Aylesbury Vale Volleyball Club
Poole Volleyball Tournament Report 2005
2 teams played, 1 in Men's Division 2 (Brian Trubshaw, Graham, Jem, Jonathan, Nigel, Paul) and 1 in Mixed Division 2 (Debbie, Gareth, Sara, Sharon Trubshaw, Susi).
This was a good tournament with sunny weather all 3 days, a good barbecue on the first night and a games evening on the second.
Late cancellations and confusion over confirmations left us with 11 players in total for the 2 teams instead of the once expected 16. The standards in both divisions entered were higher than we expected, with teams stacking, receiving with 3, jump serving and running time differentials.
The Men, with Gareth initially deputising for a delayed Graham, showed that they could play well together as a team despite lacking the tactical options and firepower of some of the other sides, winning 2/4 matches, but losing others narrowly, and qualifying second in the group. The pool on the second day was stronger still and the Men only managed to win 1/4 but had a couple of other close games, even managing to stuff block a piston.
The Mixed team was further depleted when Debbie was delayed with campsite problems and then out injured for the second day; Brian, Graham, Jem, Jonathan and Nigel all guested in at various points when the Men's playing schedule allowed. The Mixed won 1/4 on the first day with a couple of other close sets, finishing 4th in their group. On the second day they again won 1/4, but managed to win a set in a match where they played with only 4 on court.
The final day dawned with the squad reduced to 8 with Jonathan, Graham and Debbie departed. Luckily, the final matches were at different times, so Gareth and Susi substituted into the Men who lost narrowly in a well-fought close match, whilst Nigel and Brain played for the Mixed who won a good match despite a few wobbles on service reception. Despite the win-loss record, it was a good playing tournament for both teams against a better standard of opposition than they were used to.
Other memories of the tournament: truth or fiction - you decide as your correspondent was probably asleep at the time. Anyone sad enough to enter the competition and send the authors' names to the webmaster should also include as a tiebreaker a tournament memory for publication.
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Paul resolutely repairing Jem's campbed with half a tent pole and a guy rope in the best Baden-Powell tradition after Jem had unaccountably broken it overnight and decamped to Paul's double mattress.
- Men Behaving Badly or Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit: sledging from the mixed opposition, trying to put off Susi in the best Kylie-watching tradition.
- Married Love: Jem buying only meat for the barbecue to an iceberg-like reception from Sara on the very day she told him she had turned vegetarian.
- Player of the Tournament: Paul with a phoenix-like emergence from the ashes and metamorphosis from rabbit to champion in the mini-ping-pong competition.
