U18 Junior Grand Prix review (1st and 2nd February) - bumper turnout produces string of competitive matches

A total of 59 boys’ teams took part in 15 pools, while 47 girls’ teams faced off in 12 pools.

The boys' section took place on Saturday (1st February), with London Lynx Selby leading the way in Gold Pool A in Coventry, as the Londoners finished the round unbeaten, maintaining a perfect record throughout.

Leeds Gorse Orange finished second in the pool, with their only loss coming against the table-toppers, who won in straight sets.

Rounding out the pool, Deep Dish Crystal Palace secured third place, earning a single victory over fourth-placed Richmond B.

In Gold Pool B, Stockport topped the table after victory in the battle between two teams that have previously played in the Super Series this season.

The Greater Manchester side won their decisive match against Exeter Storm in straight sets, securing their position at the top as a result.

That said, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, as they dropped sets to both third-placed Black Country and fourth-placed Sheffield, underlining the competitiveness of the pool.

Exeter claimed the runner-up spot after beating both the West Midlands and Yorkshire sides.

In Silver Pool C, hosted by Wapping Wildcats, the home side secured top spot - but only just.

After the conclusion of the round, both they and South Hants finished with four points each, securing two wins and suffering one loss.

However, the Wildcats finished with a points difference of +19 compared to Hants -6 to hold the edge, despite being beaten by their rivals.

The competition for third and fourth was just as close, with Weymouth and Dulwich both finishing on two points, but the latter having a marginally better set difference.

Liverpool look set to win Silver Pool D after securing victories in both of their completed matches over the weekend against Cherwell and Leeds Gorse Purple.

They currently sit at the top of the table with one remaining match against fourth-placed Frodsham still to be played.

The outstanding fixture, which was postponed due to time constraints, is set to take place later in February, where the final standings will be determined.

Bronze Pool E was highly competitive, with five out of six matches going to a decisive third set.

But it was Wessex who emerged as the clear winner of the pool, securing the maximum six points despite dropping a set to both MK City A and South Bucks.

The battle for second place was less straightforward, with three teams finishing on two points, each with one win and two losses.

MK City A claimed the runner-up spot thanks to the highest point difference, while South Bucks took third place with a better set difference over fourth-placed Richmond C.

In Bronze Pool F, played at Urmston, Hermitage came out on top with three wins from three.

Second-placed Ashfield Vipers didn’t make it easy for them and their showdown, the final match of the pool, determined who would top the table.

The Nottinghamshire side came out strongly, taking a close first set 25-22, but Urmston Grammar B demonstrated their resilience, fighting back to take the second and third sets to clinch both the match and the pool.

Urmston defeated Carres Grammar School in the battle for third and fourth place.

National 2 Pool G held at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering saw Bromsgrove School come out on top, dropping only one set along the way.

Five of the six matches went to a decisive third set in National 2 Pool H before home team London Lynx who came out on top.

In National 2 Pool I, Bristol claimed victory with a perfect record, beating hosts Coventry and Warwick Riga to secure their place at the summit.

Rounding off the National 2 pools, home team Newcastle Staffs B delivered a strong performance to win Pool J.

Plymouth Mayflower showcased their strength in National 3 Pool K, topping the table with a 100 per cent record.

Telford triumphed in National 3 Pool L winning both of their matches in straight sets.

MK City B’s campaign in National 3 pool M was nothing short of perfect, as they headed up the group without dropping a set.

To finish off the boys’ section, Pool N saw Worthing Panthers edge out hosts Team Medway to place first.

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In the girls’ section, played on Sunday (2nd February), Wessex showed they were not a force to be reckoned with in Gold Pool A hosted by Worthing.

They were dominant in overcoming Willesden Divets, Worthing Lions and London Lynx in straight sets, conceding fewer than 100 points along the way.

The race for second place, though, was far from clear cut, as it came down to the final match of the round.

A thrilling showdown saw Worthing use home court advantage to take the first set 25-23.

But the Divets demonstrated their resilience and composure as they recovered to win the second and third sets to prevail.

Gold Pool B, hosted by Black Country, also had a clear table topper as the hosts delivered a flawless campaign with three wins from three matches, not dropping a single set.

Following behind them in second were Newcastle Staffs A, who won two matches, with their only loss coming against the hosts.

The pool concluded with Ashfield Vipers taking third place and Manchester Marvels fourth.

Silver Pool C, held in Ashcombe, saw Westminster in control as they won all three of their matches in straight sets.

They capped off their impressive run with a commanding 25-6 set victory over third-placed Richmond C.

Close behind, hosts Ashcombe Dorking secured the runner-up spot, edging out Richmond C in a thrilling three-set battle and also defeated fourth-placed Weymouth to solidify their position.

Silver Pool D, hosted in Coventry, saw Richmond bounce back from a challenging start to their campaign before finding their rhythm.

They won their last two matches in straight sets to top the table after dropping the first set in their first match with Sheffield.

After their opening loss, the South Yorkshire side regrouped and out in strong performances in their remaining matches, defeating third-placed Urmston Grammar B and fourth-placed MK City A.

Wirral hosted Bronze Pool E but could not make the most of their home court advantage, as Newcastle Staffs C notched a perfect three-win record, despite dropping two sets along the way.

The hosts finished in second, defeating third-placed Bromsgrove School and fourth-placed Stockport.

Despite finishing fourth, Stockport proved their competitiveness, taking sets off both of the top two teams and pushing second-placed Wirral hard.

Bronze Pool F, hosted by South Hants, was fiercely contested where but it was Dartford who proved to be unstoppable, finishing top of the pile.

After losing in three to the pool winners, South Hants still put together an impressive campaign, finishing ahead of third-placed Bristol and fourth-placed Wessex B.

Leeds Gorse Purple emerged victorious in National 2 Pool G, dropping just a single set to second-placed Telford along the way.

Team Sideout secured a hard-fought victory in National 2 Pool H, claiming the top spot by going the distance in all three of their matches.

Coventry & Warwick Riga made the most of their home-court advantage in National 2 Pool I to lead the way, while hosts Richmond D followed suit in National 3 Pool J with a clean sweep.

National 3 Pool K featured a smaller pool with just three teams, and Lincoln Cannons capitalised on this to defeat both opponents to secure first place.

Rounding off the Grand Prix, National 3 Pool L saw Onyx breeze through the opposition, winning all three of their matches in straight sets.

Volleyball England would like to thank all hosts venues for overseeing matches.

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