WOMEN’S FIRST
DIVISION
London Polonia beat City of Salford 25:14 25:17
25:14
St Benedict’s Sports Centre, Ealing, London W.5.
Saturday 25th February 2006
Two below-strength sides provided an afternoon of
entertaining volleyball during which, even without a regular setter, Polonia
proved far too strong for the division’s bottom team thanks to the excellent
way in which three new signings: all French, arrived at the club as if from the
pages of the famous Alexandre Dumas’ novel.
Juli Kouamo remained on court throughout and
created a good impression with her all-round play. Her style is reminiscent of
England’s Maria Bertelli and she looks like making a mark in national
volleyball as she has already done in London. Used more as attackers, Bertolani
Awani in the first two sets and Ionana Karelin in the third quickly settled and
contributed to a sound all-round Polonia display. Rachel Jones was pressed into
playing as setter and, in front of a very secure back court, selected her
attacking options well: so much so that her team-mates nominated her “Most
Valuable Player” at the end. Liz Jamieson, next to her in rotation, was
Salford’s nomination for a most impressive offensive display.
Salford, for their part, never stopped trying and
Megan Hopkins, Barbara Czaslawska and Jane Betts attacked well as did the
left-handed Tansey Jones and Lyndsey Hulme when given the opportunity. Captain
Rachel Sutton had a harder time setting than Rachel Jones, receiving too many
low passes but is to be congratulated on the good plays she did make and for
never giving up. In fact, it was the quality of the back-court play that swung
this match Polonia’s way although they were also the more aggressive servers.
Indeed, Salford’s serving let them down in the first set in which they made six
unforced serving errors. However, they mended their ways from the second and it
was good to see jump serving from Lyndsey Hulme and Megan Hopkins. It had
helped them stay in contention to 6:6 in the second set and to 9:7 in the third
which was finished off by the so far unsung heroines of the host’s squad,
Marietta Vafea and captain, Eva Skrivankova.
The win takes Polonia to fifth in the table. With
a game in hand, they look good enough to claim third spot by the end of the
season – and the returning players are going to have a battle on their hands
for their place on court.
London Polonia:
Starting six: Awani
Bertolani, Elizabeth Jamieson, Rachel Jones, Julie Kouamo, Eva Skrivankova (captain)
and Marietta Vafea.
Libero: -
Other players: Ionana Karelia.
Coach: Donald Deans, Assistant:
Andy Lowczynowski.
City Of Salford:
Starting six: Jane Betts,
Barbara Czaslawska, Megan Hopkins, Lyndsey Hulme, Tansey Jones and Rachel
Sutton (captain).
Libero: -
Other players: -
Coach: Phil Chanin.
League Table:
P W L F A Pts.
1. City of Wolverhampton 16 15 1 45 5 46
2. London Malory 15 12
3 37 12 39
3. Wessex 16 10 6 31 23 35*
4. Portsmouth 16 9 7 34 29 34
5. London Polonia 15 9 6 32 26 33
6. Warwick Riga 16 8 8 29 32 32
7. Loughborough Students 16 8 8 29 30 31*
8. Tameside 16
5 11 20 38 26
9. Dulwich Tuskers 15 2 13 16 41 19
10. City
of Salford 17
1 16 13 50 19
*
penalty points deducted
Acknowledgements:
EVA web site and results service.