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.
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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! 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. East Midlands Volleyball League
Wednesday 16th January 2019 Leicester Athena 1 Ashfield Vipers 3 An injury to Ioana, Athena's setter, midway through the second set really disrupted things in this regional league match against Ashfield Vipers 2. With a big squad to choose from Coach Paul selected Ioana to set, Julia opposite, Emma and Marta middle and Edyta and Erin as outside - it was an inexperienced line-up but he wanted to see them put Sunday's training into practice. Vipers start strong winning the first 2 sets The first set started nervily with both sides making mistakes but Vipers 2 settled and Athena struggled to keep pace. The team battled hard and their defensive cover was very good, but they could not create enough telling attacks against a very organised Vipers 2 back court. Vipers 2 won the first set 25-17. With a big squad to choose from, Paul changed the team for the second, Kamila and Sam coming into play through the middle and Algi replacing Erin. With a more experienced line-up, Athena kept Vipers 2 on a very short leash with neither team able to create a substantial lead. That changed with the score at 12:11 when Ioana and Algi clashed going to a tipped ball and Ioana sprained her thumb. Bravely, Marta volunteered to step in and play as setter. But the injury clearly disrupted Athena's flow and Vipers 2 put on 14 points to Athena's 5. They won the second set 25-16. Athena fight back Edyta came on to set and did an amazing job considering that she has not set for many, many years. Ioana provided great support and direction from the bench and Julia was directing things on court. Teo played as outside instead of Edyta and Marta came back on for Kamila. Everyone lifted their game to help out Edyta and Athena took the lead right from the start of the set and did not let that lead go. Although Vipers did pull level towards the end, Athena won a thrilling third set 25-23. Emma replaced Marta through the muddle for the fourth set but the fightback hit the buffers as Athena's service receive disintegrated. Vipers 2 launched themselves into a 9-0 lead and Athena's confidence sunk through the floor and they only just made it to double figures as Vipers won the final set 25-10. It was a disappointing end to the match. There were elements of good play and excellent coverage, but the lack of a consistent block and the lack of training time showed in the performance. Coach Paul held his hands up and said "I made a few changes throughout the match as I wanted to give players court time, but it ended up affecting our fluency and rhythm" Well done to Julia for being nominated MVP ... again! East Midlands Volleyball League
Saturday 12th January 2019 Nottingham Rockets 3 Leicester Athena 0 The regional league team pushed a well-organised Nottingham Rockets side a long way but were unable to convert their chances. Athena were missing a number of players, and a much changed team took some time to settle in the first set with their service receive being quite wayward. Evenso, Athena managed to keep step with Rockets with Eli setting, Julia opposite, Kamila and Sam playing middle and Edyta and Tereza as outside hitters. Eli's strong serving and great cover from Julia and Edyta meant that the first set was finely balanced at 19-18. But then Rockets upped their tempo and served the set out 25-19. Marta replaced Sam for the second set and her passing in the back court helped Athena stabilise their pass to Eli but Rocket's solid defence and intelligent attacks helped them grow a 16-9 lead which they never relinquished, winning the second set 25-19. In the third set, Sam replaced Kamila and the team began to play at a higher tempo with a lot more communication. It meant that they managed to get ahed on the scoreboard for the first time. Service switched back and forth with Tereza and Sam hitting well, Julia conjuring up some wonderful winning points and Eli serving hard. As the set drew to its conclusion, with Athena ahead, a few nervous plays handed Rockets victory. Rockets played very well and defended brilliantly, but it did feel like this was an opportunity to missed by Athena. Congratulations to captain Julia for her nomination as MVP! Very well deserved. East Midlands Volleyball League
Monday 17th December 2018 Nottingham Casualties 3 Leicester Athena 0 At the end of the day, Athena were undone by some excellent serving from Casualties and our difficulty in receiving hard, flat serves. Athena started the first set slowly as the team settled into the rhythm of the match, but a strong serving round from Julia saw the team draw level at 12-12, but Casualties strong serving allied to a number of small individual errors meant that Casualties were able to see the set out, 25-19. Athena started the second set with the same six (Eli, Julia, Sam, Emma, Edyta and Adela) and were much more competitive for a long time. Once more, Casualties' best player (Steph, 17) stepped up and reeled off a series of flat hard serves which Athena could not deal with. The 25-16 scoreline is a lot more brutal than the performance. There was a lot to praise about Athena’s play: Eli’s setting is coming on leaps and bounds, Julia showed great intelligence in her hitting and tips and Adela’s pass was back to its best. For the third set, Ioana came onto set with Eli replacing Sam through the middle. Erin came on for Edyta but an ankle injury early in the third set saw her carried off. Thankfully, the damage did not seem to be too serious. With the change in personnel, the team took some time to settle back down but they faced the same problems in service receive. They got a lot closer, only losing 25-21. Most of the Athena regional league team has stepped up from local league last year and it will take time to adjust, but with a few small improvements in service receive, it is clear that Athena will start winning soon. East Midlands Volleyball League
Wednesday 5th December 2018 Leicester Athena 0 Nottingham Rockets Athena's regional league squad were out-powered by a strong Nottingham Rockets squad that was littered with NVL players, however, it was one of their non-NVL players, Montana, who did the damage with some excellent middle-hitting. Before the match, Coach Paul had mixed news, Marta had recovered from her sprained thumb but Amanda's sprained finger was not strong enough to play. Athena began with Eli setting, Julia as opposite, Marta and Tereza through the middle and Algi and Edyta as outside hitters. Strong serving from Rockets allowed them to build a lead in the first set, until a strong serving round by Julia brought the set back to a 2-point margin. However, Rockets started to control the ball on their side of the net and that allowed their powerful hitters to pull away and win the set 25-17. Sam replaced Marta through the middle and after the first round of serving, it was a very tight set, but once again Rockets showed their experience to ease into a 25-19 set win. For the final set, Coach Paul brought on Ioana to set, Emma and Marta for Tereza and Sam through the middle. Despite so many changes, the fight and commitment from Athena meant that it was even after the first round of serving, but a fearsome set of swerving and dipping serves from Rocket's Gosiincar, created a gap that Athena could close and Rockets won the third set and match 25-15. Paul declared himself happy with the work that everyone had put in, their movement and cover was excellent. Rockets were simply stronger on the day but there were a lot of positives and this inexperienced side should take heart from this performance. Well done to Captain Julia for her MVP nomination. Very much deserved. Thank you to Laura and Petra for scoring, to Charlie for refereeing and to Anna and friends and family members who came to support. East Midlands Volleyball League
Monday 26th November 2018 Loughborough Students 1 Leicester Athena 3 In their first match of the season, the regional league team showed great togetherness to beat Loughborough Students. With last year’s championship winning squad moving up to the National League, this is a brand new Athena team composed of a mix of new players, local league players from last year, plus support from Adela and Algi from the NVL squad. Athena began with Eli setting, Julia as opposite, Milly and Marta playing through the middle and Edyta and Algi as outside hitters. As was only to be expected, it was a nervous start and Athena fell behind quite quickly in the first set, but the girls never stopped working and played with such a great spirit that they began to claw back on Loughborough’s advantage. Eli’s and Edyta’s serving caused problems for the Students and Marta grew into the match, however, Loughborough had enough to win the first set 25-22. Athena recover Coach Paul changed the team for the second set, bringing on Ioana as setter, Emma as middle and Adela as outside. Once more, serving was key but Athena’s teamwork and determination to always get the ball back helped them push into a big lead which they held out to win the second set. Eli came back on for the third set and Athena were now playing with confidence. Marta’s passing from backcourt was exemplary and Eli produced some delightful back-sets for Julia to finish. The momentum was now with Athena and they comfortably won the third set. With Edyta on for Algi, Athena eased out the match, although, they did wobble when in sight of the finishing line – the excitement of the win meaning that they became a little rushed in their technique. But the recovered their composure to seal victory. Eli stars Eli was voted MVP for her destructive serving and for her solid setting, but there were so many other highlights. Marta was fabulous in her first regional league game, Emma showed that middle is her position, Edyta hit the ball with intelligence and Julia showed her game craft by picking out holes in Loughborough’s defence. There will be tougher matches ahead, but everybody played their part and did so with big smiles and warm hearts and that will hold the team in good stead. East Midlands Regional League Thursday 3rd May Hermitage 0 Leicester Athena 3 Athena's regional league team cast aside any disappointment from their 5 set defeat against Darkstar to put in a powerful performance against Hermitage. Athena had a number of players unavailable through injury, illness and work, leaving Alex to start her first match as single setter, Faye showed her adaptability by playing as middle hitter for the first time in her life and Kristy took over the captaincy from Sarah. All season long, Athena have been slow in starting, but they showed no hint of that by blasting Hermitage away in the first set. The accuracy of pass, the movement in both attack and defence and fearsome attacks had Hermitage reeling as Athena won the set 25-5 Hermitage came back stronger in the second set but Athena built a steady lead throughout the set aided by great serving from Sam. A little drop in concentration meant that the passing to Alex was not as accurate as in the first set. Towards the end of the set, Erin came on for Kristy for the last few points. Athena won the set 25-19. The intensity dropped at the start of the third set and Athena found themselves 6:11 down when coach Paul called a time out. The break allowed Athena to regain focus and they powered their way to a 3-0 win: 25-5, 25-19 , 26-16. Well done to Kristy, Sam, Alysia, Adela, Alex, Faye and Erin. Alex had an excellent game as setter, calm, accurate and making good decisions. Faye did really well in such an unfamiliar position, her serving and passing were spot on. Sam had a great game, her little tips and dinks causing Hermitage all sorts of problems. Kristy was nominated as MVP but we all thought that Sam deserved it. Thanks to Charlie for coming out to support and provide Facebook updates, it is very much appreciated. One more to go! |
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