14 Jan 2025
U15 Junior Grand Prix review: Richmond, Wapping, Urmston and Ashfield all enjoy success
A total of 30 girls’ teams and 17 boys teams’ took part with South Hants and Ashcombe in the south and Urmston Grammar and Leeds Gorse in the north among the venues.
And it saw some fantastic volleyball played, not by just already established players but by those making their debuts in full-scale matches. In Girls’ Pool A, hosts Richmond A made a signal of intent by finishing top with three wins from three without dropping a set and conceding only 77 points.
London Giants saw off Richmond C in straight set to secure the runners-up berth, while Greenhouse Sports B completing the reckoning.
Also claiming maximum points in were MK City in Pool B, who were pushed hardest by Richmond B, who finished third, where they were taken to three sets.
Hosts AST Academy were second after winning both other matches aside from MK, while Deep Dish were fourth.
Four of the six matches went to three sets in a keenly-contested Pool C where Bristol eventually emerge triumphant.
They scored victories over VBDC, Weymouth and hosts South Hants, who finished behind them in that order.
The first match of the day in Pool D between South Bucks and hosts Ashcombe proved crucial as it proved to be the battle of the top two sides.
South Bucks’ win in three set them up for the rest of the day, where they also overcame Team SideOut who were third and Greenhouse Sports A, who were fourth.
Wapping Wildcats were clear winners of Pool E where they secured excellent wins over second-placed Sevenoaks School, hosts The Boswells School and Tendring Technical College.
A three-team Pool F was clinched by hosts Leeds Gorse, but they were taken to three sets in both matches, while Urmston Grammar B beat Hull Thunder to take second spot.
Another side enjoying home court advantage, Urmston Grammar A, finished top of the pile in Pool G as they saw off the challenge of Wirral and Manchester Marvels with a degree of comfort.
Ashfield Vipers came back from a set down to beat Newcastle Staffs in three sets and win Pool H as a result.
Staffs finished second behind the hosts club, with ENVC beating Nottingham Rockets in the fight for third and fourth.
In the boys’ section, Richmond A, just like their girls’ team, were impressive victors of Pool A on their home court, with Team Sideout recording two wins to take second, followed by Richmond B and VBDC.
Wessex dominated Pool B with a points difference of 78, with AST Academy beating hosts London Lynx into third and Greenhouse Sports taking fourth.
North East side Monkseaton got the better of two of the north’s biggest junior clubs to finish at the summit of the three-strong Pool C.
They beat both Leeds Gorse and Urmston Grammar B, the former in three sets, to clinch top spot, with the Yorkshire hosts winning the cross-Pennines battle for second and third.
Urmston Grammar A fared better, however, topping Pool D as hosts with dominant displays against Newcastle Staffs (second) and Urmston Grammar C (third).
Hosts The Boswells School were victorious in Pool E against MK City and Wapping Wildcats.
For all the national junior competitions fixtures and results, click here.
Keep up to date with all the action via our social media channels Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.
