start. Errors followed although Matt Hunter and Tom MacArthur were securing points on the wing after good distribution from Rich Collins. Points were traded throughout the match but too many missed serves and failure to capitalise on free balls sent over by the opposition allowed Guildford to take the 1st set 25-22. A very much similar problem was faced in the 2nd set where strong hits from the opposition were unable to be picked up and subsequently Wessex were behind from the early stages. Good hitting by Mitch Abbott pulled Wessex back but it wasn’t enough to seal the set so Guildford took the 2nd set 25-23. The team were frustrated at coming so close but just failing to finish the sets off. The final set dawned and Wessex knew the quality within the team had potential to bring the match back. Sam Walrond won points swinging on the left but a lack of experience, leadership and inspiration on court allowed Guildford to finish the match in straight sets with a final 25-18 win. A good performance and lessons to be learned within the Wessex team where supporters can see the potential to do very well hopefully in the near future.
Wessex JM v Boswells The start looked very promising as Wessex took an early lead with smart hitting through Andrew Clayton and Mitch Abbott after consistent sets by Rich Collins. As the set progressed it was obvious to see who was in clear control as good team play between Ben Allen Gdanitz and Rich Collins sealed the set 25-20. In the second set from the off Boswells came back much stronger where it seemed Wessex couldn’t maintain the tempo previously played in the first set. Boswells took a 16-5 lead at the break where Wessex re-grouped and brought the set back to 21-20 Boswells. This belief however was short lived as Boswells took the set 25-21. At one a piece there was everything to play for and despite the Boswells strong serves Wessex were able to put in a good pass but failed to capitalise on the attack to gain any advantage. Again it was a slow start for Wessex which led to a failed attempt to regain control of the match with a 25-22 defeat. The 4th and final set dawned where the Wessex game play crumbled despite some great backcourt play from Craig Duckmanton. Similar to previous sets Boswells to another big lead and despite the latter half of the set being almost point for point too many missed serves and poor passing allowed Boswells to clinch a 3-1 victory.
Well done to Danielle Simpson for her debut for Wessex, who came on as a middle position and had a strong impact on the game.
Wessex Super 8s v Polonia
On Sunday 20th November the league leaders, Polonia, faced Wessex in Women’s Super 8s. This was a good opportunity for Wessex to maybe gain some unexpected points. The beginning of the first set was close with neither side taking control due to many unforced errors. After the first technical time out Polonia won a string of points with some tough serving that the Wessex passers couldn't control. Polonia took a 6 point lead which Wessex clawed back with their own run of brilliant serves. Wessex fought hard to take the lead for the first time in the set 19-18. This lead was short lived, with Polonia serving another 7 points in a row, taking the first set 25-19. The game was now being controlled by the serving team with all passers having a difficult time. The second set Wessex started strong with some consistent serving by Annie Tinker, with Wessex being ahead 8-4 at the first technical timeout. Phoebe Jeffrey's power hitting was causing Polonia concern and some good blocks from Lissie Smith and Natalia Jutkiewicz helped Wessex keep the lead. Polonia were trailing for the majority of the set but they still continued to battle hard, and gradually closed down the 5 point gap and took the lead 24-21. A good chase from Marianne McGrath and some fantastic pick ups from Jess Grimson showed the Wessex determination not to give up the set. Good blocking by Gemma Beddows saw Polonia’s 3 set points disappear. However, a couple of unforced errors by Wessex at the end of the set eventually let Polonia win the set 27-25. After a close fought second set, the third was quite the opposite, with the Wessex heads dropping. Polonia took total control of the set, winning it 25-10 and the match 3-0. Despite the loss, Wessex can take many positives from the game into their next match against Tendring in the Cup.
Wessex JM v Solent - National League Men’s D2 Rich Collins spread the attack to both wings in the initial stages of the first set which allowed the attackers to win points and after Mark Garcia- Kidd’s service run Wessex found themselves 5-0 up. Ben Allen- Gdanitz got in a couple of good blocks and Tom MacArthur some consistent passing but the match became a contest of serve and receive which Solent were edging until Craig Duckmanton came on. At 19-22 down he served 5 points in a row which put Solent under pressure and allowed Andrew Clayton to dominate the middle. 25-22 to Wessex. The second set followed in the same fashion with Hunter, Garcia-Kidd and Mitch Abbott hammering home winners from Ryan Stout’s setting. Stout then put in four tough serves to get Wessex into a 12-7 lead. Ryan Palmer and Jack Arnold came on to improve the defence as Wessex went on to win25-19. Garcia-Kidd got Wessex off to a good start in the third set which allowed them to maintain a two point cushion up to 16-14. The Junior Men then missed three serves out of four and it was suddenly 23-21 to Solent. Accurate passing continued to allow the setters to use the outside and although a set point was saved Solent finished the set off with a smash to win26-24. Although the Wessex attack had become too slow some excellent backcourt work and then serving from Duckmanton saw them race ahead to a 19-11 lead. Mistakes crept in as Solent staged a fight back but a couple of power smashes from Garcia-Kidd and a hit off the block from Hunter secured the win 25-21. Mark Garcia-Kidd, in his last game before transferring to Super 8’s team, London Malory, was voted MVP. Squad – Rich Collins, Mark Garcia-Kidd, Matt Hunter, Ryan Stout, Mitch Abbott, Craig Duckmanton, Ben Allen-Gdanitz, Ryan Palmer, Jack Arnold, Tom MacArthur,Craig Duckmanton, Ryan Jones.
Wessex vs SGTV 2 at Carter Community The Wessex lads went into this match on the back of a narrow defeat to Cardiff two weeks ago; with the full squad playing for the first time together this season everyone was going into the game confidently looking for their first win of the season. The first set could not have gone any worse for the Wessex players taking a 4-16 score line into the second technical time-out. The team came back on to court looking like a completely different team with some strong serving, good passing by Lewie Lett and Alex Clare and strong attacks through all 3 front court hitting positions by Adam Tomat, Mike Parfitt and Fynn Ethlers the team gained a huge amount of momentum going into the second set. (21-25). Wessex went of strongly in the second set with Olly Batt serving strongly followed by Clare who went back and served just as strong. Lett continued to dominate the service receive by putting excellent passes into Batt. Seb Reidel made some great blocks through the middle and Tomat was unstoppable through the middle when he came in. The 3rd set saw a similar pattern as the second with Wessex dominating, this time Parfitt was the main man who SGTV2 could not deal with, Tomat taking the middle most of the time leaving Parfitt with a one man block. STGV2 started to make a comeback towards the end of the set but the introduction of Aaron Walrond steadied the ship with some great passes and a very good judgement to leave a ball that went slightly out and Wessex taking the set 25-23. Going into the 4th set the Wessex team remained unchanged from the start of the 3rd set. This team has less than a years experience on average between them in the National League but the volleyball did not show by controlling the set. Wessex had full momentum through the set and finished it off with a 25-15 win. Final score: (21-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-15) The players would like to thank all those who watched and supported the team during the game!!! Wessex/BU v Swiss Cottage Opponents: Swiss Cottage (AWAY) Competition: Super 8s Date: Saturday 1st October 2011 Venue: Bacons Sports Centre, London Result: L 3-0 (19-25, 22-25) Wessex’s MVP: Annie Tinker Swiss Cottage’s MVP: V Yalkin Wessex’s first game of the season was away against Swiss Cottage, league runners up from the previous year, who had already started their season last weekend with a 3-1 victory over London Malory. The first set, started off closely, with nothing separating the teams and neither side dominating or taking more than a couple of points in row. At 16-17, Wessex coach Geoff Allen made a substitution replacing new comer to the team, Gemma Beddows, with another new player Natalia Jutkicwicz. However, Swiss Cottage’s A Bjelica served 7 points in a row, taking the score to 24-17. Despite some unstoppable hitting through the middle throughout the set, by Lizzie Smith, Wessex were unable to pull the set back losing it 25-19. Swiss Cottage dominated the beginning of the second set going 7-3 up. They continued to increase the pressure, causing Wessex to make more and more unforced errors. At 19-11, Geoff Allen called a time out to try to break Swiss Cottage’s rhythm. Nevertheless, Swiss Cottage kept up the pressure taking the lead 24-11. Nevertheless, typical Wessex style battling and steady serving from Jess Grimson saw Wessex slowly close the gap. Danny Primus, coach of Swiss Cottage calling timeouts at 24-15 and 24-17 did not affect Wessex. After 11 serves in a row and the score at 24-22, Swiss Cottage got a lucky call from the referee allowing them to eventually win the second set 25-22. The third set started similarly to the second set, with Swiss Cottage taking a 7-1 lead. Wessex managed to claw the score back with consistent serving from the whole team and a run of 4 from Annie Tinker saw Wessex take the lead for the first time in any set. At 22-20 to Wessex, Danny Primus called a timeout, this to Wessex’s disadvantage, saw Swiss Cottage win the next 5 points and therefore the set 25-22 and the match 3-0. Despite a 3-0 loss, it was a very promising performance by Wessex for the first match of the season, showing lots of potential for the rest of the season. Next match is against Ashcombe at home on the 22nd October.
Wessex / BU v Cardiff Celts Wessex started well and won the 1st set 25-18. with some strong hitting from Alex Clare and Aaron Walrond and a commanding presence at the back from Vince Joyce. However, this form could not be continued and after Joyce had to be taken off due to an arm injury from falling over a bench, Wessex quickly found themselves out of the 2nd set with the Welsh side winning 25-14. In the 3rd set Wessex started quickly out of the blocks and took an 8-2 lead going into the 1st technical time out. However, some poor defence and various serving errors meant Cardiff were back into the set. After some gruelling rallies towards the end the Celts took the 3rd set 25-22 and held a 2-1 advantage over the home team. After some stern words from coach Andy Jones, Wessex knew that the 4th set was a must win in order to have a chance of winning their opening game. Olly Batt controlled the game well so Wessex were able to play at their tempo and with some big hitting from Matt Pretty and Ed Evans, as well as some key blocking from Adam Tomat and Fynn Elhers, Wessex were able to take the match into a decider with a 25-22 set win. With the momentum with Wessex, the boys knew that a strong start in the 5th set could kill off their opposition. That is exactly what happened with Wessex leading at 8-3 at the change of ends. However, Wessex fell back into their shells and the lack of training and matchplay played a massive part with the Cardiff Celts waiting on the numerous amount of points that Wessex gave them due to errors. In the end Wessex succumbed to the Celts resilience and had to settle for a 3-2 defeat in their 1st game of the season. Clare was nominated MVP by the visiting side. There were encouraging signs however, and the boys will go back to training this week with a will to improve before their next game against rivals Solent on the 8th October. The boys would like to thank the support that was given by the spectators on Saturday and would urge more people to come and watch on the 8th October.
National League Men’s Division 2 – Wessex JM v Cardiff Unfortunately, in an up and down performance, the boys narrowly missed out on the victory by three sets to two. The teams matched each other at the start of the first set as they sized each other up. The Wessex passing unit of Garcia-Kidd, Matt Hunter and Andrew Clayton matched the accuracy of the Cardiff libero. Ryan Jones picked up a couple of balls in defence but once more thought went into the Wessex serving the match became easier for them. Ryan Stout excelled with his setting. His choice of options and speed of attack allowed Garcia-Kidd and Clayton to win enough points to clinch a 25-22 victory. The second set saw the introduction of 15 year old Joel Roberts for his first taste of National league action. Passing and serving well he added power to the attack and although Ryan Palmer came up with a stunning overhead shot, it was the clever tactical play from the Cardiff setter and outside hitter that saw Cardiff take the set 25-22. Into the third and Rich Collins was introduced to speed up the attack and to motive the team. This worked a dream, as with Tom MacArthur looking solid in defence and Garcia-Kidd serving well, the attack dominated, with Ben Allen- Gdanitz hitting several winners through the middle. Wessex were 19-11 up and then 22-15 up but it all fell apart with a series of individual errors. Point by point Cardiff began to close the gap and the crowd watched nervously as Cardiff drew level. Wessex regrouped with Clayton saving a couple of set points but finally the pressure told and Cardiff won 27-25. To their credit the Wessex boys didn’t give up after this disappointment. The team approached the 4th set with confidence and good passing helped the attack. Wessex were still struggling in defence although the introduction of Jack Arnold shored things up. Both the Wessex blocking and power hitting weren’t consistent enough as some of the players tired. The Cardiff setter and no 5 were still keeping Cardiff in it and several big blocks from their middle hitters stopped Wessex as their attack became too slow. Wessex fought on and clinched the set 25-22. Into the deciding set but the Wessex the “high” was to be short lived as the Cardiff serves were too strong for the Wessex defence. Cardiff quickly took an 8-2 lead at the turnaround. Arnold and Clayton made great pick ups in the backcourt but Wessex looked a spent force. Cardiff finished the set 15 -6. Squad – Rich Collins, Mark Garcia-Kidd, Andrew Clayton, Ryan Stout, Ben Allen-Gdanitz, Joel Roberts, Tom MacArthur, Ryan Jones, Ryan Palmer, Jack Arnold, Matt Hunter, Sam Walrond
Wessex Junior Men make Division 2 Wessex were glad of the return of Ben Allen-Gdanitz from his broken arm as he successfully blocked in the second set. Stout also blocked well as Hunter was unstoppable on the right. The whole team passed accurately which was just as well as, with the exception of Walrond and Ryan Jones, the players missed too many serves which allowed Loughborough into the match. Wessex still had the superior fire power though and clinched the set 25-21. The third set was evenly fought although Wessex held a two point cushion throughout most of the set. Sam Walrond showed off his backcourt skills and the introduction of Andrew Clayton and Jordan Randall was a boost for the Junior Men. However the wrong attack choices started being made and it was left to Palmer to come up with two stunning smashes to seal the win 25-23. Squad – Matt Hunter, Ryan Palmer, Ben Allen-Gdanitz, Aaron Walrond, Tom MacArthur, Ryan Stout, Andrew Clayton, Jordan Randall, Ryan Jones, Sam Walrond, Jack Arnold, Phillipp Webe
National League Div 3 Men v Boswells It started well enough for Wessex and they led at 16-15 before Boswell’s Storkey pressurised the Wessex service receive with 5 serves. The team regrouped with Richard Yates, Matt Hunter and Mitch Abbott hitting well but they couldn’t make up all the deficit and lost 25-22. The second set was a disappointment for the coaches as they saw a lack of determination from some of the players. The Wessex serving wasn’t strong enough and the team went down 25-18. The third set saw a huge difference in attitude as Ryan Palmer and Jordan Randall came on. Matt Hunter also switched to the left where he was more effective. The team came to life with some great performances although the serving run from Mitch Abbott and sub, Ryan Stout certainly helped. 25-19 to Wessex. It looked as though Boswells were struggling to maintain the speed of their game and Wessex were confident at the start of the 4th set. This was all undone as Storkey put in another five serves that Wessex couldn’t handle. At 5-0 down the momentum had shifted away from Wessex. Andrew Clayton started to benefit from Palmer’s setting and hit winners through the middle and although Yates and Hunter had some success another five serves from Storkey saw Boswells win 25-17. Squad – Matt Hunter, Richard Yates, Ryan Palmer, Andrew Clayton, Mitch Abbott, Jordan Randall, Ryan Stout, Aaron Walrond, Tom MacArthur, Jack Arnold, Ryan Jones.
National league Div 1 Men v London Knights Rich Collins tried hard to get the team going and Mark Garcia- Kidd and Ian Wood responded well but the first set was lost 20-25. Vince Joyce was using his experience and passing to good effect in the second and with Matt Hunter hitting a couple of good smashes the set went to Wessex 25-20. The third set was close with Mike Parfitt proving difficult to stop but Knights were a strong team and won 25-22. Ryan Stout made his Div 1 debut in the fourth but Knights were in control and won 25-17. Squad - Rich Collins, Ian Wood, Mark Garcia-Kidd, Mike Parfitt, Matt Hunter, Adam Tomat, Vince Joyce, Lewie Lett, Olly Batt, Ryan Stout, Aaron Walrond.
Wessex v Polonia The youthful Wessex Team faced Polonia, the unbeaten league leaders. The match started very fast and furious with Wessex holding their own level pegging right up to the second technical timeout. Strong hitting by Wessex’s Jess Grimson. However the Polonia block proved too strong taking the first set 16 – 25. The second set made a similar start with strong hitting by Gless and Muller there was a shift in momentum from one side to the other but Polonia demonstrated a disciplined defence leaving the Wessex attack no gaps and a number of service errors by Wessex meant that Polonia took the second set 20 – 25. The third set followed a similar pattern to the first two sets however Wessex were behind at the second technical timeout 12 – 16. Solid play by Jeffery (MVP) helped Wessex to set point at 24 -23 allowing Tinker to force a service receive error for the set. This is only the third set conceded by Polonia all season. Wessex won 25 – 23. Polonia started the fourth set with a vengeance, too many serving and receive errors cost Wessex the match against possibly the top team in the country. Polonia took the set 17 – 25 and the match. Wessex: Sarah ‘Aerial’ Palmer (Captain), Janna Rogers, Phoebe Jeffrey, Annie Tinker, Jess Grimson, Lizzie Smith, Hannah Ridge, Megan Cheaney, Marianne McGrath, Vanessa Heuser, Linda, Polonia: Anna Wachula, Adriane Ribeiro, Martyna Ciaciura, Sabine Jurge, Daniela Sanchez, Kiira Soini, Maria Kikira, Jenna Pleash, Gabriela Medricka, Petra Jurikova, Ivana Placko, Laura Plonka, Diane Muller, Cinzia Pezzolesi, Francoise Moore, Katja Gless, Hristiyiana Koleva, Iidiko Dobos, MVP:
Wessex Junior Men – NLD3S v Dartford Wessex Junior Men resumed their National League fixtures with a home match against Dartford which they needed to win to stay second and in with a chance of promotion in their first season. Andrew Clayton has missed most of the last few matches with back and shoulder injuries but, with Ben Allen- Gdanitz nursing a broken arm, he was called back to the action. He immediately showed what the team had missed with an excellent display of smashing and blocking followed up by a good serving run. Tom MacArthur passed well and captain Matt Hunter mopped up in the backcourt as well as hitting a couple of stunning backcourt smashes. Wessex won the first set 25-17. Dartford served well in the second and although Aaron Walrond and Jordan Randall hit well on the wings, a lack of focus saw Wessex fall behind by a couple of points. Joe Lambe came on at 12-14 but, apart from a power line hit, failed to have any positive impact and Wessex lost 25-22. In the third set Wessex improved their backcourt with a series of brilliant backcourt pick ups, highlighted by Walrond’s dive over the bench. Mitch Abbott was suffering from an injured ankle but bravely took on net duties which allowed Hunter to hit successfully on the outside. An excellent performance in this set was finished off by Ryan Jones serving an ace. 25-14. Ryan Palmer was having a big say in the game and when Ryan Stout completed a couple of blocks and followed this with a delightful volley into the corner of Dartford’s court the finish line seemed close. Dartford weren’t finished up and a few lapse points from Wessex saw the away side creep closer. Jack Arnold put in a couple of good passes and an Abbott smash and some good serves from Hunter saw Wessex home 25-21. Squad – Matt Hunter, Andrew Clayton, Aaron Walrond, Ryan Stout, Ryan Palmer, Mitch Abbott, Jordan Randall, Ryan Jones, Tom MacArthur, Phillipp Weber, Joe Lambe, Jack Arnold.
Wessex Men v Cambridge - Saturday 5 March The first two sets were close but in each the big Cambridge hitters came up with the smashes to win 25-22 and 28-26. This disappointment saw Vince Joyce have to use all of his skill and experience to help pull the team back from the brink of defeat. His, and Joe Lambe’s passing, gave Collins the platform to spread quick sets across the front court. The set went to Wessex 25-18. Mark Garcia- Kidd and Ian Wood were finding gaps in Cambridge’s defence but it was the anticipation, speed and bravery of Collins which kept the ball alive for Wessex. Diving into chairs to try and retrieve seemingly lost causes inspired his team mates. After a couple of good blocks from Matt Hunter and smashes from Lambe the set went to Wessex 25-19. Into the decider and Wessex were playing superbly as a team. They steam rollered through the set with Alex Clare being particularly outstanding with unreturnable smashes through the wings. A crushing 15-4 win. Squad – Richard Collins, Vince Joyce, Alex Clare, Ian Wood, Mark Garcia-Kidd, Joe Lambe, Adam Tomat, Matt Hunter, Olly Batt, Ryan Stout.
Wessex Junior Men - 30 January 2011 The first match against Boswells was a chance to see the two youngest teams in National League volleyball as both fielded teams with players just 16 and 17 years old. Boswells won the away encounter 3-0 but it showed the improvement Wessex have made in the meantime in this 3-1 win. Wessex made an uninspired start with several players off the pace. Tactical advice from Assistant Coach, Steve Allen and a run of eight serves from Aaron Walrond turned the match in their favour. Both sides traded points in a close match but three points from Jordan Randall secured the win 25-23. Disappointing Wessex didn’t correct their serving errors in the second set which gifted eight easy points to Boswells who took full advantage to equalise with a 19-25 win. Mitch Abbott started to dominate the net play with his smashing and blocking in the third. Ryan Stout set up Abbott and Matt Hunter with quick attacks to the wings which Boswells struggled to cope with. Libero, Jack Arnold was excelling in the backcourt and with Randall putting seven serves in court Wessex kept the pressure on their opponents to win 25-19. In the fourth set Wessex hit top gear, excelling in all parts of the game. Ben Allen- Gdanitz led the defence with his blocking while Hunter, Arnold and Walrond controlled the passing. Joe Lambe switched to the right and this, added to the hitting power of Abbott and Hunter, saw a big lead develop. Ryan Jones came as the set was finished 25-13. Next opponents were Team Southampton. Fielding a tall and experienced team in the first set they caused Wessex a few problems but Wessex held them. The introduction of Andrew Clayton and Lambe towards the end of the set, helped Wessex surge ahead to win 25-22. Southampton then brought on some of their own younger players which allowed Wessex to dominate the game. Tom MacArthur played his normal steady game which allowed Stout to continue to set up Hunter, Abbott and Lambe for point winning smashes. Anything that got past the Wessex block was picked up by Arnold and Hunter. Clayton, Randall and Jones rejoined the action towards the end of the set which Wessex won 25-13. The same pattern followed in the third set. The change of setter didn’t affect the flow as Ryan Palmer served six points to move Wessex towards a 25-16 win. Squad- Matt Hunter, Mitch Abbott, Ryan Stout, Joe Lambe, Ben Allen-Gdanitz, Aaron Walrond, Jordan Randall, Andrew Clayton, Jack Arnold, Tom MacArthur, Ryan Palmer, Ryan Jones.
Wessex Women v Mallory Eagles -
Saturday 22 January 2011 After a disappointing defeat last weekend against Ashcombe, Wessex were looking to redeem themselves. Malory, on a winning streak were seeking another win to keep them in the top 2. Wessex Squad: CAPTAIN – SARAH PALMER, HANNAH RIDGE, PHOEBE JEFFREY, JESS GRIMSON, ANNIE TINKER, LIZZIE SMITH, MEGAN CHEANEY, JANNA ROGERS, COACH PAUL LOCKE
Junior Men Excel in National League First up were Norwich Univ. It was a strange start for Wessex as they played well but the final smash proved their undoing. The smashes were just missing the court or falling into the net so a lead of 15-9 to Norwich wasn’t a true reflection of the game. A run of tough serves from Aaron Walrond wasn’t quite enough as Norwich held on to win 25-22. The second set continued with Wessex again looking the better team but missed serves caused their downfall 25-23. It all clicked in the third set. Mitch Abbott added some impetus and Ryan Palmer some court control. Ryan Stout thundered in some unstoppable serves as Wessex won 25-13. The tide had well and truly turned as a buoyant Wessex side dominated the fourth. Stout set up Abbott, Matt Hunter and Andrew Clayton for unreturnable smashes. Palmer had a good serving run as the set was won 25 -16. Having done the hard work to draw level would the Wessex boys be able to keep their nerve in the decider? With their fantastic team spirit, Wessex stormed on. Palmer and Walrond caused Norwich problems with their serves while the passing unit kept control. A lot of work in training on blocking appears to have been time well spent as this was much improved in this game. Clayton and Hunter continued with their hitting success as Wessex completed their comeback with a 15-12 win. Team Southampton beat Wessex in their previous encounter and their older and bigger players again caused problems in the first set which went Southampton 25-19. The second set saw the Wessex spirit come to the fore with Hunter winning points with power hits and intelligent tips. Ben Allen- Gdanitz served 11 points and Tom MacArthur 6 as Wessex dominated to win 25-12. The third set was pretty even with Stout getting in some useful blocks and Abbott and Hunter hitting well on the wings. Palmer, again showing good speed in defence served 5 points in a row to allow Wessex to clinch the set 25-18. Into the fourth and Southampton were struggling against Hunter and Palmer’s serving. Jordan Randall and Walrond came onto court to make vital contributions as the set went to Wessex 25-18. Squad – Matt Hunter, Ryan Stout, Ryan Palmer, Mitch Abbott, Andrew Clayton, Ben Allen-Gdanitz, Aaron Walrond, Tom MacArthur, Jordan Randall
Wessex Junior Men v Southampton and Solent With the average age of the team just 16 the team were obviously lacking experience compared to their opponents but the team spirit was high as the match began against Southampton the skill level was there for all to see. A. Walrond was in fine form, passing well and hitting aggressively. With younger brother Sam, and Matt Hunter also putting in some controlled passing Wessex led until the closing end of the set. Southampton’s Luke Goble put in some powerful outside hitting which Wessex were unable to block. A poor refereeing decision on a Southampton double touch and a lack of determination on a block and backcourt effort saw the set drift away to a 25-22 loss. The second set followed the same pattern with Ryan Jones serving four points and Tom MacArthur hitting a couple of hard backcourt smashes but it wasn’t enough to save the set. 21-25. The third set was a complete contrast as Aaron Walrond and Ryan Stout’s serving caused the local side no end of problems. The set went to Wessex 25-17. Unfortunately this period of play could not be repeated in the fourth as Wessex fell away to lose 25-18. Wessex now faced the top of the table team, the unbeaten Solent side. Although the Wessex boys upped their game the Solent setter’s speed was too much for the Wessex block. On the plus side the Wessex defence were retrieving lots of balls in the backcourt which is something they have been working hard on in training. Philipp Weber got in a couple of blocks and three serves at the end of the set but it wasn’t enough. 15-25. Andrew Clayton came on in the second and this made a difference but with the attack not really functioning it was left to the serving of Ryan Stout and A. Walrond to keep Wessex level. The boys just lost out at 22-25. In the third, the highlights for Wessex was the hitting from Stout and particularly from Ryan Palmer which capped a good day’s all round performance from him. Squad – Matt Hunter, Ryan Palmer, Ryan Stout, Aaron Walrond, Sam Walrond, Andrew Clayton, Ben Allen – Gdanitz, Tom MacArthur, Ryan Jones, Philipp Weber.
Junior Men v Dartford and Boswells There was now a mountain to climb but Wessex seemed, at last to get the message that they needed to serve better and play a faster attacking game. Switching Andrew Clayton to the right was a bold move that paid off and with Ryan Stout serving 11 points in a row the set went to Wessex 25-13 in a convincing performance from all. Wessex were now in full flow and with the serving of Matt Hunter and Stout causing problems there was no way into the set for Dartford. 25-15. Into the deciding set and the question was whether the Wessex youngsters could keep their nerve. They could - 4-0 up at the start Wessex managed to maintain the lead with Ben Allen- Gdanitz's blocking and the hitting from Hunter and Joe Lambe prominent. The set was won 15-11 and the match 3-2. Wessex V Swiss Cottage (London) - 3-2 / 26-24 / 25-16 / 25-19
Wessex get off to a shaky start letting Swiss Cottage take the lead due to a run of unenforced errors. After this Wessex got into the game with a few good blocks from Hannah Ridge which put pressure on the league leaders Swiss Cottage. However Swiss Cottage still kept the lead until a tactical substitution by Wessex coach Geoff Allan brought Megan Cheaney on to serve at 18-24. Showing fantastic composure for a 15 year old Cheaney changed the game with a run of pressure serves. This changed Wessex’s attitude bringing a sense of aggression to the team. Wessex dominated Swiss Cottage for the last part of the set, Lizzie Smith killing every ball front court as Wessex came back from six set points down to take the set 26-24. The second set was a very different story, Wessex taking the lead at the beginning of the set from a run of serves from Sarah Palmer completely demolishing Swiss Cottage’s passing unit, taking Wessex to a 5-1 start. However, Swiss Cottage were not to be that easily defeated, Swiss Cottage’s captain Anita Bjelica showed sheer determination which allowed her team to build on this with a run of good serves from their number two, Christina Madeddu. The two teams were level pegging throughout the set and at 23-23 Wessex unfortunately had a lapse in concentration with two players leaving the ball at a vital moment, letting Swiss Cottage take the set 27-25. A run of fours serves from on form Annie Tinker get Wessex off to a good start in the third set. Wessex kept the intensity but Swiss Cottage caught up and then took a two point lead. Wessex’s Captain Palmer went to serve and turned Wessex’s two point deficit into a two point lead. This gained Wessex’s confidence as the match progressed. Wessex winning point after point, took a lead which Swiss Cottage found impossible to close. At 21-17 to Wessex, Jeffery put a soft shot just over the block and into a space on the court giving Wessex three points to win the set. Wessex won the set 25-17 The fourth set was started well by Wessex, Jess Grimson putting in a good run of serves which put Swiss Cottage under a lot of pressure. Swiss Cottage put up a good fight to stay in the game, taking the set to 11-13. However, due to a run of seven serves from Tinker and brilliant play from Grimson hitting the ball deep into the corners of the Swizz Cottage court the score went to 18-13 in favour of Wessex. At this point the home team’s attack started to falter as it became predictable and the score fell back to 18-18. Wessex fought hard and after a couple of good plays off defence from Palmer and Jeffery the score levelled again at 20-20. Both teams fought hard, with Smith making some unbelievable blocks front court, as the teams were still levelling. Swiss Cottage took the set 25-23 making the game go to a fifth set. In the fifth and final set, Wessex belied their age, (the youngest team in the league) showing the opposition they still had the stamina and fight in them to battle till the end. The crowd responded to this fantastic performance with much encouragement which hopefully helped the local team. Wessex kept the lead throughout the set and never gave Swiss Cottage the chance to take the game. Wessex winning the deciding set 15-12.
Wessex Junior Men v Solent - NL Div 3
Wessex Junior Men played their first National League home match against Solent at Carter CS. A depleted squad meant that Matt Hunter had to switch to the middle but Joe Lambe started his comeback from injury in the libero rule. The local boys had lost 3-0 at Solent earlier in the season and with the Southampton team bringing a larger squad of experienced players it looked as though it was going to be tough going. Wessex started well with aggressive serving forcing Solent into errors. Ryan Stout set up Jordan Randall on both wings and Tom MacArthur made a clever point winning tip. A run of missed serves from Wessex gave away the initiative but with Richard Yates in excellent form on the wing Wessex re took the lead and fought hard to clinch the set 26-24. The second set saw a reversal in the serving. Solent put the pressure on and the Wessex passers were unable to get a consistent ball into the setter. When they did, Yates proved unstoppable but the errors continued to mount from the rest of the Wessex juniors. The set was lost 20-25. The third set saw the same pattern. Powerful jump serving from MacArthur and Andrew Clayton and an occasional block from Hunter was offset by poor defence and too many net touches. 21-25. In the fourth set, Ryan Palmer came on to vary the attack more and Aaron Walrond came on to serve and defend. Meanwhile Yates was smashing his way to the MVP award. Finally Hunter put away a couple of smashes on the left and Stout started to connect better with Clayton which led to more points. After a couple of good pickups from Lambe the score stood at 20-20 and Wessex looked to be in with a chance of levelling the match. However, two hitting errors from Wessex saw Solent surge ahead to win 25-21. The team need to become more consistent and will be working hard on their serve receive before their next match in Dartford. Wessex Succumb Once Again After A Good Start Cambridge 3 - 1 Wessex Mens (16-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-22)
Wessex made the Sunday drive to Cambridge to face one of the favourites for the league and a team who were playing in the top division of English Volleyball last season. Wessex got there early and walked into a sports hall that was very cold. Therefore a good warm up was needed. Wessex made all the noise in the warm up intimidating their opponents with loud shouts, and this carried on in the first set where Wessex dominated everything, blocking, passing and hitting. Good kills from the start from the impressive Cook and Hudson set the level and a big block by setter Collins put Wessex in command at the 2nd technical timeout. Wessex pushed on from this and closed the set out with a short serve ace from Collins. Wessex should have pushed on from here, but the story of their season continued, and a missed serve at the start of the set followed by 3 errors put them under severe pressure. Middle hitters Wood and Garcia-Kidd had the odd kill, but Wessex unfortunately could not get the middle into the game and Cambridge accelerated on with the set with their impressive 4 hitter finishing the set off. The 3rd set started with Wessex and Cambridge trading points until after the first technical, Cook produced the hit of the match hitting the Cambridge defender in the face and knocking him to the ground. Instead ofmoving on Wessex relaxed and allowed Cambridge to control the set and after a yellow card to Hudson they closed out the set. The 4th set was much of the same, Robertson came in as the playmaker and utilised his options well, but Wessex were unable to match their counterparts and it was only right the Cambridge 4 hitter finished off the match with a hit that rolled off the top of the net. Captain Richard Collins commented after the game ‘We need to make more of our starts and just push on, instead of taking our foot off the pedal we need to be more dominant and show a more aggressive attitude throughout the match’ The players would like to thank Jim Robertson for taking his own time out and helping drive players this weekend as well as coach, it was highly appreciated. Wessex now face a must win game in a local derby against Solent on the weekend (30th) with first serve due around 1430. Wessex – Leeds (3-0 / 25-20 / 25-16 / 25-19)
Wessex got off to an unconvincing start as they took a few points to get themselves together and get used to the new setter Annie Tinker. The two teams were levelling most of the way through the set with Wessex making lots of unforced errors. However after a timeout from the Wessex side, the team pulled away with a cluster of good serves from Jess Grimson, attacks from Hannah Ridge and 100% kills from the Tinker. Wessex’s most experienced player, Palmer, finished off the set in style with a kill through position four taking the set 25-19. The second set started very well with a run of serves from Sarah Palmer allowing Wessex to take the lead 6-1. This was reinforced with some good blocking from Wessex’s middle player Lizzie Smith. However, Wessex came up against a good server from the visitors and were finding it difficult to win the serve back, letting Leeds level the score at 6-6. With some good distribution from the setter Tinker keeping all the attackers hungry for the ball Wessex finally pulled away. At 19-11 to Wessex, coach Geoff Allen made a tactical substitution taking Phoebe Jeffery off and putting Megan Cheaney on to serve. Cheaney won an important cluster of points by serving aggressively. Wessex took the second set 25-16. Leeds came out fighting in the third set, competing to stay in the game. With some good blocking from Leeds number 6. Wessex had to step their game up and with a good choice of sets from Tinker running a cross over attack with Ridge and Palmer, Wessex took the lead. However, due to a lapse in concentration from the Wessex side in the middle of the set, it allowed Leeds to level the score at 10-10. Wessex wanted to finish the game in three sets so they had to fight hard for the set as Leeds were not going to give it up. After a good run of serves from Grimson it gave Wessex a four point lead. With Wessex, really getting their heads into the game, Smith, Jeffery and Ridge were making attacks that Leeds couldn’t compete against. The set was won 25-19 and the match 3-0. Coach Geoff Allen said: “The Wessex team is the youngest team in the Super 8’s. They are all very talented they just need to become more consistent.” Wessex v Malory (1-3 / 15-25 / 16-25 / 25-22 / 21-25)
Leanne Eddie making her season’s debut for Wessex. Wessex started slowly with a run of inconsistent passing and a few nerves with players in unfamiliar positions, Malory London took a strong lead with a run of serves from Malory’s Lauren Williams. Wessex started to find their feet towards the end of the set working better as a team but it was sadly too late, Malory London took the set 25-15. Having built some momentum from the first set a change in the line up saw another quirky start to our second set. With things not working in Wessex’s favour, Coach Paul Locke made a tactical substitution to keep three front court attackers which meant Tinker had to step into set. Despite the tactical change, Malory London stayed strong with powerful attacking and finished the set 25-16. Wessex started their comeback strong, going 8-3 up with a consistent run of serves from Smith. However this was levelled by Malory London due to some solid serving and block defence from their middle player. This meant Wessex were struggling for some attacking options, both teams levelling at 20-20, at this point, Wessex put their heads into the game and from some great pickups backcourt from Grimson and kills from Eddie, Wessex took the set 25-22. In the fourth set the pressure was on Wessex to stay in the game, pulling away and taking the lead early on in the set with again a good run of serves from Smith, however, Malory London pulled this back isolating Wessex with a strong run of serves themselves, Malory’s strong block took Wessex biggest hitters out of the game. Despite Wessex’s best efforts they couldn’t pull the score back they couldn’t pull back the fourth and final set and lost it, 21-25. Wessex will meet Malory London again at home on the 22nd January, this gives Wessex time to create a good game plan to challenge Malory London. This game was dominated by consistent serving and blocking which Wessex will train hard to maintain for their next game.
Men 1 - Wessex v City of Birmingham Birmingham like Wessex were looking for their first win of the season. Wessex had come close to that win two times at home already this season with two fiver set games against the experienced sides of London Lynx 2 and Richmond. In the first set Wessex got off to a flyer after a slightly shaky start in serve receive. The team got some good points when Mark Garcia Kidd and Alex Clare were serving. It really looked as if Wessex had the game in their control with Bobby Hudson consistently killing the ball through the outside attack. Wessex took the first set by an impressive 25 points to 11. The teams were a little more evenly matched in the second set after it seemed Wessex dropped a gear. This set produced some emphatic rallies and Wessex showed some great defensive play. Craig Duckmanton was very quick to react to the play picking up several balls to keep the longest rally of the set alive, which Wessex ended up winning and frustrating the Birmingham side. Tensions started running high on court with both teams showing lots of motion. Some good serving by Aaron Robertson, sound passing and backcourt by Olly Batt made the difference in this closely fought set. Seain Cook hit a monster smash down the line, which caused some dispute from the Birmingham side, who were now well and truly ruffled. Wessex went two sets up wining 25- 23. The third set was marred by the referee having to show three yellow cards one of which was towards a Wessex player. Wessex did however for the most part show discipline and respect the referee, which is more than might be said for the Birmingham side at times. Wessex did not take control of the game at this crucial point and allowed Birmingham to get a set under their belt after a catalogue of unforced errors. Wessex upped their level with some spectacular hitting by Seain Cook but it was too little too late. 19-25 to Birmingham. The fourth set was dominated by the underdogs and not helped by Wessex struggling in the service receive. Birmingham won the set 25-16 to see Wessex go into yet another five set match. Was this the time for Wessex’s luck to change and win a five set match. Wessex did get off to a good start and both sides seemed evenly matched on points until the change of ends with Birmingham 8-6 in the lead. A lucky serve clipped the net and dropped into Wessex’s court seeing Birmingham go a little closer to winning the match. Wessex came close getting back to two points behind but a lack of communication caused by nerves saw Wessex drop a couple of silly points prior to Birmingham serving their way to victory, giving them the first win of their season. Wessex felt the pain again after another closely thought match. The deadlock will surely be broken soon. 15-12 Birmingham.
Newcastle Staffs 3-1 Wessex (23-25, 25-18, 25-14, 25-14) Wessex went into the warm up making loads of noise and not allowing the crowd and the surrounding to get to them and were aggressive in every hit showing Newcastle that there were not phased by the tight surroundings with the crowd. This continued in the match where Wessex went out at full steam and traded with their rivals point for point, with Bobby Hudson and Alex Clare finding much success on the wings and being lead by Aaron Robertson who distributed the ball well knowing where the mismatch in the blocks were. Wessex were serving tough and putting the opponents young libero under pressure meaning their setter couldn’t run all of their options. Wessex passing unit started well and gave setter Robertson all options available in the middle where Adam Tomat playing his first full season for Wessex was very impressive killing ball after ball and producing big blocks in the middle. Duckmanton came on to serve for Wessex at set point and Newcastle put their hit wide giving the pumped up Wessex side the first set 25-23. Newcastle came out in the 2nd set much more up for it and served much more tougher than their Wessex counterparts who were struggling to get a decent pass in to the setters while Wessex seemed content to ‘dolly’ their serves in and Staffs were able to use all of their options, including ex Wessex player Dave Lovell. The Staffs middle was impressive leading to Wessex wingmen commiting to help the middle leaving their opposite player a free net on set point and killing it with much power giving them the set 25-18. The 3rd set continued this way and Wessex just seemed to run out of steam and looked tired following their explosive start. Staffs introduced new setter Scott and he found all of his hitters with distinction and Staffs powered through to win 25-14 with ease. The 4th set Wessex knew they had to get some energy back to be able to get back into this match. Coach Andy Jones elected to bring on young Matt Hunter through 4 with Bobby Hudson and have Seain Cook a much needed rest after his exerts from the past 2 weeks. Wessex started slowly again and were 8-3 down at the first technical. Staffs never looked back, and with Wessex struggling to defend or pick many balls up Staffs eased to a 25-14 win and sent Wessex back south with another defeat. Wessex host University of Birmingham on Saturday at 14:30 at Carter knowing that a win is essential to ensure they go into the weeks break with confidence.
Wessex v Ashcombe
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| Wessex | Ashcombe | MVP | |||
| 2 | 3 | Wessex: Sarah Palmer Ashcombe: Hannah Carey |
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| 25 | 22 | ||||
| 19 | 25 | ||||
| 17 | 25 | ||||
| 25 | 19 | ||||
| 10 | 15 |
The game between Wessex and Ashcombe took place at Carter Community College sports hall in Poole on the 2nd October. The whole way through the teams were neck and neck, both teams showing great team spirit by fighting through all five sets. Wessex put pressure on Ashcombe’s defence with some powerful jump serving, taking the first set 25-22. However Hannah Carey (MVP from the Ashcombe side) caused problems for Wessex with her left handed spikes over the block.
In the second set, Wessex’s passing let them down due to increased pressure from Ashcombe’s serve and attack. Moreover at 21-18 to Ashcombe there was a misunderstanding between Wessex’s setter Rodgers and middle player Jeffery’s which resulted in a crucial point which gave Ashcombe the impetus to go on and win the second set 25-19.
Into the third set, Wessex’s play went downhill and Ashcombe seemed to be winning with ease with some irretrievable spikes into Wessex’s court allowing Ashcombe to take the 3rd set 25-17. Wessex looked like they were going to be defeated in 4 sets, however their spirit was never crushed and they played like a well formed team with some good serving from the captain Palmer and ran some combos with the middle and outside attackers. Watching Men’s player Curtis Palmer said that “the Wessex team improved by pulling together, their ability to pass into defence got the ball into the setter to set up a good attack”. Also the Wessex coach Paul Locke made some changes to the teams set up, switching the middle player Jeffery to the outside allowing her to demonstrate her power with some point winning smashes winning Wessex the set 25-19.
The final and deciding set was very tense, both teams having shown tremendous fight throughout the game both wanting to win just as much as the other. However Ashcombe’s serving put Wessex under a lot of pressure causing them to go down 4-0. Despite Tinker’s run of serves bringing Wessex back into the game Ashcombe were victorious and won the set 15-10.
Both sides performed at a very high level and will meet again in Ashcombe on the 15th January. Luke Thomas, Ashcombe’s Coach sai:d “The game was determined by who put service pressure on and we did it in 3 sets and Wessex did it in 2”. Paul Locke, Wessex’s Coach, felt his team demonstrated “Great team spirit, they fought all the way, although I am disappointed to lose I am pleased with the progress being made and looking forward to future wins.”
Wessex Women's first performance in the National volleyball league Super 8’s division
After an 11 hour round trip up to Manchester, the newly formed Wessex side started slowly, the first set was dictated by tough serving from the opposition resulting in a 25-19 victory to Tameside. The second set was more of the same with Wessex players compounding mistakes, serving out and unsuccessful hitting. Tameside took the set 25-20.
However the spirit of Wessex was never lost and the comeback was never in doubt. There was some great defence by Jess Grimson which astonished the crowd and excellent distribution of sets by Janna Rodgers. The consistency improved throughout with triumph for the Wessex side winning the third set 25-21 and the fourth set 25-22. Phoebe Jeffery was outstanding in hitting every angle through the middle.
The fifth set decider was full of tension and the referee made some controversial decisions that went against Wessex which infuriated the team and coach. Annie Tinker made some great pickups and Rosie Kirk and Lizzie Smith made the crucial blocks. The last set was point for point but in the end the luck went Tameside’s way ending the set 15-13. Captain Rodgers stated “ we should be proud and happy with our first league performance and the teams fight and passion was never compromised!” We look forward to the next home game against Ashcombe on the 02-10-2010.
Team: Janna Rogers, Lizzie Smith, Phoebe Jeffrey, Rosie Kirk, Annie Tinker, Jess Grimson, C Pitta
Junior Men National League 2010
As the 2010 South West Mens Champions, Wessex Junior Men qualified for a place in the National Volleyball League Division 3. After weighing up the pros and cons of this step up for the junior players the Club accepted the place and the squad, probably the youngest ever to play National League with an average age of just under 16, had their first test in Southampton against Solent and Norwich University at the weekend.
The pre season training hadn’t been ideal with players away at the UK School Games and National Squad training weekends. Added to these problems was the loss of two England Juniors through an injury to Joe Lambe and the retirement of Tyler Everitt but, nevertheless, the team spirit remained high.
Wessex started the game on a service reception against Norwich Univ and Ryan Palmer showed good distribution throughout the first period as the teams traded point for point. However with several of the hitters not finding their rhythm the team struggled to put the ball away losing nine points in two rotations. Ryan Stout and Richard Yates were introduced into the action and although they couldn’t prevent the set going to the Univ 25-22 they had helped to begin swinging the match back towards Wessex. Mitch Abbott was added to the attacking line up in the second set and his enthusiasm was a bonus for the team. With Stout setting beautifully and the middles of Abbott and Ben Allen- Gdanitz continually fooling the block, the outside hitters Matt Hunter and Richard Yates were having great success killing balls through positions four and two. This set win 25-17 led to a levelling of the set scores with both teams having 1 set each.
It was clear to the crowd that Wessex were the better team now but they failed to show the right mental approach in the 3rd set in order to finish the match off. Lacking communication from the start Wessex, despite controlled passing from Tom MacArthur and fantastic hitting from Yates, struggled but still found themselves level at 18. Then a very poor line decision went against the junior boys and they failed to find the energy required to get back into the set losing 25-19. The victory was now close for Norwich, and Wessex would have to fight harder for the first win. This they did with Ryan Palmer and Sam Walrond making several great backcourt retrievals. The fourth set was still close with both teams on 19 points but just as Norwich started to pull away, a time-out was called. The Wessex team spirit was lifted and Stout went back on court to find the gaps with two well executed tipped balls. Victory of 26-24 was a close call and it meant a deciding set needed to be played.
Wessex took to the court to win the first two points and managed to keep this lead throughout the majority of the set. Abbott came on as the set neared its conclusion to add some hitting power which helped the young Wessex players to a victory on their debut in the National League.
Man of the Match went to Richard Yates.
Wessex’s next match in this double header was against Team SGTV Solent 2 who had won earlier on in the day in beating UEA Norwich, 3-0.
Yates was suffering with a back problem so started off with Jordan Randall replacing him on the right. The match started off relatively slowly for Wessex, with Solent winning the first batch of points but the team soon started picking up valuable points from some great setting decisions, enabling the first few hits to be one on ones and a couple of free nets. Solent’s young middle player, Koko Stoimenov, then got a few chances to pound the ball into Wessex court floor as the Wessex block struggled to cope with the speed of the Solent attack. Thanks to a time out and some changes on court the block improved with Allen- Gdanitz doing particularly well. Having got into the match the Wessex boys lost 7 points in a row which you cannot get away with at this level. The set went to Solent 25-15. It became apparent that although Wessex were equal to Solent in most parts of the game it was their lack of experience that was causing their downfall. It was a great effort in the second set though as the Wessex played a faster game with their serving causing Solent lots of problems. Great blocking ensured that Solent had to start playing clever volleyball, instead of powering their way through the players.
In the end, a close set just went away from the Wessex boys by 25-22. In the third, Hunter and MacArthur put in some great passes which were set up for some fine attacking shots. This was where the experience and defensive skills of the Solent team, most of whom who have been playing for 15 years, showed. Whilst Andrew Clayton proved unstoppable the other Wessex players became too predictable in their attacks and as the balls kept coming back the pressure told and the Wessex serves then lost their potency. Aaron Walrond added something different in attack and there were some great backcourt pickups from the Wessex side but unforced errors contributed to the 25-17 win for Solent.
Man of the Match - Andrew Clayton
Squad: Richard Yates, Tom MacArthur, Matt Hunter, Ben Allen – Gdanitz, Mitch Abbott, Andrew Clayton, Ryan Stout, Ryan Palmer, Jordan Randall, Aaron Walrond, Sam Walrond.
Wessex Men 1 v London Lynx -18/9/2010 (National league Div 1)
Wessex Men went down to a close defeat to a very experienced London Lynx team on the Saturday 18th September 2010. The Wessex team fought hard especially as they were without 3 of the first team regulars through injury. Wessex took the first set with Curtis Palmer and Siean Cook scoring at random through the outside positions. Lynx managed to disturb the Wessex first pass in the second and third sets with tough serving, and some fine blocking through the middle positions. The fourth set saw Wessex start slowly, but with a better level of defence lead by libero Lewie Lett, and some fine distribution from Wessex Setter Richie Collins, Wessex fought their back into the match and taking the fourth set.
Lynx took the initiative in the third set, through more positive serving, and some excellent blocking, and led by 8 points to 5 at the turn. The young Wessex team however didn't give in and closed the deficit to 2 points to trail 12-10, with some excellent attacking play from Bobby Hudson and Alex Clare. Unfortunately the rally came to late, and Lynx managed to keep their early advantage to take the set 15-13, and the game by 3 set to 2.
Wessex Coach, Andy Jones, commented that he was happy with some individual performances, but would be looking a better all round team performance from next week's home clash with Richmond at Carter School next Saturday 2.30 start.
Squad: Collins(capt), Garcia Kidd, Hudson, Lett, Cook, Palmer, Clare, Robertson, Batt, Tomat, Duckmanton..
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Bristol Win Again - 28 January
The second set saw lots of long rallies with both sides making some fantastic backcourt pick ups. This seemed to spur Wessex into action and they lifted their game, at last showing some determination and spirit. Matt Pretty and Andrew Clayton got together to block superbly on the right while Matt Hunter found gaps down the line on the left. With Jack Arnold sorting the defence, Tom Edge was given attacking opportunities before Clayton came up with a couple of stunning overhead hits. It was Stout, with a series of six brilliant serves that gave Wessex a real chance of the set. At 21-21 either team could have won it but a couple of errors by the JM saw them miss out 25-22.
Wessex's last match before Christmas was an away game against the top team Polonia who always put up a good perfomance. With there being nothing to lose the Wessex girls went on court and played the best they have played this season taking the first lead. With the determination to pick up every ball and aggression to attack everything, Wessex took the first set leaving Polonia shaken.
