U16 Junior Grand Prix #4 Review - Monkseaton and Malory claim Gold Cup success

Boys’ Cups 

Monkseaton (pictured below) enhanced their growing reputation for producing talented young sides by taking top by clinching victory in the Gold Cup. 

Eight teams competed in the competition held at Coventry and Warwick Riga, run along the same lines as the U18 Super Series has operated this season, albeit without an initial draw. 

Instead, as number one seeds, Monkseaton took on eighth seed Dartford and got off to a flying start, winning 25-16, 25-17. 

Second-seeded Richmond Hawks began their day by taking on seventh seed Sevenoaks School – and they were pushed to the limit, needing three tough sets to pull through 39-28, 20-25, 15-11.  

Bristol, ranked third, took on South Bucks A, ranked sixth, and ran out comfortable two set victors (25-16, 25-21), while London Lynx, ranked four, and Newcastle Staffs, ranked five, battled it out before the latter came through 26-28, 25-19, 15-5. 

In the winners’ games, Monkseaton got the better of Staffs 25-20, 25-18 to book a place in the final and were joined Bristol who made their way through a tough first set to close it out more easily in the second against Richmond (28-26, 25-21). 

The gold medal match saw Monkseaton again dominant as they triumphed 25-17, 25-19, while in the bronze medal Staffs won an attritional clash with Richmond after coming through a mammoth first set (31-28, 16-25, 15-12). 

South Bucks A beat London Lynx to decide fifth and sixth, while Sevenoaks overcame Dartford in the deciding seventh and eighth. 

The Silver Cup followed the same format as was played at Ashcombe, where it was AST Academy who came through victorious without dropping a set in their three matches. 

The number three seeds beat MK City first up 25-15, 25-20, then accounted for Willesden Knights in their second fixture (25-23, 25-14). 

That set up a gold medal final against Wapping Wildcats A, who had defeated number one seeds London GIants in three, where they came up trumps 25-10, 25-23. 

The Giants recovered to beat Willesden Knights in the race for bronze, while Thames Valley beat Team Medway to fifth and MK City edged out Worthing Lions for seventh, the latter in three hard-fought sets. 

The Bronze Cup was contested by five teams and played in a single group format, where MK City A made home court advantage pay with four wins from four to take first place. 

They were pushed hardest by South Hants, who took them the three in finishing third, but it was Nottingham Rockets who were the runners-up, winning their other matches – all in three sets. 

Winchester Eagles got the better of Deep Dish Crystal Palace in the race for fourth and fifth. 

Girls’ Cups 

Malory Eagles swept to Gold Cup success in Ashcombe in a competition where only one match went to three sets all day. 

Ranked number three going in, they were confident victors in their first outing against Ashfield Vipers, ranked sixth, coming through 25-16, 26-24. 

Number one seeds Sevenoaks School also progressed with a degree of comfort, winning 25-7, 25-18 against Thames Valley, ranked eighth. 

Second seeds Bristol also stuck to the form book, winning 25-19, 25-22 against seventh-ranked South Hants, while the two closest-ranked sides, Ashcombe Dorking (pictured) ranked fourth, and MK City, ranked fifth, were closely matched before the former eventually prevailed 25-20, 30-28.

The winners’ game saw top-ranked Sevenoaks suffer defeat at the hands of Ashcombe (25-21, 25-13) and Malory also beat higher-ranked opponents in Bristol (25-18, 25-18). 

That set up a Malory-Ashcombe final for the gold medal and it was the Londoners who were celebrating at the end after coming through a crucial extended first set (27-25, 25-19). 

The scrap for bronze proved to be the most even match, going the distance before Sevenoaks overcame Bristol 25-19, 19-25, 15-12. 

South Hants finished fifth after defeating MK City, while Ashfield Vipers made the long journey home happy after edging out Thames Valley. 

Hull Thunder were the hosts of the Silver Cup contested by four teams in a single group. 

Leeds Gorse were the dominant force in claiming top spot with three wins from three, although they were pushed hard in a three-setter by ENVC, who eventually took third. 

It was Newcastle Staffs B who were second, with Hull Thunder in fourth.

The Bronze Cup was another single group affair made up five teams, with matches played over two completed sets, meaning draws were possible. 

Nottingham Rockets clinched first place with three victories and a draw, just edging out hosts Frodsham, who had two wins and two draws. 

They were followed by Black Country, Urmston Grammar B and Stockport (pictured top) with the latter going to 27-25 in their second set with the Rockets, showing just how close the matches were. 

There were also three non-cup pools contested on the girls side, of three four and five teams. 

Pool D, hosted by London Giants, saw Futures Stars victorious ahead of Deep Dish Crystal Palace and the home side. 

Worthing Lions came out on top in Pool E, which was as close as it gets, with three teams winning two and losing two of their matches. 

In the end, the home club were victorious courtesy of their superior set difference (+3) ahead of Wessex (+2) and Weymouth (+1) with Winchester Eagles in fourth. 

Another tight battle unfolded in Pool F as Westminster and Richmond both finished with a 3-1 record but the former’s set difference of +5 trumped their rivals’ +4. 

Team SideOut finished in the middle of the pack with a 2-2 match split and were followed by Willesden Divets and AST Academy. 

Find out more about Junior Grand Prix competitions here.