MEN’S FIRST
DIVISION
London Polonia beat Thames Valley 25:12 18:25
25:27 25:17 17:15
St Benedict’s Sports Centre, Ealing, London W.5
Saturday 28th October 2006
Up there with the best of many good National
League matches so far this season, this game had surprise, drama and even
mystery mixed in with skilful and exciting volleyball. In five enthralling sets
Polonia just beat Thames Valley but, paradoxically, both teams may end up being
losers in the long term: Polonia because everyone will from now on suspect they
are fragile; Thames Valley because nobody will underestimate them any more.
No sign of what was to come during the first
set though: Polonia produced near textbook volleyball against a nervous and
immobile Valley and it was quickly over. Coach Jurek Jankowski changed his line
up for the second and brought on Robert Starkl-Johnson and Martin Luhovy at the
start and Krzys Hykiel later. The result was the arrival of confidence in
Valley’s play and the first signs of doubt in Polonia’s. The visitors quickly
took a 6:9 lead and never looked under threat as Nigel Jupp and Gary Duncan hit
well and Jorge Angelis had a field day. The first six restored for the third,
Polonia became more settled but the confidence of the first set had changed
ends. Valley moved into a 5:10 lead before equilibrium eventually returned and
the advantage continued to 10:15 when Polonia began flowing again. They drew
level at eighteen all but TV moved up another gear. Play in the rest of the set
was superb. Polonia had set point at 25:24 but Gary Duncan’s hit down the line
saved it and, after Pierre Robichaud had scored hitting cross-court, Andrzej
Saller yielded the set hitting into the net.
Most of the fourth set was played in a similar
vein with wonderful setting from the tallest man on court, Slawomir Master who
also showed intelligence and skill in other areas. Dominik Maslach and Michas
Saller hit well and the Polonia blocking, notably by Samuel Piecka, Luciano
Pinter and, of course, Slawomir was massive. Yet Valley matched them to 16:15
when, strangely, the attack seemed to lose belief in itself. It scored only two
more points as Polonia levelled the score. Coach John Ballance worked wonders
in the interval before the deciding set and, although the hosts enjoyed an
early advantage, TV had secured a 6:8 lead when the teams changed ends. Luciano
secured a seventh point with a backcourt smash and appeared to have made it 8:8
when he attacked again. But his rotating to serve revealed a guilty secret to
ref Maciej Chodzko-Zajko. It was to be 7:9. Then came the mystery of the wrong
server. It took examination of the score sheet to reveal that Polonia had not
returned to their original line up after that frontcourt hit had been
identified. The delay seemed to affect Valley the more and Polonia grabbed a
12:9 lead but Valley quickly recovered composure and equality at twelve all.
The score was still a tie at fifteen all but the game then ended in something of
an anti-climax: Jorge Angelis served long to give Polonia a fourth match point
and the final rally ended cruelly as Pierre Robichaud’s powerful attack clipped
the net cord and the ball flew out. MVP nominations: Slawomir Master and Gary
Duncan.
Polonia had saved face in front of the hardcore
of their regular supporters but it was great to see that Thames Valley has a
group of travelling fans roughly equal in number and with about a third of the
crowd being made up of non-aligned supporters, a tremendous atmosphere was
engendered. Volleyball would seem to be in good heart.
London Polonia:
Starting six: Mike Fetters, Slawomir Master, Samuel
Piecka, Luciano Pinter, Andrzej Saller, Michas Saller (captain) and Patrik
Selep.
Libero: -
Other players:
Krzys Hykiel, Jurek Jankowski, Martin Luhovy, Dominik Maslach and Robert
Starkl-Johnson.
Coach: Jurek Jankowski.
Thames Valley:
Starting six: Jorge
Angelis, Edward Armishaw, Gary Duncan, Nigel Jupp, Pierre Robichaud and Keith
Shields (captain).
Libero: Matthew Harrison
Other players:
Olivier Salmon and Neil Sivill.
Coach: John Ballance.
League Table:
P W L F A Pts.
1. London Polonia 6
5 1 17
7 16
2. London Docklands 6
4 2 12
7 14
3 City of Bristol
4 4 0 12 3 12
4. Sheffield 6 3 3 12 10 12
5. London Malory 5
3 2 13
9 11
6. Cambridge 5 2 3 7 10
9
7. Warwick Riga
4 2 2 8 7 8
8 Newcastle Staffs 6
1 5 6 16
8
9. Thames Valley 6
1 4 5 13
7
10. Manchester 5 1 4 4 14
7
Acknowledgements:
EVA web site and results service.