Rowley girls win epic against LadySpurs
LHD Drifters and JBT had straight-sets victories in the men’s volleyball league on Friday, as did Burra in the women’s league. The other women’s match was very closely fought with T Rowley Junior Ladies edging out LadySpurs Express 3-2.
BP Sullom Voe Men’s League
Harry’s Hotspurs 0, LHD Drifters 3
(16-25, 14-25, 16-25)
The first set started with both teams taking a while to settle but it was LHD Drifters who took the initiative through good net defending and attacking from Roger Goudie and Kenneth Shearer.
Hotspurs’ Shane Jamieson was trying to lead by example with some determined play to keep the ball off the floor and put pressure back on Drifters. Some good serving from Morris Williamson and Connel Gresham brought some much-needed points for Hotspurs but the experience of the Drifters sealed the first set 25-16.
LHD started set two strongly with good serving from Michael Boxwell and accurate net play from Colin Grant. Hotspurs kept up the pressure with some dogged defending to produce the rally of the match, which they won. During a mid-set lack of concentration from the Drifters, Joe O’Connor of Hotspurs served accurately to keep his side in the set with Gresham defending well at the net. This spurred the Drifters from their slumber and they went on to take the set 25-14.
Set three started with a great rally, allowing Hotspurs to pull ahead for the first time in the match. The first half of the set saw points exchanged equally up to 12 each. The Drifters were in the mood to wrap up the match and displayed great three touch play, building attacks with good setting from Mike Bradley allowing Andrew Crossan and Boxwell to get some big hits in. Good serving through Brydon Leask eventually found them at match point, at which Crossan wasted no time in slamming to the floor to seal the set 25-16.
Most valuable player for LHD Drifters was Kenneth Shearer while for Harry’s Hotspurs it was Connel Gresham.
JBT 3, JBT Sovers 0
(25-15, 25-20, 25-15)
The match started evenly with both teams serving well, but JBT pulled ahead to 11-5 through good defensive play. In an attempt to halt the JBT progress Sovers called a time-out at 18-10, but JBT proved the stronger team with good passing play and positive attacks. A well-hit strike from JBT’s Mark Loynd won them the first set 25-15.
Sovers came back on court with work to do, but they struggled to get a good connection and called time-out at 7-1. James Aitken of Sovers got a brilliant spike when they came back on court, which gave his team a lift and they fought back to 11-11. The older team of JBT pulled ahead again to 20-15 then Paul Hibbert of Sovers had a brilliant run of serves to bring the score back to 20-all. However, JBT won the set 25-20.
JBT came on court and played some nice volleyball with good attacks and got to 14-6 before Sovers’ Hayden Thomason had a couple of strong serves. However, JBT’s serving and attacks proved to be too good for the young Sovers and they finished the set 25-15.
MVPs were John Magnus Gray for JBT and Jordan Morrison for Sovers.
BP Sullom Voe Ladies’ League
LadySpurs Express 2, T R Junior Ladies 3
(23-25, 25-11, 25-16, 27-29, 10-15)
TR Junior Ladies showed their hunger for this match right from the start, picking up the opening point of the match with a good hit from Amy Sclater. LadySpurs responded through some good hits from Anne Goudie but it was the Juniors who raced into the first big lead at 12-6 as the LadySpurs failed to make use of their three touches.
An excellent hit from Renata Bielenica spurred the LadySpurs into life and an excellent run of serves from Denise Morrison brought them ahead, forcing a Juniors time-out at 21-19. This did the trick, bringing an end to the Morrison serve and producing the rally of the set with excellent play from Juniors’ Ava Sim, Christine Jamieson and Louise Birnie. The Juniors now had the momentum and wrapped up the first set 25-23.
A more determined LadySpurs took to the court for set two and raced into a 6-1 lead. The match was producing some great rallies but the luck seemed to be with LadySpurs. Good back court play from Lauren White and hitting from Sim did not yield the rewards they deserved as LadySpurs players Marie Clark and Goudie scrambled the ball back over the net, forcing net faults from Juniors. LadySpurs went on to win the set 25-11.
Set three started very evenly with both teams level pegging up to 10-10. Goudie was playing really well at the net, blocking and hitting to thwart the Juniors attacks. This, coupled with good runs of serve from Jillian Copeland and Jennifer Manson, gave LadySpurs a decent lead and eventually the third set at 25-16.
Both sides were using their three touches to great effect in set four. Good setting from Copeland and hitting from Goudie were winning points for LadySpurs while accurate setting from Birnie and hitting from White were gaining points for Juniors.
The pressure Juniors were applying forced their more experienced opponents to make mistakes. The Juniors fought for every ball, and despite LadySpurs refusing to give up, pushing the set into extra points, Juniors eventually won 29-27.
Juniors started the brighter side as the deciding set began, going into a 4-0 lead. But the experienced LadySpurs clawed back to 6-6 with some battling play from Morrison. An excellent block from Sim and a good hit from Sclater gave the Juniors match point, which Jamieson served an ace with to wrap up the set at 15-10.
MVP for LadySpurs Express was Denise Morrison and for T R Juniors it was Ava Sim.
Burra 3, Shet. Freezer Foods 0
(25-6, 25-20, 25-19)
Set one began evenly with both teams defending well and putting pressure on their opponents. Burra began to take the ascendancy with consistent serving from Rebecca Riley helping them ahead to 12-5. Good attacking from Valeska Voelschow with Joyce Adamson setting saw Burra stretch to 21-5. Burra settled the first set 25-6.
Set two started similarly to the first with both teams playing well to 7-7. In particular Melissa Calderwood for SFF and Stacy Laurenson for Burra played well. Powerful serving from Burra’s Valeska seemed to be troubling SFF but influential organisation from SFF’s Margaret Johnston got her team back on track at 18-16. More fine serving from Burra in the form of Emma Gray closed the game out 25-20. However, a much-improved set by SFF gave their team hope.
In set three both teams again started well with good serving from Calderwood for SFF and Kristen Robertson for Burra taking the score to 11-7. Burra began to stretch their lead courtesy of Stacy Laurenson with a great pick-up at 15-8. Superb serving from Emma Gray handed Burra a 21-12 lead. Good determination from SFF’s Shona Nisbet and new team member Katie McMillan gave their team belief but Burra finished the game at 25-19.
MVPs were Jacqueline Jamieson for SFF and Rebecca Riley for Burra.
Fixtures
Tonight – Sandwick Games Hall: Shetland Freezer Foods v Bench Warmers at 6.30pm (first referee Sandwick Ladies, second referee LadySpurs Express); Sandwick Ladies v LadySpurs Express at 8.30pm (first referee Shetland Freezer Foods, second referee Bench Warmers).
Clickimin: JBT Sovers v DITT Globetrotters at 7pm (first referee T Rowley Junior Ladies, second referee JBT Ladies); T Rowley Junior Ladies v JBT Ladies at 9pm (first referee JBT Sovers, second referee DITT Globetrotters).
