Sitting Volleyball Grand Prix 4 round-up (21st January)

With one more Grand Prix to go before the final four are decided, they moved onto 78 points overall – just two shy of the maximum possible – as they bid to complete a hat-trick of titles. 

Their toughest test in this weekend’s round of Tier 1 matches proved to be their first against South Hants A. 

An intense first set saw South Hants take it 26-24 to really put the pressure on the reigning champions. 

But they responded in style, with their determination and resilience first enabling them to level by winning the second set 25-18 lead and then taking a hard-fought tie-break 15-12. 

Salisbury Spitfires blazed to victory against Nottingham Casualties, taking the game in straight sets 25-14, 25-20 and Sitting Bucks repeated the trick by defeating Help 4 Heroes A 2-0 (25-17, 25-20). 

In the fourth game of the day there was jostling for points between South Hants A and Salisbury Spitfires. 

In set one it was 25-13 to the Wiltshire team, but in set two the match took a 180 degree turn with South Hants A taking it 25-13, leaving it all to play for in set three.  

At that point, it was the Hampshire club whose endurance showed as they recorded a 15-10 win. 

Help 4 Heroes A bounced back from their first match setback as they registered a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Casualties, 25-19, 25-15. 

Sitting Bucks then maintained their winning streak in beating Salisbury Spitfires 25-14, 25-20. 

After two tough three three-set matches, South Hants A secured a straight set win over Nottingham Casualties (25-14, 26-24) before Help 4 Heroes A notched a second successive victory against Salisbury Spitfires (25-18, 25-16). 

Sitting Bucks flexed their muscles in their game against Nottingham Casualties, taking the win by a convincing 25-4, 25-12 triumph and ensure themselves of top spot once more. 

The day was rounded off with South Hants A edging to success against Help 4 Heroes A, clinching second spot in the process. 

After a close first set (25-23), and with both teams battling fatigue after a long day, South Hants pulled away the second set to take it 25-19. 

Tier 2 proved to be even more competitive, with the tightest of battles for top spot. 

One of the teams bidding for that position, the all-female Panthers team, began the day well as they were 25-21, 25-21 victors over Lincoln Imps.

Help for Heroes B and South Hants B then went head to head with the latter coming through 15-7 in a deciding tie break after the sides shared the first two sets. 

But Help for Heroes then hit back strongly to beat Panthers in straight sets (25-21, 25-21) before Lincoln Imps outgunned South Hants B 25-21, 25-8, meaning all four teams had won one and loss one at that point.

In the decisive third round of matches, both were thrillers that went to three sets. 

First, Help for Heroes B came from a set down to beat Lincoln Imps (23-25, 25-20, 15-10) and then Panthers clinched victory in a see-saw battle with South Hants B (25-15, 19-25, 15-9). 

The upshot of that was that Help for Heroes headed up the Tier 2 table on points difference (+13) ahead of Panthers (+10), with both teams having won two games, while Lincoln Imps (+5) finished third ahead of South Hants B (-28) in fourth after both had won one game. 

However, as Help for Heroes borrowed players, it was Panthers who scored the most points to secure promotion to Tier 1 for Grand Prix 5.

In the overall standings, South Hants A (70 points) come next after Sitting Bucks, while Salisbury Spitfires (66 points) and Help for Heroes A (52 points) make up the top four. 

Nottingham Casualties are next on 50 points, but with their relegation from Tier 1 for the final Grand Prix, the top four teams’ places are now assured. 

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