U16 Junior Grand Prix review (8th and 9th March) - Ashfield and Wessex carry off Gold Cup titles

A Tier 1 Silver Cup was also played in both girls and boys and a Bronze Cup in girls only, while there were also five Tier 2 pools staged across both genders. 

A total of 54 teams – not counting the 16 teams who contested the girls’ and boys’ Last 8 in Kettering – competed at nine venues around the country. 

At Ashcombe School, eight teams gathered to go head to head in the girls’ Gold Cup, which was run over a similar format to this season’s U18 Super Series. 

Wessex were the number one-ranked team going in and had few problems in overcoming eighth-ranked Newcastle Staffs B 25-19, 25-16. 

Number two-ranked Newcastle Staffs A found life a little tougher, having to go to three sets before overcoming a determined London Giants side (25-20, 24-26, 15-6). 

But it did not go to plan for Black Country, ranked number three, who were beaten in their first game by sixth-ranked Willesden Divets, who claimed a straight sets success (25-20, 26-24). 

Ashcombe, going in ranked fourth, were also defeated losing 2-1 to Ashfield Vipers (ranked fifth), who came from a set down to win 22-25, 25-21, 15-8. 

With the winners of those matches meeting in the next round of matches, Wessex met Ashfield and confidently took the first set 25-11. 

But just as in their first game, the Nottinghamshire side showed great determination and dug deep to take the next two 25-21, 15-6 to stun their South Coast opponents. 

Newcastle Staffs A wasted little time in securing a 2-0 win over Willesden Divets (25-12, 25-20) in the other game between the winning teams. 

The games between the first round losers saw Ashcombe overcome Newcastle Staffs 2-0 (25-13, 25-8) and London Giants see off Black Country my the same set margin (25-16, 25-13). 

The gold match paired Ashfield Vipers with Newcastle Staffs A and it was the latter who made the better start, taking the first set 25-17. 

But, as in their two previous encounters, the East Midlanders flipped the game on its head clinching the second set 25-21 and then securing the decisive tie-break set 15-12 to cue the celebrations. 

The bronze match was far less close, with Wessex powering to a 25-20, 25-9 triumph over Willesden. 

In the battle for fifth and sixth, Ashcombe edged out London Giants (23-25, 25-17, 15-8), while Newcastle Staffs B beat Black Country to decide seventh and eighth (25-23, 24-26, 15-8). 

The Silver Cup was played across two pools – North and South – with two winners crowned as a result. 

In the North pool, Wirral did not drop a set and racked up a set difference of 62 in finishing unbeaten and top of the pile. 

Their key game was their first against Stockport as they edged a tight first set to pave the way for a much easier second (26-24, 25-11). 

The Greater Manchester side were not fazed, however, as they bounced back strongly to win their other two matches against Hull Thunder and Nottingham Rockets in straight sets. 

The Rockets got the better of Thunder to finish third and fourth in the pool respectively. 

The South pool saw Wapping Wildcats clinch top spot by staying unbeaten without dropping a set, but it did not mean they were not pushed hard. 

In matches against Deep Dish Crystal Palace and MK City, they won each first set by just two points before pulling away in the second sets. 

MK won the race to finish in second spot, beating Deep Dish in three and also VBDC, the latter then winning the final match to claim third.

 The bronze Cup was held in Worthing and saw Weymouth Ripples lead the way after straight sets wins over both opponents, with Worthing Cheetahs beating London Lynx to decide second and third. 

Cardiff Celts represented Welsh volleyball with distinction in Tier 2 Pool A, winning all four of their matches without dropping a set, defeating South Hants, Tonbridge A, Tonbridge B and Winchester Eagles, who made up the rest of the reckoning. 

Team SideOut achieved the same fate in Pool B, maintaining a 100% record in notching a points difference of 80, with Richmond D, Richmond C, South Bucks Green and South Bucks below them. 

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The boys’ Gold Cup was spilt into two pools of three teams ahead of crossover semi-finals and then matches to decide the final positions. Matches were played to 21 points. 

Pool A was won by South Hants, who recorded straight sets victories over both Black Country (21-18, 21-19) and London Lynx (21-15, 21-16). 

The West Midlanders then defeated their London rivals to finish second. 

Wessex came out on top in Pool B as they were pushed hard by South Bucks (27-25, 21-15) and then brushed aside Team SideOut (21-9, 21-6). 

The Bucks then went the distance to overcome a game SideOut (21-17, 23-25, 15-7). 

In the first semi-final, the battle of the ‘Souths’ saw South Hants eventually edge out South Bucks by coming back from a set down (19-21, 21-15, 15-9). 

There were no such complications for Wessex as they eased past Black Country 21-12, 21-14. 

The gold match pitted together two South Coast teams, but it was Wessex who powered to victory in straight sets (21-9, 21-14). 

Black Country were triumphant in the bronze match as they bounced back from the disappointment of losing the second set to take a stranglehold in the decider (13-21, 21-16, 15-6). 

In the fifth/sixth place match, London Lynx found their form to outgun Team SideOut 21-19, 21-11. 

Like the girls, the Silver Cup was divided into two pools and it was Sheffield who emerged as the strongest team in the North Pool, winning all their matches. 

Thir crunch match came against Stockport, who eventually finished second, where a tight match saw them come on strong in the tie break set (25-23, 23-25, 15-10). 

The North West side were runners-up as they beat both Preston Panthers (who were third) and Leeds Gorse Purple (fourth) in straight sets. 

Dartford were the dominant force in the South Pool as they did not concede a set in accounting for Richmond C (25-13, 25-21), AST Academy (25-18, 25-14) and Deep Dish Crystal Palace (25-20, 25-20). 

Second-placed Richmond C won a three-setter against AST, who eventually finished third by winning the final match of the day against Deep Dish. 

In Tier 2, played at Worthing, London Giants headed up a five-strong Pool A by brushing aside all comers, with Worthing second, Reading Aces third, Tonbridge fourth and Winchester Eagles fifth.

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