Athena showed no sign of nerves on a big day for the club. Needed to win both matches to be sure of promotion, Athena dominated Coventry and Warwick Riga.
Athena started with Paulina serving and Alysia as opposite. Teresa and Karolina played as middle hitters, Diana and Kristy played as outside hitters and Petra as libero. Athena started strongly and built a big lead only for Riga to claw it back, but solid serving and a strong attack helped Athena to win their first set of the day, 25-19. With that first set on the board, Athena then relaxed with Karolina in devastating form at the net, Tereza serving point after point and Petra solid in defence. Athena sealed the match 25-19, 25-12, 25-13. Karolina was named MVP.
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East Midlands Volleyball League
Wednesday 20th March 2019 Leicester Athena 3 Hermitage 0 (25-19, 25-16, 25-22) The regional league team scrapped their way to victory in their home match against Hermitage. It wasn't a pretty match but their hard work and determination saw them home. Athena started with Eli as setter and captain, Ioana as opposite, Sam and Amanda as middle and Edyta and Algi as outside hitters. The first set was close as both teams struggled for fluency. But Athena's ability to chase lost causes and win the long rallies helped them edge ahead to win the set 25-19. Athena began the second set serving and Sam's serves helped build a strong 6-0 lead. Hermitage made a valiant effort to close the gap before Eli's serving and Algi's refusal to quit on any ball closed the match out 25-16. Milly came on for Sam late in the second set to gain more valuable court time. Athena started strongly in the third set with Amanda and Ioana starting to serve well and with Sam covering back court. Once more, Hermitage fought back to 12-12, but Edyta's jump serves caused Hermitage a lot of problems. Alessandra came on for Edyta and made some good hits. Athena chased and chased and ground out the third set 25-22 to win their first match since beating Lincoln. The regional league team has developed a consistent core of players and it has been reflected in some good performances and now a win. This team is growing together and has even coped with injuries to Julia and Marta. Well done to Edyta for her MVP nomination - well deserved for her hitting and serving ... but kudos to Algi for her covering and passing. East Midlands Volleyball League
Saturday 16th March 2019 Ashfield Vipers 1 3 Leicester Athena 0 (27-25, 25-15, 25-5) Athena's regional league team may have lost to Vipers 1, but they showed signs of how good they are going to be in a tremendous first set. Athena started with Eli setting, Ioana as opposite, Marta and Sam as middle players and Algi and Edyta as outside hitters. And they started with a bang! The energy, commitment, teamwork was outstanding as they took the game to a very good Ashfield Vipers 1 team. Their plan to suffocate Vipers' dangerous attack worked as they blocked all cross court attacks, forcing Vipers to work harder to win points. As the set came to the end, though, Vipers showed their experience and began to claw back and only hit the lead in the final few points as they won 27-25. After such a close set, Athena were clearly a little deflated but they kept within a couple of points with Vipers through the first half of the second set. A strong serving set from Sewell pulled Vipers ahead as Athena started to make mistakes in the service receive. Alessandra came on for Ioana as opposite but Athena could not turn it round and lost the second 25-15. Alessandra stayed on for Ioana and Amanda came on for Marta but Athena fell 12-0 down at the start of the third set as they struggled to return Smith's serves. Milly then came on for Sam but that was the set and match over as Vipers closed things out 25-5. Despite the result, the first set showed that this inexperienced Athena team can play high quality volleyball and they will improve as they continue to gel together. Well done to Marta for her second MVP nomination in 7 days, well deserved for her good serving, big blocks and smart hitting. East Midlands Volleyball League
Saturday 9th March 2019 Ashfield Vipers 2 3 Leicester Athena 1 (25-11, 14-25, 25-15, 25-10) Ashfield Vipers' young team were fresh from reaching the semi-finals of a national U18's schools tournament and they showed their skill and their togetherness as they beat a patched up Athena. With Julia injured, Ioana started as setter and captain for Athena. Eli played as opposite, Amanda and Marta played middle and Alessandra and Edyta were outside hitters. It was an inexperienced team: Eli playing her first match as opposite, Alessandra and Amanda were playing only their second matches of the season. Athena started very well, matching Vipers blow by blow until Viper's #10 came to serve at 8-7 down. Her hard, deep, accurate serves caused huge problems for Athena who could not build a telling attack. Her impressive serving display took the set away and Vipers 2 won 25-11. Athena came right back and built a steady lead, helped by great serving from Edyta, some massive blocks by Marta and Eli and by some solid hits from Alessandra. Athena won the second set 25-14. Edyta and Alessandra switched sides for the third set to help Eli out at opposite, but the change unsettled the team with Eli and Alessandra losing their place in the rotation. As their focus began to slip, Athena's first pass struggled and it was the turn of Vipers' #12 to put together a serving set that built an unassailable lead and they took the third set 25-15. Athena's struggles with formation continued into the fourth set as minds began to tire and Vipers 2 sealed the match 25-10. At times, Athena's play was excellent and they played better than any time this season, so there was a lot of positives to take from the match. They did lose their way too many times as they struggled with the rotation but it was merely a reflection of the patched up team with new players and people playing out of position. Congratulations to Marta for a well deserved MVP nomination and a huge thank you to Milly who didn't manage to get on court today but provided relentless and noisy encouragement from the bench. That is true teamwork. East Midlands Volleyball League
Wednesday 6th March 2019 Leicester Athena 1 Lincoln Cannons 3 (11-25, 25-16, 21-25, 20-25) Athena's chances of beating Lincoln Cannons were hampered by injuries to captain, Julia, and setter, Eli. Athena started with Eli setting, Julia playing opposite, Marta and Sam middle, Edyta and Algi playing as outside hitters. But Athena started very slowly. Their passing was inaccurate causing Eli problems with setting. Lincoln's serving was not dangerous but it was accurate and when Athena did build an attack, their defence was well-organised enough to cope with anything that Athena threw at them. Late in the first set, Julia went up to block and came down hard on her right ankle twisting it. She was carried off court in tears and taken to hospital for x-rays. Ioana came on for Julia in an unusual position for her. Lincoln won the first set 25-11. Athena swapped Kamila for Sam, and they played with greater intensity and built a strong lead. The pass was more consistent, giving Eli the chance to feed Kamila whose hits caused Cannons problems. It wasn't great volleyball, with lots of swinging arms and desperate lunges, but hard work and determination drove Athena to win 25-16. Lincoln came back stronger in the third set and took a big lead, but Athena re-grouped and started to eat back into the lead. Marta's serving finally clicked and she produced an excellent display that pushed Athena to within 2 points. Coach Paul, then brought Amanda on for Marta in the back court but Lincoln stretched away again to win 25-21. Athena brought on Sam for Marta and both teams worked hard with barely more than 3 points between the teams in the fourth set, but Athena could not close the gap and Lincoln won the match 25-20. With Julia's injury and Eli struggling with a long-standing injury, it was a difficult evening for Athena but it did feel like an opportunity missed considering the players who were on court. It felt like a disjointed performance with a lack of fluidity. Thankfully, Saturday brings another match and another chance to build up a head of steam. UPDATE: Julia has a badly sprained ankle and it is likely that she will be out for up to 2 months. Take your time Julia and come back even stronger! Athena started their final home triangular of the season with a convincing win against Telford.
Athena started with Sarah setting, Alysia opposite, Tereza and Karolina through the middle, Petra and Kristy as outside hitters and Diana as libero. Athena have been guilty of slow starts so far this season but not this time. They leapt into action from the first point. Sarah's smart serving helping pull out a quick lead which they never looked under danger. Their pass was consistently accurate which allowed Sarah to feed Karolina and Kristy for big hits. The second set started off in a similar vein, but after the first technical time-out, Athena started to freeze. Their pass became jagged and inaccurate and they were undone by Telford's smart attacks and lobs and dinks. But after the second technical time-out, they re-found their focus to seal the second set 25-17. Kamila had come on for Tereza in the second set and she started the third and came up with a couple of excellent hits. Alysia was as accurate as ever hitting opposite and, b the third set, Petra was hitting hard and flat. With everyone playing with a really relaxed and calm attitude, Athena powered to the win 25-9. It was an excellent performance against a dangerous opponent who started the day in fourth position. Athena's local league team showed a lot of nerves at the start of their match against PVC, but by the end they were showing their skills.
Captain Charlie said, after the match "Out of the last three matches or so, this has been my favourite." Despite her strong desire to win, she recognises that this team is about development. "It’s about how we learn. How we practice. How we believe in ourselves, and that changes how we play ... individually and as a team." Athena has Charlie and Ioana as setters, Amanda returning from a broken finger as middle hitter along with Anna and Alex. Alex had to play with a plastic mask after breaking her nose whilst playing beach volleyball on holiday recently. Edyta and Nikki were outside hitters. Athena's slow start Amanda started on the bench and the six on court just froze. They struggled to cope with the hard deep serves from two of PVC's better players and lost the first set 25-9. With Alex taking her turn on the bench, Athena started to find their feet, they relaxed into the match. Anna made a couple of great blocks and Amanda hit some good winners - all based on the fact that the defence were able to pass the ball to Charlie and Ioana with some regularity. However, PVC's greater experience saw them edge a much closer second set. For the final set, Anna stepped off and Nikki started to relax into the match and showed how solid she is when receiving the ball. The movement and teamwork were excellent and they took PVC very close. Lessons to learn As Charlie said, with such an inexperienced squad, this season is all about development and they showed that, when they relax, that they can play good volleyball and worry other teams. Here is Charlie's assessment of her team mates:
Thanks to Charlie for her words East Midlands Volleyball League
Wednesday 6th February 2019 Leicester Athena 1 Ashfield Vipers 1 3 (14-25, 22-25, 25-19, 11-25) Athena's regional league match against Ashfield Vipers 1 was a mixed bag. Athena started the first set with Paulina setting, Julia opposite, Sam and Kamila as middle hitters and Edyta playing outside with Alessandra making her debut. Marta, who had been knocked down by a flying ball in the warm up had to sit out the first set with Ioana and Milly. It was a tough beginning for Alessandra, as Athena started very slowly and looked out of sorts. Vipers served well and hit hard and strolled into a big lead. At one point, it looked like Athena would struggle to make it to double figures, but strong serving from Sam helped Athena get to 14 points by the end of the set. Athena rally Marta felt well enough to play. so Kamila replaced Alessandra as outside hitter and Marta played through the middle. Athena looked much more balanced and started to pass better and attack better. Their attack started to move Vipers's excellent defence around and the set was more even and of a much higher quality. Despite the improved performance, Vipers were still attacking from all points and they managed to sneak the set 25-22. Athena's good play extended into the third set where they took the lead. Their movement and work-rate was excellent and they were playing their best volleyball of the season. Kamila's hits were towering, Julia constantly found holes in the Vipers defence and the blocking was keeping Vipers' attack contained. Athena won the third set 25-19. Vipers seal the deal Sadly, Athena could not keep the same intensity in the fourth and Vipers took control again. The introduction of Alessandra and of Ioana, her first match back after injuring her thumb last month, could not change Athena's fortunes and Vipers won the fourth set 25-11. Coach Paul was happy with some of their play, with Athena looking very dangerous on the attack at times, but they will have to learn to play with more consistency. Well done to Julia for picking up yet another MVP award. Like all good captains, she certainly leads from the front. East Midlands Volleyball League
Sunday 4th February 2019 Lincoln Cannons 0 Leicester Athena 3 (21-25, 21-25, 17-25) Athena's regional league team played a tough, smart match to beat Lincoln on a cold and crisp Sunday. With neither Eli or Ioana available, Paulina, one of the NVL setters had to step in to take charge of Athena's attack. Julia played opposite as usual, Adela and Algi played as outside hitter and Marta and Milly played through the middle. With a new setter and with Milly playing only her second match of the season, it took a little time to settle down, but Athena served well and passed well to ensure that they were always within a point or two of Lincoln throughout the first set. For a team that has struggled to convert their chances this season, Athena then showed admirable calmness to close out the first set 25-21 with Paulina serving out the final 4 points. Team work comes to the fore Sam came onto replace Milly, who had played really well considering her inexperience, and straight away Sam's physical presence helped to put pressure on Lincoln's middle hitters. Once more, this was a tight set with the difference being that Athena had their nose in front for most of the way. Paulina had found her range allowing Adela and Algi to start hitting harder and the team worked hard to win a number of lengthy rallies demonstrating togetherness and determination. As with the first set, it fell to Paulina to serve out the set 25-21. Edyta replaced Adela as outside hitter and slipped in seamlessly. Marta and Sam's blocking was taking effect as Lincoln's most effective attacks were now mis-firing. Athena pushed into a comfortable lead, even when the play became scrappy, they found ways to win points. Julia's serving and her cheeky little dinks were eye-catching but it was underpinned by a great work ethos. Athena won the third set 25-17, sealing a 3-0 win. Paulina named MVP Congratulations to Paulina who won MVP, but every player deserves credit, The post-match meal on the outskirts of Lincoln was a worthy reward. Leicestershire Volleyball League
Wednesday 23rd January 2019 Leicester Athena 2 Loughborough Students 1 Two strong teams went head to head at the Morningside Arena and produced an entertaining match full of skill, endeavour and long rallies. Injuries and other problems have ravaged the local league squad, so Athena drew from the regional and national league squads. Charlie and Eli were setting, Algi and Edyta played outside with Alex and Sarah playing middle. ... that is Sarah the NVL setter playing through the middle for possibly the first time since school! It took time for Athena to settle with such a makeshift team and Loughborough made the best of the opportunity to pull into a strong lead 8-2 lead. But Athena began to settle down and pass better and began to eat into that lead until they were drawing level at 23-23. But the Students managed to recover their composure and win the first set 25-23. Athena were much better in the second set and were in front all the way through, Both teams were very strong defensively and a little light on the ability to kill the point, so there were a lot of long rallies. Athena worked out that by getting the ball back and making Loughborough set up another attack was putting pressure on the students and forcing mistakes. With Athena in the lead, Nikki came on for Edyta for the last few points. The third set started off more evenly, but Athena's defence and back court work was impressive and they kept getting the ball back to the other side of the net, forcing Loughborough Students to make another play. Once more Nikki came on for a few more points at the end to build her experience and Athena comfortably won the final set to seal a 2-1 victory. It was a good victory and against a well organised Loughborough team. The two teams meet again on Monday, let's hope for the same result. |
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