U18 Junior Grand Prix review - Wessex and Sheffield clinch first crack at Super Series

They will replace Newcastle Staffs and Stockport Blue (boys) and Ashfield Vipers and Wapping Wildcats (girls) in the top tier following the quartet's relegation at the weekend. 

Boys' matches 

A total of 24 teams competed in the weekend's Ranked Pool matches, with another 25 taking part in the National Pools. 

Gold Pool A was hosted by Black Country and saw Sheffield win all three of their matches to finish at the summit. 

The crucial game proved to be their second match, where they edged out AST Barnet in three sets with the two sides having won all their other matches. 

South Bucks and Black Country finished third and fourth respectively. 

In the capital, the race to grab the other Super Series spot was effectively decided in the second match when what turned out to be the top two faced off – Wessex seeing off the challenge of Future Stars in straight sets. 

Indeed, the South Coast club topped Gold Pool B without dropping a set and boasting a points difference of +54. 

London Lynx A got the better of Deep Dish Crystal Palace to settle the minor placings.

Silver Pool C was contested at Coventry and Warwick Riga, where London Giants were always in control to head up the standings with an unbeaten record. 

Behind them, Nottingham Rockets and Leeds Gorse Purple did not play their final match but both had already beaten Hermitage, who were fourth. 

Bristol A were the dominant force in Silver Pool D and remained unbeaten throughout, with Richmond Jackals, their nearest challangers, swept aside in straight sets and hosts Wapping Wildcats A and South Hants also defeated. 

Coventry and Warwick Riga also hosted Bronze Pool E where North East side Monkseaton earned promotion with three wins from three. 

The host club finished second, thanks to their three-set victory over Hills Road Sixth Form, with Frodsham completing the rankings. 

In contrast, Bronze Pool F could hardly have been more tightly contested, with three teams all securing two wins and losing one of their three matches. 

The top two were also tied on set difference and it took points difference to place Dartford Spartans (+4) above Thames Valley, with Portsmouth Phoenix, who had an inferior set difference in third, ahead of fourth-placed hosts Sevenoaks School. 

Four National 2 pools were held, with Tamworth Spartans topping Pool G at MK City, Lincoln Cannons leading the way in Pool H at ENVC, Worthing Panthers heading up Pool I in Farnborough and London Lynx Odyssey winning Pool J on their home court. 

Three more National 3 pools were also staged and saw Manchester Marvels (Pool K at MVA), AST Barnet B (Pool L at Team Medway) and Richmond Foxes (Pool M at MK City) take the top spots. 

Girls' matches 

23 ranked pool teams took part in the girls competition, but two more – 27 – entered the National Pools. 

At the top end, Pool A saw Newcastle Staffs A take full advantage of playing on their home court to finish ahead of the rest and seal promotion to the top tier. 

They clinched the vital encounter with London Giants by a 2-1 scoreline, which was the same margin that the capital club got the better of Newcastle Staffs B, who were third, and Willesden Divets, who were fourth. 

South Bucks A were made to work hard for their place in the Super Series by topping Gold Pool B, played at Ashcombe, after twice being taken to three sets. 

If it was no surprise that their match went the distance with second-placed South Hants, it was perhaps more surprising that it did so against bottom team Ashcombe Dorking, with Sevenoaks School in between in third. 

A strong showing from AST Barnet showed them climb up to Gold Pool level by topping Silver Pool C with consecutive 2-1 wins over MK City, hosts Black Country and Frodsham who finished behind them in that order. 

It was a close-run thing to decide the winners of Silver Pool D, with three teams having a 2-1 win to loss record and the top two also sharing the same set difference. 

In the end, Bristol took the honours with a points difference of +26 to Malory Eagles B's +10, with hosts Worthing Lions in third and Wessex fourth. 

Far more obvious was the victors in Bronze Pool E, where Sheffield won the three-team pool, played in Leeds, with wins over Stockport and Nottingham Rockets. 

But it was also tight in Bronze Pool F, where no team won all their matches and all won at least one. 

ENVC's set difference saw them take to spot ahead of South Bucks C after both had two wins and one defeat, while Richmond C and South Bucks B, who had one wins and two defeats each, were separated in similar fashion. 

The Four National 2 Pools were held around the country, with Newcastle Panthers winning three-team Pool G in Leeds, Thames Valley clinching Pool H at Coventry and Warwick Riga, Team SideOut topping Pool I at Team Medway and Weymouth beating off all comers in Pool J at Portsmouth Phoenix. 

National 3 Pools saw Hull Thunder (Pool K at Hull), Westminster (Pool L at Richmond) and Dartford Eagles (Pool M at AShcombe) come up trumps. 

Volleyball England would like to thank all host venues who staged matches.

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