Honours Women
Yarra Ranges 3 – Renegades 2
1st (Renegades) against 3rd (Yarra). This was always going to be a massive match.
Point for point in the first two sets, with Yarra taking each set out by a narrow margin.
We wandered off our game plan “pathway” over the next two sets, and while we were never far away in each of the next two sets, we didn’t appear to be capable of winning them.
The fifth set was a beauty. As a coach, standing on the sideline, I was very surprised to see the score at 8-7, and then again, after what appeared to be a minute or two, we were ahead 11-7. After a couple of late rallies by Renegades, we kept our cool and playing to the plan, the fifth set was ours, 15-12.
A huge effort by all the squad with precision setting by Georgia and Tanya, certainly kept Yarra’s ability to play smart attacking volleyball.
As has been the case, over the last four weeks of winning matches, to single out individual players in what has been a fantastic team effort, would not do justice to the team.
This match showed how a team has to play to achieve the desired result. The effort at trainings is now starting to bear fruit on match day. Well done to all the players. This was one of the best team games we have seen from a Yarra side for a long time.
- -
Division 1 Womens
Yarra Ranges 1 – Renegades 3
4th (Renegades) against 3rd (Yarra).
The Renegades team was a mixture of experience and skill.
As the score line for each set showed, we were always pretty close, but with youth and enthusiasm as our major asset, the “old heads” of Renegades proved to be the difference.
This particular game found that if our blocks were not effective, then the defence had to change. We did this in the third set and found our defence was picking up the ball a lot better.
However, it was again, the experience of the opposition in tight rallies that proved the difference. They just managed to put the ball where we weren’t, at the right times.
Our trainings should reflect an increase in blocking practice and floating defence where our defenders have to read the attackers and move accordingly. All things that are easily remedied over the next few trainings.
Overall, with the number of players coming back after a week of illnesses, the team played very well. With a good training under their belt this week and next week, look out our next opponent, Mornington in two weekends time.