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Jan 28 2024
My IRB Experience 2023 – Harry Brett

Each year we ask a number of our young athletes to report back on their experience, today we focus on Harry Brett, who was selected to represent the SW at this summer’s U18 International Beach Championships.

On the 8th and 9th of July 2023 I was selected to Represent my region Southwest at the U18 Inter Regional Beach championships. Last year I also competed in this event however, this time I was pair one which showed my improvement from the previous year.

We travelled up to Cardiff the day before to ensure that we all had a good night’s sleep before the long day of playing on the next day. We also used this time to go through the teams that we’d be playing and what strategies to use against them.

An early rise the next morning would prepare us for games starting at 9am so we were wide awake and sharp to give our best performance. We would need this as we were matched up against the South East region who looked like the team that would cause us the most problems all weekend.

The beginning of the match was tight, points were 1 at a time and the score was even for most of the first set. However, as the end of the set approached the opposition stepped up a gear pulling our advanced b1’s which is a quick set to the pin which both defenders and blockers struggle to counter. This gave them the push they needed to take the first set and this caused our heads to drop slightly. The second set started badly going 7-2 down within a short space of time and this led to us calling a timeout. This ended up being a smart move as we stepped up now and brought the score to 10-11 and a side change moving us to the better side. The rest of the set reflected that of the first with back and forth but a slight drop from us with a close finish of 19-21 to South East. Losing 2-0 wasn’t ideal but we knew the game was much closer than the scores said, and we made sure to keep our heads high going into the second pool match.

Now because we had lost our first match it was very important that we went into the second game with a win at all costs mentality. It was against London’s second team which was still strong saying it was the second pair. Further more the conditions had worsened so we would have to play in the wet and windy. The start of the game was excellent going up 14-10 early on before the other team calling a timeout. This further propelled us into taking the first set 21-15 a comfortable take. Going into the second our game became much sloppier as we were giving them easy points which made this set much closer as we came close to 21. But in the end, we lost the second set in a closely fought 23-21. We took the break between sets to reset and get ready for the final set. Coming out strong we presented a lead as the score was 7-4. We made sure to put our all into this and through this determination we won the game in a 15-11 final set.

The penultimate game of day 1 was against a tough opponent, Yorkshire. We came into this one needing to win if we wanted an easier route out of the pool stages. Knowing this we put all our effort coming out of the start being close having the scores be 17-17 our opponents were tough being well practised and precise with their shots which meant we were becoming really tired really quickly. Our fatigue got to us in the end of this set leading to them taking it 21-18 which was unfortunate saying our strong start. Going into the second we dropped our heads because of the unlucky loss and this caused us to become sloppy and the opponent ran away quickly.

This meant that we now had our crossover game to end the day, this was against South Wales. This game was tight and after an unfortunate 23-21 first set we lost our momentum and unfortunately ended the second set 21-19 which was an unlucky result. However, due to our second pair winning we got into a golden set which was one short set to 15 points, and this was for the match. Unfortunately, yet again we lost but this time it was only 15-10, and that was it for day one.

The next morning began with an opener against the East of England. We went into this game confident from the underwhelming performance of the previous day and started off with a bang, taking the first set 21-12. As a result, the opponent stepped up their game and took the second set 21-16 which lead to a final set. We took this with confidence and a 15-12 score line.

Because of our loss in the crossover, we had matched up against London A, the winners of the other pool, knowing that we had to play our best to have a shot at winning. The first set began with some big blocks from my teammate and the scores were tight until around 12-12, where they made a few less errors and went off where we eventually ended at 21-17. Using this momentum, they made an early push to 19-11 however we made a comeback to 19-18 but a timeout from them disrupted our momentum and they took the set.

From this we were into our final game, the 5-6 playoff which was against London B. Between out last game and now, a huge storm had come over and it was now torrential rain which means the balls were heavy and slippery which lead to sloppy gameplay, we won the first and last set against London as we anxiously watched our second pair lose in a tight battle, however they unfortunately lost a close one which meant it was a golden set. It was the end of a long weekend, and both teams were tired which lead to long winded points and the golden set was 11-11, and in a close fight they took a short lead and took the game for 5th place.

This Tournament was my last opportunity to play in IRB and it was a memorable one with some wild weather and amazing volleyball even though it wasn’t the result I wanted. It was a great experience that I’ll for sure remember!

Harry Brett

Dave Reece 0 Comments
Jan 25 2024
My U19 Beach International Experience 2023 – Louise Wiener

Each year we ask a number of our young athletes to report back on their experience, today we focus on Louise Wiener, who was selected to represent the SW at this summer’s U19 International Beach Open Championships.

Representing Southwest in the 2023 U19 international Beach Open Championship was my second time playing beach volleyball competitively – the first being just a few weeks before in the Inter regional Beach Championships. During these few weeks, I felt I have improved massively in my beach volleyball skills as before this summer, I had only ever seriously played indoor volleyball (which all players know are two very different sports).

Firstly, I want to say how grateful I am to Southwest and my coaches for allowing me a chance to take part in this amazing experience and develop as a volleyball player.

My partner for this weekend was Charlie Chambers, a wonderful talent who I had previously had the privilege of playing with in the U17 Inter regionals Championship in May of 2023. Therefore, we already knew each other well and I was extremely excited to be able to play with her again.

On day one, the sun was out, and we were both excited / nervous to begin playing. Our first game of the tournament was against Ireland, in which Charlie and I were able to come out with a successful win (21-9, 21-14) which gave us plenty of confidence as we headed into game two. Playing Northern Ireland was a tough one but despite the challenge, we triumphed in two sets (21-18, 21-17)!

The last game of the day was against Scotland, which proved to be a very demanding one. After narrowly losing the first set 20-22, we had a little pep talk and were ready to go on to the next set. This one we won 21-17, meaning we had a third set to play for the win. Unfortunately, Scotland were able to win 15-7. Nevertheless, I was extremely proud of Charlie and myself for being able to battle through!

Together with the success of our second pair – Alexia and Heidi – this meant that we topped pool B at the end of the day!

On day two however, the weather was not on our side. Playing in the pouring rain (which I actually began to quite enjoy) meant that we had to adapt as a team to the new conditions and the heavier ball. Now, it was time to play England in the semi-finals – who were at the top of pool A. We knew that this would be a challenging game as we had watched this pair play throughout the weekend. After a hard-fought game, we ended up losing to England which left us in the 3rd/4th place playoffs.

An unfortunate injury to Alexia meant that to win bronze, Charlie and I would have to win both our game and the golden set, as Alexia and Heidi had to forfeit theirs. Therefore, our last game of the championship was against Scotland, the same pair we had already played and lost to the day before. Charlie and I were both more than exhausted at this point and thoroughly soaked by the rain, but we were determined to beat this pair – and we did! Taking it to another 3 sets, we were able to persevere and win which portrayed just how much we had evolved as a pair in such a short time. Now for the golden set to 15 points. After leading by 10-2 at one point, Scotland were able to catch up point-by-point and we ended up losing 14-16 in a gut-wrenching last set (leaving Scotland about 5 minutes to catch their plane home). However disappointing it can be, it is important to learn from these experiences and take them with you for the next time.

 

 

To conclude, I massively enjoyed this weekend and can confidently say that I feel like a beach player at the end of it all! So much love to Charlie for being the best partner that I could have gone through this experience with and for being by my side throughout the games. Thank you also to Southwest’s Dave Reece, Dave Gunter, and our coach Abbie Sinclair-Thompson who supported us throughout!

Louise Wiener

Dave Reece 0 Comments
Jan 7 2024
Cultivating SW Beach Champions

SW Boys coach, Dan Mrowiec gives us an insight into the SWVA Beach development work over the last few years. Our current Beach Program is built around the U18 Inter Regional Beach Championships (IRB) and the U19 International Beach Open. Where a total of 15 players represented the SWVA during the 2023 summer beach program.

In the dynamic world of beach volleyball, the South West Volleyball Association (SWVA) has established itself as an example of excellence, nurturing young talent and propelling them towards the pinnacle of the sport. Over the past three years, I have had the privilege of coaching SWVA’s junior volleyball teams, witnessing first-hand the unwavering dedication, passion, and resilience of these aspiring athletes.

 

Dan (second left) working with the boys at Weymouth

My journey began in 2021, with a group of enthusiastic individuals eager to hone their skills and compete against the best. We embarked on a challenging training schedule, post pandemic, conducting sessions across various locations in the South West of England, including Cardiff, Croyde and Weymouth beaches. Our focus was on developing a comprehensive skillset, encompassing technical prowess, tactical awareness, and mental fortitude.

As the season progressed, our pairs blossomed, their collective talent and teamwork evident in every training session and match. The Inter-regional Tournament, held annually at Cardiff Beach Volleyball Club, became our ultimate test, a platform to showcase our hard work and determination. And in 2021, our efforts were rewarded as we emerged victorious, claiming first-place.

The following years saw our team maintain its competitive edge, consistently reaching the finals of the Inter-regional Tournament. In 2022 and 2023, we secured consecutive second-place finishes, cementing our status as a force to be reckoned with in the under-18 beach volleyball arena.

Furthermore, we were able to continue challenging ourselves with the introduction of the Inter-commonwealth tournament. Whereas we represented the South-West of England against travelling countries the likes of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Gibraltar. A fantastic opportunity to showcase beach volleyball and its global community.

Achieving such remarkable success is a testament to the dedication and talent of our athletes. Their commitment to training, their willingness to push boundaries, and their unwavering support for one another have been instrumental in their achievements.

As their coach, I have witnessed first-hand the transformative power of this sport. It has instilled in them discipline, perseverance, and a strong sense of teamwork. These qualities will undoubtedly serve them well in their personal and professional endeavours long after their volleyball careers have concluded.

Reflecting on our journey, I am filled with immense pride and admiration for the SWVA Junior Beach volleyball team. Their achievements have not only brought recognition to the association but have also inspired countless young athletes across the South West to pursue their dreams in this rising sport.

As we embark on the next chapter, I am confident that our team will continue to excel, pushing the boundaries of excellence and inspiring generations to come. The future of beach volleyball in the South West and across United Kingdom is undoubtedly bright, and our junior athletes stand at the forefront, ready to conquer every challenge that lies ahead.

Dan Mrowiec
SWVA

Dave Reece 0 Comments
Dec 31 2023
My U19 Beach International Experience 2023 – Charlie Chambers

Each year we ask a number of our young athletes to report back on their experience, today we focus on Charlie Chambers, who was selected to represent the SW at this summer’s U19 International Beach Open Championships.

Louise Wiener (Left) & Charlie Chambers (Right)

The U19s International Open took place on the 29th-30th July 2023 at the Cardiff Beach Volleyball Centre. We drove up early on the 29th, for our team briefing before our first match that morning. My partner was Louise Weiner, who I played alongside at the U17 Inter-Regional Championships, Beach Regionals and all of the SW training camps over the season. Louise is a player who is incredible to watch on court, and whom I have the utmost respect for- so I was very excited to be her teammate.

Pulling up to the venue, I was expecting the International Open to be the same as Beach Regionals the month prior, however seeing the other teams and the older players, I knew the standard would be very different and each game that much more competitive.

Our first game was against Ireland, and with that, mine and Louise’s first match together. We started as we meant to go on, with a convincing win of 21-9, 21-14! I’m sure many players can understand the nerves and apprehension before a match, especially when representing your region on this level, but coupled with playing with a new teammate, its always going to be that much more daunting. But winning our first game definitely shook off the nerves and filled Louise and I with confidence that we aimed to carry with us for the remainder of the tournament.

We then played Northern Ireland- which was a challenging game. Louise and I had to really work hard for the win, and pulled it off with a 21-18, 21-17 result. After all that hard work, we felt we deserved a reward, so we headed to the local bakery- well known amongst the Cardiff Beach Volleyball community!

We picked up a fresh cinnamon bun each (the first of many for the weekend) and ate it whilst watching the other SW pair (Alexia and Heidi) play against Scotland, in our final pool match of the day. They beat the first pair easily at 21-7, 21-10, which bode well for us.

Unfortunately we lost the first set against Scotland’s second pair 22-20, in a tough fought set. After a pause in between sets and some encouragement to each other, Louise and I played hard to win the second set 21-17, meaning the game would go to a third set to 15 points.

Louise and I were exhausted and we lost 15-7 in the final set. However, not all hope was lost, since Heidi and Alexia won their game it meant our teams were drawn 1-1, which would be decided by a Golden Set. Heidi and Alexia were set to play, with Louise and I doing our best cheerleading impressions on the sidelines, and ultimately beating Scotland 15-12! This meant we finished top of our pool, and in the best possible position for the knockouts the next day.

We headed back to our accommodation for the night, where Dave cooked what seemed to be an infinite amount of pizza. After recovering from the carb overload, a game of table top volleyball took place amongst a few of the teams staying in our accommodation. Whilst seemingly making up the rules as they went along, it was very entertaining!

By this time, the days activities were physically taking its toll so we headed up to bed- I wanted to get a good night’s sleep so I wouldn’t be too tired for the second long day of matches, especially if we were aiming for the final.

After a deep sleep that could be otherwise described as a mini coma, I was energy-filled and ready to take on Wales in the knockouts. Unfortunately, the weather had taken a turn, and an almost biblical amount of rain decided to descend upon us for the entire day. Feeling more prepared than most, and never having been more grateful to live in a seaside county where the weather likes to take a dramatic turn, Louise and I were ready (unlike the poor boys from Gibraltar, who had never played in the rain before).

After emerging victorious with a 2-1 win, and Heidi and Alexia winning their game, we were through to play England in the Semis. We knew this would be a tough game, as one of the pairs from England was South West’s very own Katie and Molly. Whilst Louise and I talked strategy in shelter out of the rain, Alexia and Heidi took on England’s first pair. Things took a turn for the worse when Alexia injured her hand and could not continue, meaning they had to forfeit the game.

Louise and I knew this would be a challenging match, and after struggling to keep up morale in the game against Wales, we were desperate to overcome this learning curve. We went back to basics and focused on communication between each other, gradually bringing in more technical plays in order to try and eliminate mistakes. Despite losing to England, we felt we had developed as a pair more in one match than over the entire weekend, leaving the game with a completely different mindset than the one we went in with.

So, we’d ended up in the 3/4th place playoffs against Scotland, a team we’d taken to a Golden set the day before. It was going to be tough. Despite Alexia insisting she’d be able to play, the officials would not let her due to the severity of her injury. This meant the forfeiture of the first game, meaning Louise and I had to win our game and then the Golden Set in order to keep our medal chances alive.

A short slow Mo video with Charlie Chambers (left) and Louise Wiener showing us all how to play in the rain.

Still in the torrential rain, and face to face with the one pair we’d lost to the day before, we knew we had to win. Our determination was evident in the way we played, and after some tactical serving we obtained the advantage, took Scotland to three sets and won our game 2-1. After a short break, it was time for the Golden set, against a slightly different Scotland team. It came down to the wire, and we gave all we could, relying on and trusting each other in what was possibly the most intense set of volleyball I’ve ever played. In the end we lost 16-14, which was utterly devastating. But sometimes that’s how a game goes, there’s no point in thinking of ‘what ifs?’ or blaming yourself for a point lost. All you can do is reflect, appreciate the good and learn from the bad, and move on.

Ultimately, we finished 4th, and for the only region taking part in the u19 International Open, I’m happy with that, maybe not satisfied, but there’s always next year.

We left blood, sweat, tears (and a lot of rain) on those courts, and made memories I will never forget. It was an honour to play with Louise, I’m proud of her and I’m proud of us as a team. None of this would have been possible without coaching from Abbie Sinclair-Thomson, Dave Gunther and Dave Reece. And a massive thank you to SWVA, for their sponsorship and selecting me to represent them for all the events I took part in this season.

Charlie Chambers

Dave Reece 0 Comments
Dec 19 2023
My IRB Experience 2023 – Rosie Miller

Each year we ask a number of our young athletes to report back on their experience, today we focus on Rosie Miller, who was selected to represent the SW at this summer’s Inter Regional Beach Championships.

Freya Astbury (Left) & Rosie Miller (Right)

I first played beach volleyball just after my GCES roughly a year ago. I was honoured to be chosen to play as part of the SW squad for the Inter Regional Beach Championships in July. I had an amazing weekend and learnt new skills and tactics throughout the tournament.

I played with Freya who had more experience than me and we quickly worked out how to play as a team. I learnt a lot from Freya and I was lucky to have a partner with such patience because I’m so new to the sport. We didn’t win any games but we scored some great points, I was particularly proud of a solid block I played against one of the better teams.

I learnt that there are many parts of beach volleyball that I can develop and improve on with time and training. Something that I won’t forget is seeing the wide range of experienced players, the techniques they use and their teams tactics. Some of the skills they demonstrated that I would like to work on include perfectly executed jump float serves, cut spikes and some incredible dives.

The Cardiff Beach centre was a great place to play because there were so many matches to watch In a relatively small area and the pavilion provided great protection from the torrential rain shower that hit us on the second day. It was fun to spend the weekend with players my age and to get to see what Cardiff Mets accommodation was like.

All in all it was an amazing experience. I came away motivated and inspired to become a much better volleyball player. I would like to thank all the coaches and volunteers who made the tournament possible for us to enjoy and special thanks to Torexe for sponsoring me.

Rosie Miller

Dave Reece 0 Comments
Oct 30 2023
My IRC Experience 2023 – Alex Johnson

Each year we ask a number of our youngsters to report back on their SW IRC experience, today we focus on Alex Johnson (SW Number 10) from our U15 Squad.

Early on the 27th July: Everyone being picked up from Tiverton (2 fellow U15 players, me and 5 of the U17 players) arrived before 10:15AM, but because of traffic etc the bus ended up arriving over an hour late to our stop. This did cause everyone else to be picked up slightly late, but we managed to make it to Bristol (the final pick-up point) by the planned time.

When we arrived at Bristol where we picked up the last people, we had a 20-minute stop to get food etc, and then we were off in our own buses (1 U-15 bus and 1 U-17 bus). Now we were in our separate bus we blasted our music in the bus as we sang along. After what felt like a very short 2 and a half hours we were at Kettering where we went straight to the hall without dropping our stuff off at the hotel. While we were there, we watched both Southwest girls’ teams play their last pool matches.

Once their games were over, we jumped back on the bus and headed to the hotel (a 5-minute drive from the hall) where we got our room keys, unpacked and then we headed straight backout to eat dinner at a restaurant nearby. The food was great. Once we had finished, we headed back to the hotel.
When we got back to the hotel, me and some of my teammates went to raid the local spar (around the corner from the hotel). We then had a few hours of social time and a meeting where we received our kit for the next day before we settled down for the night.

The next morning, we woke up at 8:15 where we went down to the lobby to fill up on a great breakfast of toast, scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon and baked beans. After that we went backup up to our rooms to grab our stuff and we were off.

Next, we headed to the hall. When we arrived, we watched both the U15 and U17 girls’ teams play in 3rd to 4th playoff, both teams sadly lost and placed fourth in their age groups. A pretty great placing. We then got our teams pictures taken by professionals and got prepared for our pool games to start.

Our first game was against Northwest where we sadly lost the first set through lots of mistakes, but then quickly stepped up and got our heads in the game before easily winning the next 2 sets, overall winning us the match. We then had a quick chat about the game before we scored and refed our first game of the competition.
Straight after that game had finished, we got on the court, and warmed up ready for our second game against Yorkshire. We went in expecting to win but sadly went on to lose straight sets against their fast-paced playstyle. Non the less we had our heads held high ready for our next day of games.

After another quick briefing we headed back to the hotel for a quick shower before leaving for the restaurant. We then spent the rest of the evening in the restaurant (eating, talking and taking turns playing on the pool table they had). Once we arrived back at the hotel at 10:30 we all went back to our rooms to settle down and go to sleep.

We woke early the next morning for a quick breakfast and to pack our bags before checking out of the hotel. Once we had checked out, we headed to the hall to finish our last pool game. After arriving we warmed up and played our first match of the day against West Midlands. We easily won the first set 25-18, lost the second to a close 23 – 25 and finally won the 3rd set securing our place in the semis. Extremely happy we went upstairs to eat lunch (sandwiches with crisps, biscuits and granola bars). As we ate, we watched London play Southeast as we were eager to see who we would play against in the semi-finals. After a very intense game between the two. London won.

We knew we would have to step up our game and give it our all to beat London, the reigning champions, so after an hour-long break we went into the next game against London ready to give it our best against the giant players and the favourites to win the whole tournament.

We started the match strong winning the first 3 points. Unfortunately, they then started to rack up the points but at that moment we took a great time out at 9-4 shutting down their streak and putting us back in the game. They then got another streak turning a score of 11-8 to 18 -11. Where we took another well-placed time out. After trading points, they won the set by a close 25-22.

After the tight set we knew we would have to reduce our serving and server receive errors to win. Still believing we could beat them as we were playing the best, we had so far in the tournament we started the next set. But sadly, after an even tighter second set and almost making it a deuce after getting 3 points in a row from 24-20 we sadly lost the set 25-23 sending us to the 3rd 4th playoff against West Midlands.

After the devastating loss against London, we watch the U17 team beat East and make their way to the final against London. We then headed into our next game against West Midlands not feeling too positive after missing out on the final. This stopped us from playing our best, but we still gave it a go but sadly lost the first set (28-26). The second set wasn’t as close as we ended up losing (25-21) putting us in 4th place out of 9 teams.

After the game we had a chat about our performance and what we had achieved, and how we had improved greatly from last year’s placing of 7th. After this we watched the finals of the U15 and U17 boys. It was a great achievement by the Southwest U17 team to come 2nd.

After the achievement ceremony we got changed and headed back to the southwest on a very quiet bus. We were all worn out from the 2 days before and some of us even slept on the way back. Overall, 4th is a pretty good position. Even though we were distraught at us missing out on the top three we were overall proud of what we had achieved and delighted at our improvements since our first outing at Exeter challenge. I can’t wait to play with the U17’s next year and I aspire to do even better.
I would like to thank the people who planned for training, transport, food and where we would be staying. And another thanks to the coaches for the opportunity and helping us improve and prepare for the tournament.

Alex Johnson

Dave Reece 0 Comments
Jul 20 2023
My IRC Experience 2023 – Vakare Zalieckaite

Each year we ask a number of our youngsters to report back on their SW IRC experience, today we focus on Vakare Zalieckaite (SW Number 7) from our U17 Squad.

Back again, but this year was my last. The weekend started around 1pm on Friday the 26th of May when our assistant coach, Floe, picked me up in her fancy new hire car. On our journey to Kettering , we stopped at Tiverton services to pick up Heidi and Katie. Whilst waiting for them, Floe and I had a Burger King break. Here I grabbed matching Burger King crowns for the three of us. The rest of the journey consisted of fun conversations and a lot of singing (mainly from me).

We arrived in Kettering around 6pm that evening, just in time for our large reservation consisting of both the girls u15 and u17 teams. I ordered a meat feast pizza, had many glasses of apple tango, and had a large ice cream for dessert. Finally, we got to the hotel and had a quick team talk where we had our brand-new kit presented to us and signed the team photos that Floe and Dave so kindly made for us.

We woke up early the next morning to have a nice filling breakfast to provide us energy for the busy day ahead of us. Our first match was against Yorkshire, setting us off to a good start with our 2-0 win. We then played against Northwest and East, winning 2-0 and 2-1. This left us at the top of our pool. We finished the day with another team meal in a family friendly pub, where both boys teams had eaten just before us. Here I had a chicken and bacon burger, and a delicious brownie. Leaving the restaurant almost in a food coma, we came back to the hotel for our evening debrief. After that we had a bit of time to relax and hang out with our teammates before we went to sleep.

Luckily, this year my alarm went off, so my room had plenty of time to pack up and eat breakfast. Our first match was at 9am in the semi finals against West Midlands. Whilst we tried our best, we lost this match 1-2. We then played in the 3-4 playoffs against Northwest. Despite having won against them in the pool matches, we finished this one 0-2. Everyone played their best and the whole team, bench and coaches included, were part of the game happening on court. All the teams this year were incredibly talented, we placed 4th out of 9. This is an amazing result.

We finished our day with a final debrief, the last one of the season and with my south west team. We all said our goodbyes, a few of us with teary eyes, and went our separate ways. Whilst I’m sad that I can’t return next year, these two years were an incredible opportunity and have left me with memories I will never forget. I have loved every moment of it, from the monthly training sessions and meeting talented players from all over the southwest, to cheering my team on and playing with them in competitive matches.

I want to say thank you to Dave Gunter (head coach) for having me on his team for these past two years, it was a pleasure to be taught by you. Thank you, Floe, for supporting our team as our assistant coach and teammate from my home team, and for driving us to and from Kettering. I also want to thank Dave Reece for all his commitment behind the scenes. Finally, a massive thank you to my team and those who didn’t make the final selection.

You guys made this experience happen and I’m so grateful to have met you all. Especially our captain, Ena, having played with you last year, it’s amazing to see how much you’ve progressed. Congratulations to you all for being the best team out there, I hope to see you all again soon. Whether that’s on the same side of the net or the other. Good luck with your volleyball futures, and next year’s team, you’ll smash it. I love you all.

Vakare Zalieckaite

Dave Reece 0 Comments
Jul 14 2023
My IRC Experience 2023 – Harry Brett

Each year we ask a number of our youngsters to report back on their SW IRC experience, today we focus on Harry Brett  (SW Number 4) from our U17 Boys Squad.

On the 28th and 29th of May 2023, I was selected to represent South West at the Inter-Regional Championships in Kettering. This was My second year at the event however this time I was competing in the u17s tournament.

After a very long drive on the 27th of May, we arrived in Kettering. This allowed us to get a full night’s sleep in preparation for the games on the proceeding day and watch the girls’ final pool matches before the knockout stages the next morning. In the evening we used the time to get all of our kit and have a quick chat about our opponents tomorrow afternoon.

The next morning we woke up early and prepared by having a carb-filled breakfast so that when our games began we’d have plenty of energy to use. On arrival at the national volleyball centre, our team first watched the girls’ knockouts, unfortunately both SW teams lost in the semi-finals but had done extremely well to get there. We made sure to have an extensive warm-up before our first game as it was against London, which we believed would be our hardest game of the tournament.

In our first game, we came out strong with a consistent tempo and a good game plan. Nevertheless, we were unlucky as we dropped the first set our heads fell and this concluded with us losing in straight sets, however knowing this would most likely be our hardest game we were still confident going into game 2. Entering our final game of day 1 we had gone over our mistakes in the first game and took these into account when playing the East Midlands.

This game was tough to begin with, but we made sure to up our level and as a result, we played tremendously winning in straight sets, which was a nice result following our defeat. Personally, I quite enjoyed this game as I got a huge ace on set point. We had now finished the games for day one and had settled into playing as this was only the second time we’d played together in a competitive scenario.

We had to be up early the next day as we had to referee at 9am. We took this as an advantage as we would be more awake than our opponents who didn’t need to arrive until the game against us. On the previous day we had watched the North-West team and from the footage we assessed that they had strong wide hitters and they also defended deep, this led to us using tips to win many points.

In the first set, We came out strong and outclassed our opponents with a variety of different attacks and a well set block which they struggled to get around. However, in the second set we became complacent to begin with, which led to them gaining an early lead which stuck with them for most of the set. Nevertheless after a tactical timeout at 14-18 to them we turned the set around to complete our second 2-0 victory. This win lead us to being second in the pool which meant we were through to the semi-finals.

Now we had made it through the group stages, we were eager to find out who we were matched up against so went to spectate the other pools game. East Vs South East, this was an important game as it would determine who we would face. East came out victorious so that was our next game.

Before our semis we had prepared ourselves as much as we could; this team were the reigning champions so we came in as the underdogs. The Start of the match was good, we kept our cool and stayed confident as we gained an early lead through a spell of good serving. With this momentum we ploughed through them into winning the first set. The second set started even better through the use of our strengths we amassed a plentiful lead heading into the closing points of the set we were 24-20 up.

Then, through an unlucky spell of hits just going out paired with an unfortunate rotation error, we ended up losing the set 26-24. Despite this we still knew we should’ve won and took this forward as a boost going into set 3. So with a first to 15 final set we were in for a tough path to victory as the crowd was going and the air was tense as each point went over the net. Being the first team to 8 we had an advantage going into the side change which would benefit us going into the deciding points which after a hard fought battle we came out winners and into the final against London.

The buildup to the finals were tense, we knew to win we’d have to further up our game to another gear which we had but as a team we were knackered from the semi-finals. Despite this we brought a winning mentality into this game. The first set was unideal, we didn’t play through our strengths and this led to us being lucky to win each point and this unfortunately ended with us conceding the first set.

However, still hungry to win we played a better game in the second set shutting down their hitters and hitting through their defence. This set was extremely close with many points being long rallies which increased the tension as we traded points. This was until they got a small streak and the score was 24-20 to london. I was now up to serve and the crowd was alive and we managed to claw it back to 24-24. At this point the suspense was unreal, in my opinion both these points felt like they were endless. Unluckily we lost both points meaning london won the second set. However this performance was a massive improvement on the first outing so as a team we weren’t fully disappointed with runners up.

With this being many players on our team’s last Inter-Regionals they were delighted to get a medal as it is a memory of the great performance which we had at this tournament. Going from 7th place in the previous year to placing 2nd place and beating the reigning champions in a Semi-Final which was truly incredible and a match to remember. I will be looking forward to next year in the u17s and aspire to do even better.

Harry Brett

Dave Reece 0 Comments
Jul 14 2023
My IRC Experience 2023 – Derin Canbulat

Each year we ask a number of our youngsters to report back on their SW IRC experience, today we focus on Derin Canbulat (SW Number 11) from our U15 Boys Squad.

This was the second year I had been selected to play for South West in the Inter Regional Championships. Friday morning’s four and a half hour journey to the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering was accompanied with music and terrible singing. We arrived late afternoon, just in time to see the last of the u15 and u17 girls’ matches of the first day. After providing words and cheers of encouragement to the girls, we promptly headed back to the hotel , where we ate dinner and were allocated our kit. We then went upstairs and explored each other’s rooms before going to bed.

The next day, we woke up around 8:50 and started making our way downstairs for breakfast at 9. After a filling breakfast of eggs, bacon and toast , we went back up to our rooms to complete all our final preparations before we left at 10. We arrived at the Volleyball Centre at around 20 past 10 with the realisation that our first match didn’t start until 2 , meaning we had to idly wait for around 6 hours. The only thing we could really do was cheer on the girls on their very last games of the championship.

Finally, 2 o’clock rolled around, we were placed in pool B with Yorkshire , North West and West Midlands , with our first game being against North West . We warmed up and after a motivational talk from our coaches, me and the other starting 5 made our way on court. Unfortunately, we conceded the first set 25-22. However, we redeemed ourselves with the last 2 sets, winning them both 25-20 and 15-6.

Due to this first game being won, everyone was confident that we would win the next match against Yorkshire as well. 5 o clock struck and it was time for our second game. Our confidence from the first game had waned by now and it certainly didn’t help the team’s morale when someone mentioned that 10 out of Yorkshire’s 12 were England players. Consequently Yorkshire crushed us in 2 sets , 25-16 and 25-18. This was our last game of the day, we then headed back to the hotel for dinner and a debrief from our coaches.

On Monday, breakfast was at 8:30. After, we packed all our bags from the trip, placed them back on the bus and left for the Centre. We would be playing our last pool game today, at 11 against West Midlands. Thankfully, we won the game, although the 3rd set was a tie breaker that put everyone on edge. We won the first set 25-18, conceded the second 25-23 and won the last 15-12. We would now be playing the semi final.

The semifinal was against London and was a tough game; we lost both sets. However the points were very close and honestly, I felt that that game could have gone either way. We only lost 25-23 and 25-21. Due to this loss, we would be playing South East for 3rd place. Sadly, we lost against South East and took 4th place on the final podium. In all honesty, I was really happy with this result as it was so much better than last years and I am thankful to have been able to play with people who love the same sport as me.

Derin Canbulat

Dave Reece 0 Comments
Dec 14 2022
My Nevza U17 Experience 2022 – Heidi Bright

Each year we ask a number of our young athletes to report back on their volleyball experience, today we focus on Heidi Bright (England No. 8), as well as representing the SW Region in this years IRC and the IRB events, selected to represent England at this years U17 Nevza (North Europe Volleyball Zone Association) competition in Ikast, Denmark.

I was really proud to be a part of this experience and getting to be part of the squad. I worked really hard to get to where I am and had a really amazing time in Denmark. I’m really glad I got to experience this competition with some of the people I have worked with for many years and am very grateful for the opportunity we got to progress together as a team.

Our flight to Denmark was on Sunday 16th October at 4am. Many of the athletes decided to drive up the night before because of this very early start and due to this our head coach for the cadets – Darren Lewis, decided to schedule training the evening before our departure, at 5-7pm. This training helped the team to get used to playing together before we left England for our first few matches.

We were all very tired waking up so early but equally excited to travel to, for many of us, myself included, our first international competition. The flight was just over an hour, and then another hour’s coach ride to the venue and many of the players slept on the way. It was interesting to see a glimpse of Denmark before we arrived at the venue.

The matches didn’t start until Monday morning (the next day) so we decided to train in the hall to get a feel for the floor and size of the hall before we played. It was amazing to see the facilities that the players here had and we were all amazed by the venue.

The walk to the hall from our accommodation was only 5 minutes, and although we were all freezing in the cold weather, we got to see some of our surroundings on the way.

To see what we would be playing in for the next few days had made the whole team very excited for the days to come. After this, everyone on the team was nervous, but ready for our first match.

All of the teams stayed in the same complex, it would normally be a school for sports, but the teams fitted in nicely for the week. There were 6 people in a room, and I’m sure you can imagine how difficult it was to manage our time and get enough sleep effectively, but it was nice to be able to spend time with a large part of the team for the short amount of time we spent together.

Our first match was the next morning, it was against Iceland. We were very nervous to play against them because we knew that they had won the tournament last year, but we had analysed their play before the game started and made sure to prepare accordingly. We managed to play one of our best games and won 3-0, this put us in a very good position, and gave us confidence for our second pool match later that day.

After eating lunch, we rested for a few hours, most of the team slept to prepare for the game later. We were all relatively tired from the match earlier in the day but managed to put out another good game against the Faroe islands, winning 3-2.

It was an impressive game but was also the most exhausting. We won the first two sets and were confident in our play but after the Faroe islands pushed back in the third set we almost lost hope for the match. Pulling ourselves back in the fifth set was difficult, and we were proud of our resilience.

After both of these tough matches, we all wanted to sleep fairly early. So, after dinner and a meeting about the next day’s strategy and reflection on the day, we all went to sleep pretty quickly.

When Tuesday came, we got the morning off. Due to the fact that we came first in our pool the day before, we were straight through to the semi-finals, and just had to wait to find out who we were going to play.

When we found out that we were going to play Sweden, we did some analysis on their play and went into the game rested and ready to play. However, this was our toughest game yet, and after a tough battle, Sweden managed to come out on top with a win 3-0. Our team put everything on the court that day, and although the score doesn’t show it, it was our toughest battle. We were all grateful for the opportunity to play against such a high-level team that went on to win the finals.

We knew that we had to reset and prepare for the ¾ playoffs that would take place the next morning, and all of us really wanted to win a bronze medal.

After a good night of rest, we woke up to hear that our play offs would be against Iceland, who we played and beat in our first match. Even though we knew this we were still sceptical going into the match because we knew that Iceland had improved their game since the last match and knew our game strategies now.

We spoke about our new game plan and went into our fourth match prepared and ready.

Although we were confident, due to a rotational error in our first set which threw our rotations off for the whole set, our mindsets were broken down for the rest of the match. Iceland stepped up their play and managed to win 3-0. The team was quite disappointed with this result but stayed positive after all of our hard work getting there.

This was our last match together as a team and we were all very emotional when the tournament came to an end for us.

Regardless, we watched both the men’s final (Denmark v. Sweden) and the women’s final (Norway v. Sweden) and were impressed by their play.

We ate dinner and packed our belongings before getting on the coach and heading back home. The flight on the way back was delayed by an hour so we ended up not making it into England until 2am and most of the team was very tired after a long few days of playing.

I thought that NEVZA was an extremely valuable experience for me as a player because I developed and learnt so many new things in the few short days I spent there and played at a level I had never experienced before. I also really enjoyed spending time with people my age who share the same passion for volleyball as me and look forward to many more possible experiences similar to this in the future.

Heidi Bright

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