Newbury Ladies vs. Basingstoke Lionesses’ – 17th April, St. Gabriel’s School
The first set got underway with a different team arrangement than usual for Newbury – several players found themselves in new places but that didn’t hold the side back! With Elisa in the setting position the squad adjusted to more central passing, enabling her to set up swift hits through the middle, using Sarah and Leah as the main attackers. The young setter surprised everyone with her talent for tipping and left the opposition sprawling behind the block, on the other hand whenever variety was called for Ya was ready with a lightning strike from reverse.
The play was intense and as both sides grew in confidence the rallies lengthened; the levels of commitment soared sky high with each player doing their job efficiently and not letting any opportunities pass by. The points flew past and soon the two teams were equal on 25 leaving no margin for error. Newbury readily took an awful serve from Basingstoke and drew ahead but to no avail as the visiting side found the advantage they needed and tormented the home players with devastating smashes. In the end Newbury were denied the victory but felt hope at the thought of a second set.
Communication was crucial in the second set and with a few changes to the Newbury team it took some time for the same support and assurance to build up. With great dedication the cover picked up ball after ball but a lot of excellent sets unfortunately came to nothing because of hits into the net and out of the court. Christine, on for Sarah, took vital middle hits and Leah covered the back court faithfully, always prepared for a difficult pass with a clear call and superb precision. Even though Basingstoke came out top the score was close the whole way and every point fought for.

Newbury Ladies vs. Spikeos 2 – 17th April, St. Gabriel’s School
With a strong team combination on court Newbury started the first set well but struggled to hold it together during moments of confusion and indecision. Once the home side became more comfortable they began to drive forward, their attacks showing aggression in perfect sync with calm control. Setter Sue was consistently producing notable sets from hard passes and when her effort united with that of the outside and offset players Newbury claimed well earned points. The away side were the first set victors but not from any lack of energy by the home team.
The opening points of the second set saw Newbury lacking in initial fire power and determination – there was confusion concerning positions and the focus appeared to have left the struggling squad. After a much needed time out and motivational talk from the captain the team finally began to brighten and connect producing fabulous displays of skill and fantastic serving, unfortunately it was not enough and Spikeos asserted their authority with an overall win but Newbury ended with smiles and joviality, enjoying it thoroughly.

Posted by Katie on Monday, 04.18.11 @ 20:38pm | #26

Newbury Ladies vs. Reading Aces ¡V 3rd April 2011
The first set began with enthusiasm radiating from the Newbury players who encouraged each other and worked tremendously well as a team; learning from initial mistakes and taking their play to the next level gave them the edge on the opposition. The various attacking options in all areas of the court gave setter Sue the chance to work with different players, combining her accurate volleys with their deadly hits. Eventually the pressure built up to such an extent that the Reading team was unable to return the devastating serves coming from Ya, leaving Newbury with a fairly easy opening set win.
In the second set Reading picked up their game and began returning the ball with more force and cunning ¡V Newbury found themselves having to adapt quickly to the style of the middle hitter who consistently sent the ball into the far corners or dropped it just out of reach of the block. The cover was admirable and played a key part in the sets proceedings as the home players were stretched to reach carefully placed shots. Reading¡¦s less challenging serving helped to make the first pass from the Newbury ladies more precise leading to impressive spikes through the outside and middle. Stability was provided by Leah who was constantly primed and ready for a back or front court hit, and with the incredible skill displayed in Ya¡¦s reverse attack Newbury could celebrate a well-earned victory, the whole team playing their part in the conquest!
Newbury Ladies vs. Spelthorne Ladies ¡V 3rd April 2011
The Spelthorne Ladies presented Newbury with a greater challenge that the squad took to with determination and aggression, the increase in power and precision from the opposition may have taken the home side by surprise but they hastily improved their play, driving back and keeping the score close, the tension growing. Two stunning blocks from Adam kept the rival middle players momentarily at bay but the back court crew were hard pressed to keep the ball up with enough height and accuracy to give Sue the chance to mount an attack. With free balls shooting from one side of the net to the other and the increased pressure felt in the Spelthorne serves, Newbury owe several crucial points to the clear, definitive calling from Christine. The injured middle hitter was suffering from shoulder pain in her right arm but managed to surprise her opponents with some sensational left hand attacks and was vital to the framework of the team, communicating well when she felt she was in the best position to take the ball. Despite Newbury¡¦s best efforts the Spelthorne Ladies took the first set although only by a close few deciding points.

The home side weren¡¦t going down without a fight and actually led the second set marginally until the opposing team broke away with a run of serves that left the receivers floundering. With some alterations Newbury got back into the game and began to think about where both their hits and those of the opposition were mainly landing, this enabled the squad to ram their attacks down the Spelthorne throats and send unease rippling through the opponents¡¦ ranks. Unfortunately though, there was very little Newbury could do about the devastating force from the imposing women ƒº on the other side of the net and regardless of how hard they tried Spelthorne took the second set, winning the confrontation.

Posted by Katie on Monday, 04.18.11 @ 20:36pm | #23

The Newbury Volleyball Club’s Ladies’ team hosted Maidenhead and Oxford for their latest triangular fixture on Sunday. The Newbury Ladies’ have struggled this year through the loss of a few key players whilst Maidenhead and Oxford are very much at the top of the table.
As so often this season, Newbury got off to a bad start against Oxford with poor on-court organisation. They recovered marginally but the first set went comfortably to Oxford at 15-25. Newbury did much better in the second set, leading the scores for much of the set and winning points convincingly whenever the setter Leah Thompson combined with Magda Kowalska and Kay Wallace. Unfortunately, the visitors were too strong in the final stages and Newbury lost the second set and the match 22-25.
Having finished on a high, the Newbury Ladies’ were confident and upbeat about their next encounter against old rivals Maidenhead. The team played more aggressively with successful attack hits from Magda Kowalska, Kay Wallace, Katie Gibson and Christine Milne. In fact, Katie, the only junior on court, played so well, she was awarded the player of the match award! The first set was very fast with both teams playing to their best abilities and few mistakes being made. It was pleasing to see Sarah Holland put away the set winning hit. The final set was more comfortable for Newbury with Ya Owen in particular showing her backcourt hitting strength and Leah Thompson setting positively and with great variety. Newbury won convincingly at 25-20.
Newbury: Ali Gibson, Katie Gibson, Sarah Holland, Magda Kowalska, Christine Milne (c), Ya Owen, Leah Thompson, Kay Wallace.

Posted by Dave Godden on Monday, 03.7.11 @ 18:16pm | #20

Newbury Ladies vs. Oxford Ladies 2 – 6th February 2011

Once a run of superior Oxford serves had been broken both teams got of to a fiercely competitive start with several rapid rallies ensuing to test the skill and determination of every player on court. The two sides were well matched with strong attacks and excellent coverage from the hitters and those under pressure receiving in the deep. It looked as though neither of the squads would allow the other any advantage as the points flew by in moments of brilliance and dogged commitment, diving and sprawling was the order of the day. A slight lapse in the Newbury team’s concentration gave the Oxford side the chance they needed to draw ahead but fairly steady reception from the Newbury backline and tactful setting by Sue combined with majestic spiking from the invaluable Ya and Joana kept the first set Oxford victory down to 27:25, the winning margin being only two precious points (in case you can’t do the math!).

Critical captaincy decisions from Christine saw Harry on court at the start of the second set as he goes on to be awarded Most Valuable Player for both the matches. Unfortunately, with the change to the team arrangement points were lost figuring out positions but as soon as correct places were taken Newbury were back in the business and quickly caught up with the opposition. A superb set of serves from Newbury’s number 56 forced the Oxford Ladies to call a time out which gave both teams the opportunity to catch their breath but the respite was short lived as the instant the whistle blew the action reached top notch intensity. Sadly though, the Newbury victory was not to be and the two sides shook hands over a painfully close 26:24 Oxford win.

Newbury Ladies vs. Spikeo Ladies! – 6th February 2011

The beginning of the second match, this time against Spikeo Ladies, saw the Newbury team without Sue as she had departed to coach her Junior boys’ game in Oxford. The squad had to be seriously rearranged and Joana stood up for the role of setter; with Ya as offset more strength and solidity was guaranteed leaving Christine and Sarah to be the dependable blockers and both of the younger players: Harry and Katie, to hit outside.
This change in team dynamics really affected the Newbury quality of play and the side sorely missed the attack variety that having Joana as a hitter had provided – instead the main brunt of the offensive drive was handed over to Ya who strove to force the opposition deep into the corners of the court with her devilish spikes. The accuracy of the passing and power of the hits were not enough to gain submission from the home side though and things were not looking good for the visitors as the first set ended in a 17:25 disappointment.

The second set began with a shaky performance from the Newbury team as a whole but once back into the flow of things valiant covering and wonderfully steadfast play kept them in the game and completely engaged. The adaptability of middle blockers Sarah and Christine was, in turn, put to the ultimate test when they came head to head with the Spikeos brutal middle hitter who repeatedly bombarded the court. Harry proved that age doesn’t stop you performing like a true volleyball player when he provided a few refreshing hits that took the adversaries by complete surprise! Regrettably, even that was not enough to steal a win and the Newbury team left the court wishing they had another chance at kicking some Spikeo butt (bring on the re-match!) Though they may have lost the set 16:25 the dissatisfied visitors had learnt some constructive lessons in team work, the importance of communication and that trust and commitment are key values for any sportsperson.

Posted by Dave Godden on Monday, 02.14.11 @ 08:01am | #15

The ladies were away to Headington School against Oxford and Maidenhead. They lost out to both teams who are currently sitting at the top of the league table. With only 6 players 3 of them very novice the result was not unexpected.

Posted by Sue on Tuesday, 11.2.10 @ 10:56am | #12

NVC have a new system for match reports! Please check here for match reports and team news.

Posted by Dave Godden on Thursday, 10.21.10 @ 10:14am | #11

Ladies Match 17th October

Newbury ladies had a shaky start to the new season with loses against last year’s winners Oxford and the home team of Farnborough.
This was not unexpected as the squad is fielding several new young players, the youngest only 12 years old. Newbury are using this season to gel the novice team together using some of the older experienced players to encourage confidence. The aim is to improve at each game and finish the league not at the bottom of the table.
Results
Newbury 12 Oxford 25
Newbury 20 Oxford 25
Newbury 20 Farnborough 25
Newbury 19 Farnborough 25

Posted by Dave Godden on Wednesday, 10.20.10 @ 14:51pm | #3