U18 Junior Grand Prix review - Polonia boys triumph in Gold Cup as lights go out in girls' competition

The boys’ competition took place on Saturday (15th March), with eight teams gathering in South Hants, to vie for the boys’ Gold Cup.

Top-seeded IBB Polonia Pro Volley lived up to their number one ranking, dominating the competition and securing the title without dropping a single set.

Second-ranked Exeter Storm started strongly, with a victory over South Hants but faced a setback in their second match, falling to third-ranked Richmond B in a closely contested battle (21-19, 21-18).

Third-placed Richmond B defeated both Black Country and Exeter Storm to earn their place in the gold medal match.

Ranked fourth, Nottingham Rockets had a tough outing, suffering a defeat by fifth-ranked Deep Dish Crystal Palace, who claimed a straight-set victory (21-15, 21-13).

The Rockets’ struggles continued in their second game, where they endured another setback against eighth-ranked London Lynx Selby (21-18, 22-20).

Following this, each team played a final match to determine their overall standings.

Rockets turned things around in the seventh/eighth place match, winning in straight sets against Black Country.

Lynx Selby claiming victory in the fifth/sixth match, getting the better of South Hants.

The final two matches of the day determined the top four positions. In the gold match it was a battle of the London sides as IBB Polonia Pro Volley faced Richmond B.

Those in black and white displayed their dominance, triumphing in straight sets (26-24, 21-19) and securing top spot

The Bronze Medal match was the most closely-contested of the pool with Deep Dish Crystal Palace starting well to take the first set 25-18.

However, Exeter Storm fought back to claim a tight second set (25-23), forcing a decisive final set.

In a thrilling conclusion, Deep Dish edged out the West Country side 15-12 to clinch third spot.

Two pools were brought together for the Silver Cup where the winners were the highest-ranked victorious team.

It meant Dulwich, winner of the Southern Pool and with a national ranking of 18 took the gold, while Hermitage, victors in the Northern Pool and with a national ranking of 20, claimed silver and Sheffield (second in the Northern Pool) earning bronze.

The Bronze Cup featured a highly competitive pool, with eight teams battling it out in Coventry in pursuit of crucial ranking points.

South Bucks, originally ranked seventh, defied expectations to claim overall victory.

In the gold match, they staged an impressive comeback after dropping the first set to MK City A, ultimately securing a hard-fought 2-1 win (22-25, 25-22, 19-17).

The bronze match saw Liverpool and Dartford face off, both having won one match and lost one.

The Merseysiders asserted their dominance early, cruising through the first set (25-13) but the Kent club hit back to level (25-22).

With third place on the line, the decisive final set was a thriller as Liverpool edged home 15-13 to secure the podium finish.

Rounding out the standings, Newcastle Staffs B secured fifth place, followed closely by hosts Coventry and Warwick Riga, Carres Grammar School and Taunton.

Pool G, hosted in Nuneaton, was dominated by Nottingham Rockets, though it was far from straightforward, with two of the three matches going to three sets.

In Pool H, Bristol capitalised on their home court advantage in a tightly contested group. Three teams finished on six points, but the South West side secured the top spot due to a superior points difference.

Pool I will be hosted by Bromsgrove School and is scheduled to take place next Saturday (22nd March).

Pool J was another closely fought competition, with three teams finishing on four points. Hosts Manchester Marvels edged out the competition, claiming first place with the highest set difference.

Northampton emerged victorious in Pool K, though they were pushed to three sets in both of their matches, highlighting the competitiveness of the group.

Wapping Wildcats hosted Pool L, but it was Team Medway who finished on top. Despite losing to Orpington Ravens, who placed third, Medway’s resilience paid off in the end.

Worthing Panthers dominated Pool N, finishing at the top of the pile while dropping just a single set to second-placed Farnborough along the way.

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In the Girls' section, played on Sunday (16th March), Worthing hosted a busy Gold Pool with eight teams competing.

The first and second rounds of matches were completed, setting the stage for some intriguing final games.

However, a lighting failure at the venue prevented those final matches from taking place, with Volleyball England currently working with the teams to reschedule the remaining games in order to finalise the cup standings.

As it stands, the Gold match is set to be an exciting showdown between Newcastle Staffs A (ranked fifth) and Wessex A (currently ranked second).

Both teams worked hard to reach the final, with Staffs overcoming both Ashfield Vipers and Black Country (who took them to a third set).

The bronze medal match is poised to be contested by Black Country and Willesden.

The Girls’ Bronze Cup, hosted by Ashcombe, saw the home side come agonisingly close to victory in the final reckoning.

With only seven teams in the pool, top-ranked status Ashcombe received a bye in the first round of matches.

Their second match saw them face South Hants, where they secured a straight-sets victory to book their place in the gold match with a chance to claim the top spot.

The final was an intense showdown between Ashcombe and sixth-seeded Dartford, who excelled to overcome Wirral and Westminster on their path to the gold match.

Dartford came out firing, taking the first set 25-21. However, Ashcombe responded, showing their top-seed credentials by battling back to claim the second set 25-20, forcing a decisive third set.

In a display of resilience and determination, the Kent club showed their resilience, bouncing back to take the final set 15-9 and secure first place in the pool.

The bronze match was yet another tightly contested battle, going the full three sets, a pattern that had become familiar for Westminster, as all three of their pool matches had gone the distance.

South Hants notched the first set 25-20 but Westminster responded by stepping up their game, applying relentless pressure to claim the second set by the same 25-20 margin.

Carrying that momentum into the decider, Westminster maintained their intensity, securing the final set and earning a well-fought third-place finish.

In the Girls' Tier 2 competition, team numbers were slightly lower, with four of the six pools featuring three teams each.

In Pool G, Wessex B claimed victory in dominant fashion, winning both matches in straight sets against hosts Weymouth Ripples and New Forest to secure their place at the summit.

Lincoln Cannons hosted Pool H, but it wasn’t their day, as Frodsham delivered a flawless performance, winning both of their matches without dropping a set to lead the way.

Pool I featured a slightly larger field with four teams, where London Giants led the standings with an impressive three wins from three.

AST Volleyball made the most of their home-court advantage in Pool J, topping the table after dropping just a single set against second-placed South Bucks B.

Hosts ENVC rose to the summit of Pool K, overcoming both Nuneaton and Newcastle Staffs B.

Their path to victory was far from easy, as second-placed Nuneaton showed their quality by taking the first set in their showdown. ENVC had to dig deep to battle back and claim the next two sets for the win.

Rounding off the Grand Prix Series, Pool L saw Richmond D dominate with a clean sweep, decisively defeating both Onyx and Dulwich to take top spot.

Volleyball England would like to thank all hosts venues for staging matches

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