Sunday morning
started with a lovely wake-up call from our captain Andrey saying that
unfortunately Izzy got injured the day before and could not play our first
match any more. This increased the already long list of injured Sharks and left
us with only two ladies available for the game. After a few calls and hours of
suspense, Andrey managed to convince Caroline, who kindly agreed to help us
and replace Izzy as outside. Thanks Caroline, Sharks are really grateful!!!
The team
for our first match in the mixed BVL was made up of Felipe as setter, Andrey
and Caroline as outsides, Stefano and Helen as middles, Karina as opposite and
Tomas as main supporter/coach.
Oxford Globetrotters vs Oxford Sharks
The first
match could not be anything else than the Oxford derby against the
Globetrotters. Our friends were well motivated to win after losing the first
match against Newbury.
The first
set was very tight from the beginning until the end. Neither of the teams managed
to get a strong lead and the set finished 25-23 for the Globetrotters. Despite
losing, our captain was quite happy with the performance of the team. Nice and
solid defense, harmony on the court, good sets from Felipe and some great spikes
from the whole team. Altogether, it was a nice start for being the first match together.
In the
second set, the story was different. After a head-to-head start, the Sharks managed
to gain a 9-point lead over the Globetrotters, exploiting some nice blocks from
the middles and a good service from Felipe. The final score was 25-15 for the
Sharks. A big help from the Globetrotters came as well. After playing two
matches in a row, they looked a bit tired during this set. Coach Neil should
definitely consider to add more jumps and runs in their next training!!! :-P
As in the
first set, during the tie break the Globetrotters and the Sharks battled head to head
until the last point. In the end, there was a deserved final victory for the Globetrotters (15-13) who
came back strongly and well-motivated after the pause.
MVP of the
match: Helen, you can’t really pass her blocks!
Newbury Hurricanes vs Oxford Sharks
After
taking some rest and getting new energies from Karina’s chocolate, we were up
for our second match against Newbury Hurricanes. The Sharks were ready to avenge the
Globetrotters, who had previously lost against them!
The first
set went really well. Some errors of Newbury’s defense, Andrey’s spikes from
back court and very good services from the team lead us to a straight win of
25-18. Unfortunately,
during the second set we could not keep our level as high as before. Our
attacks were not as sharp and our defense was not as precise. The whole set was a
head-to-head battle with Newbury until at 24-24 drama happened… unluckily,
Felipe got injured. Richard, who just came to support us, had to suddenly enter
the field to replace him. Struggling with the unusual line-up with Karina as a
single setter and Rich as opposite, the team fought point to point until losing
the set 30-28 to Newbury.
Concerned
about Felipe’s leg, we managed to make our last effort during the tie-break. With
Karina as single setter, Andrey as new opposite and Richard as outside, we
immediately took a strong 7-1 lead and after Newbury’s attempt to come back,
we managed to win the tie-break 15-8. Good job Sharks!
MVP of the
match: Caroline, much better than a salsa night!
To sum up,
still a lot room to improve especially for the attack but definitely a good
start for the Sharks. A special thanks to Caroline and Richard who readily
agreed to play and provided an essential contribution to the team. However, despite
the victory, it was not a really lucky weekend for the team overall with two
new injured Sharks. Izzy, Felipe and Tomas, let’s hope to have you back soon in
our line-up as strong as Sharks can be!
Written by Stefano