U18 Boys' and Girls' England squads compete in Winter Cup

The two squads knew they had their work cut out competing at such a highly competitive level, but were determined to fight hard and make their country proud. 

Ryan Murphy, Head Coach of the U18 boys' squad, says the Winter Cup was an "extraordinary experience" in taking on some of the best teams and players in the world. 

"Facing international powerhouses such as Italy and Japan was both a privilege and a challenge, exposing the squad to different styles, speeds, and tactical approaches at the highest level," he said.

"A growing independence and accountability will be vital moving forward, particularly in executing game plans under pressure and adapting in real time. The Winter Cup ultimately provided invaluable exposure to international standards while laying strong foundations for future progress."

The boys' U18 squad were in a strong pool made up of Czechia, Italy, and Japan. 

Their first match took place on Friday at 9am, facing a competitive Czechia to kickstart the tournament. 

The boys played well, but remained challenged throughout the match, ultimately losing 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-15). 

Their next game was later that afternoon, facing the hosts, Italy, where the boys' fought hard, but it wasn't to be, losing 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-13).

Murphy added: "At times, particularly under pressure, we saw how important it is to remain disciplined to the plan while also being adaptable when adjustments are required. 

"The athletes showed a willingness to be bold and audacious in key moments, linking directly to our aim of being fearless, not reckless, and competed with courage and intent throughout."

The following day brought their last pool match against Germany, but after some well-constructed points, England fell short against the Germans in straight sets (25-18, 25-14, 25-18). 

England's last match was against Egypt for seventh and eighth place, where they narrowly missed out, going down in a close three-set match (25-13, 25-23, 25-19). 

"Encouragingly, the group began to trust the process more as the competition progressed and became better at not seeking constant affirmation from the coaching team," said Murphy.

"Instead, they relied on their preparation, their routines, and each other. A significant number of athletes actively engaged in performance analysis through Hudl, demonstrating real ownership of their development by reviewing clips, reflecting on decisions and identifying areas for improvement."

The girls' U18 squad also knew they would be facing teams with a high level of skill and ability, but rose to the challenge.

Richard Guest, one of the Assistant Coaches for the U20 women, led the coaching team in the absence of regular Head Coach, Alex Chinery. 

"The Winter Cup in Italy provided an opportunity for our England U18 team to compete against some of the best teams in the world," he said. 

"Of the eight teams in this competition, four were also heading to the World Championships in Chile in August, using the Winter Cup as a key preparation event."

The girls' first round match in their pool was against Czechia, losing 3-0 (25-16, 25-12, 25-12), followed by Slovenia in the afternoon, where the girls' also fell short to another strong team. 

After reflecting on their tough day, the U18 girls' came back strongly on Saturday, facing Japan first up.

Losing the first set 25-12, the girls showed grit and determination to win the next set 25-19, but sadly were unable to manitain that monentum, going down 3-1.

Guest added: "The highlight of the tournament has to be taking a set from the eventual winners, Japan, (25-20) during which we out-thought and out-played the opposition, something not even the eventual runners-up, Germany, could manage in the final."

Their last pool match was against Croatia, and, while putting up a good fight, particularly in the second set, the girls lost out 3-0. 

"The standard of the opposition was higher than these athletes had ever experienced before, and we struggled at times to deal with the power from the service line and the high contact points, as well as power in offense," said Guest.

"The team, however, remained resilient at all times, retaining a strong level of squad togetherness and were competitive in each game albeit were not able to sustain it across enough phases." 

Action images by Walter Masatto (@walter_photo_volley)