Su Ragazzi Volleyball Club

Another of the four match Saturdays for Su Ragazzi – spilt between Carluke HS and St Augustine’s in Edinburgh.

First up with a 10.00fbs was Gordie McGilivray’s Su II men playing local rivals Glasgow Mets II. Games between these two are usually tense affairs – this one wasn’t! Games between these two are usually tight affairs – this one wasn’t! Games between these two are usually ultra competitive – this one wasn’t. This one was 5 – 0 for the home side with the Mets in a rebuilding phase……but 5 – 0 is 5 – 0 and well done to the boys from Su II – one down 3 to go……..

Game 2 was in Edinburgh with a 10.30fbs and the Fabulous Suettes facing the girls from Edinburgh Jets. The Jets are a terrific side, a point we reflected on at the start of set number 3 when we were 2 sets to zero down! We were playing well enough – in patches – the Jets were playing well enough consistently. At the start of the third set things didn’t look too great for the Glasgow side, unless we could extend the patches of good play………we did!

We knuckled down and applied ourselves. We relied on the commitment and expertise of Libero Laura McReady. We got more out of the firepower of Kirsty McLean, and the service smarts from Jillian Galloway, and the score reflected our improvement. We took the third set, we took the fourth set, and the match of the day in Scottish Volleyball went into the deciding fifth set.

They scored – we scored. They scored - we scored. The lead changed back and forward under the watchful eye of First Referee Grant McIntyre who had an excellent game. We changed ends at 8 with a very small lead. They scored – we scored and it was 13 all! Tight! Nervous! Exciting|!

Step up power hitter Lynne Beattie who delivered a tough serve with pin-point accuracy. The Jets setter delivered a ball to their left side, and Middle Blocker Mhairi Agnew roofed the spiker! 15-13 to us. Cue jumping about celebrations! Cue broad grins and pats on the back! Cue happy chatter and commiserations to a terrific opponent.

Well done to the Fabulous Suettes – two down, 2 to go!

Back at Carluke the Baby Suettes were facing Dundee. The Baby Suettes have not lost a National League match since they entered the League last season, so it was with some surprise that they saw the first set go to the visitors 25 – 23. This was not the script for Captain Jen Downs’ team.

The home side regrouped, they refocused their attention on the task at hand, they upped the service weight and attacked the Dundee team’s defensive unit, and the match swung in their favour. The second set was won to 17 – the third set to 20, and the fourth set to 15 – job done!

Well done to the Baby Suettes – three down, 1 to go!

Match four saw the City Boys playing Edinburgh Jets. We had four teenagers in the starting 6, supported by 3 senior players, and all were great. Like Glasgow Mets the Jets are also in a rebuilding phase having lost some of their top players during the close season, but the Jets have a long and proud history in Scottish Volleyball, and the players they fielded in this match played tough, and for the jerseys!

As the sets unfolded we had too much firepower, too much ball control, too much tactical smarts, but they made it tough. The first set we played some cracking stuff and caught the Jets cold. The second set they rallied and made us work very hard to come from behind to win. The third set we mixed things up a little and found ourselves trailing. At 24 each it was tight, two points later we had won, and the kids had played very well indeed.

Four matches played, 4 won! Another triumph for the Club! Well done Su Ragazzi!