VE U15G Grand Prix

Round 2 Pool D

Venue: Madely School, Newcastle Road, Crewe. CW3 9JJ (off the M6 south of Crewe)

Start time: 12.00 noon

Team: Olivia Stewart, Sadie Capstick, Natsui Yamamoto, Victoria Aelesina.

Teams entered:

Tettenhall A, Wirral, Newcastle Staffs A, Newcastle Staffs B

For half a set we were the best team in the room, annihilating Newcastle Staffs C 17-3 in the first 5 minutes of the semi-final, serving strongly, winning everything on the net, covering the court and controlling the ball well. Then……  ‘Castle' C came back to 10-17 in the first set, won the second set 11-10 on a dubious ‘time’ call, and ran away with the deciding set 10-4. 

We’d stumbled through the pool games, beating Tettenhall then falling behind before fighting back strongly against both ‘Castle' C and B, losing sets by only 1 or 2 points when the whistle went for time. Into the semi final against ‘Castle' C and suddenly it all came together for a few brilliant minutes with our girls buzzing and the crowd getting excited. Then a lapse followed by a collapse. What a shame - we’ve got to find that buzz more often.