Newmarket Volleyball Club

Mens National Cup
Sunday 30th Sept 2007

v
Nottingham Rockets
Middlesborough College 1

Travelling to Nottingham in high spirits Newmarket were keen to improve their results following last weeks double defeat. Team changes saw Ben Child as solo setter and Rob Dovaston promoted to middle hitter, Kelvin Cheung was also back in the side.

A quick start with a blistering first attack from Paul Freeman saw Newmarket surge ahead before a Nottingham injury saw a extended delay and upset their rhythm and reduce the deficit to just one point. JP Davis jump serving and scoring in the same way that led to last weeks MVP, increased Domino's lead and the first set was soon over.

Pete Gale opened the second set with a cracking outside hit and Pete Saunders followed that up with a precision hit to the far corner. Rob Dovastons left handed play through the middle coupled with a good run of blocks saw the second set also go to Newmarket Domino.

The third set was slower and although Pete Saunders dominated at the net and covered nearly 75 percent of the back court Nottingham stayed within reach and were finally able to pinch a set back.

The fourth and final set had Newmarket back in domination, slightly nervy and not wanting to go to five sets things were taken a little more cautiously. Ben Child continuing to hit the mark with his ability to find the attackers from anywhere on court helped to see the away side to a fine victory 3 sets to 1.

MVP - Kelvin Cheung

This was going to be a very different game to the last, Middlesborough's average age probably no more than 20. So very young, fit and agile.

Point for point the first set was very evenly matched , JP Davis again serving a couple of unstoppable aces, but it was the defence where points were lost and a glancing touch from our big block resulted in the first set going to Middlesborough.

The second was played in a very similar manner, but inevitably it was the improvement in defence that led the result to be reversed and a better scoreline of 25-16
Pete Gale continued to hit well through the outside and Rob Dovaston and Kelvin Cheung (awarded MVP in both games) connected well to form a top notch block, but still Middlesborough found a way through and crept back to one set ahead.

The fourth and yet again very close set, Newmarket keeping up with the youth of the other side and able to use their experience to gain the advantage before a couple of poor decisions from the first ref stunted their spirit and let the set slip away 26-24.

MVP - Kelvin Cheung