7 Nov 2023
U16 Junior Grand Prix round-up (4th and 5th Nov)
Tier 1 saw the preliminary round contested in order to sort teams into groups of comparable ability, while for Tier 2 it was straight into the first round of regular competition against other local sides.
Boys matches were contested on Saturday while girls took centre stage on Sunday.
Boys
In Pool A of Tier 1’s prelims, Newcastle Staffs were 2-0 winners in both matches against Liverpool and Urmston Grammar B, with the Merseyside club clinching second spot with their own 2-0 success.
Pool B saw some keenly-contested games, with three of the six games going to final set deciders.
It was Urmston Grammar A who benefited from two of those, edging out both Leeds Gorse Purple and West Riding via tie breakers before beating Monkseaton in straight sets to top the group.
West Riding won their other two matches to finish in second spot at the Stephen Longfellow Academy.
Deep Dish Crystal Palace emerged as the winners of Pool C in seeing off Ashcombe and South Hants in straight sets.
The battle for second spot, however, produced a much closer battle before South Hants sealed victory 15-12 in a final set tie break.
A clinical performance from AST Academy saw them win six unanswered sets in their three Pool C victories.
Willesden Knights egged out London Lynx for second spot, while London Giants ran the latter close in their meeting.
Home club Boswells School finished top of the pile on Group D with consecutive wins, as Dulwich beat Worthing Dragons to second.
Pool F was dominated by South Bucks, who claimed three wins from three, with wins over second-placed Stockport, Ashfield Vipers and Black Country.
There were plenty of entertaining encounters in the Tier 2 matches, and it was Wombourne who won Pool A, which saw the three teams play each other twice.
The West Midlands club won all four of their matches, while Black Country and Coventry and Warwick Riga each recorded one victory over the other.
Frodsham won a closely-matched Pool B by virtue of their two wins and a draw, where games were played over two sets.
Preston Panthers were second after drawing their three matches, while Sheffield and Urmston Grammar claimed two draws each.
Table toppers in Pool C were VBDC, who secured a 100 per cent record from their three games, while Deep Dish Crystal Palace won two of their three to finish second ahead of Winchester Eagles White and Tonbridge.
Girls
Leeds Gorse Orange led the way in Pool A of the Tier 1 prelims, beating second-placed Hull Thunder and Leeds Gorse Purple without dropping a set.
In Pool B, it was Richmond B who came out on top after winning a thrilling tie break 15-13 against second-placed Willesden Divets.
Wapping Wildcats produced a strong performance to beat Dulwich and claim third place.
Three-team Pool C was won by hosts South Hants, who defeated Wessex and Richmond C, the latter taking second place.
South Bucks conceded only 73 points from their three matches in winning Pool D ahead of second-placed Ashcombe, Malory Eagles and Worthing Cheetahs.
In a Pool E where teams from far and wide met, Urmston Grammar led the way with wins over Black Country A and Cardiff Celts.
Black Country won a tie breaker to edge out the Welsh club for second spot.
AST Academy did not drop a set as they won Pool F, with Tendring Tech College A, Cambridge and Deep Dish Crystal Palace completing the rest of the table in that order.
In Tier 2, it was Leicester Athena Meteors who powered to top spot with three wins from three.
Coventry and Warwick Riga were victorious in their other games against Black Country and Nuneaton to finish second.
Hosts Cambridge led the way in Pool B where all matches were contested over three sets, even if the score was 2-0 after the first two.
They beat London Lynx (second) and ENVC Rangers (third) 2-1 before a 3-0 victory over MK City, albeit they were made to work very hard in the final set before coming through 16-14.
In South Hants-based Pool C, Maverick Lionesses roared to the top of the table on the back of triumphs over South Hants, Winchester Eagles Black and Maverick Leopards.
South Hants’ first game 2-0 win over Winchester proved crucial in them taking second place.
With six Clubs placed in Pool D, played at Newcastle Staffs, the teams were randomly drawn into two three-team mini-pools.
Pool A saw Newcastle Staffs A beat Frodsham and City of Salford to finish on top, while Newcastle Staffs B proved too strong for Urmston Grammar and Stockport in Pool B.
Pool E was won by Dartford, who did not drop a set in overcoming Team Medway, London Giants and Spelthorne.
Entries are open for teams to enter Tier 2 of Grand Prix 2 until Monday 13th November.
Find out more on the Junior Competitions home page by clicking here or by emailing r.williams@volleyballengland.org.
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