For the first time in quite a few weeks, the rain looked threatening, but that did not deter this bunch of weather hardy players!
A tent was set up for valuables, two courts were erected, and players started getting ready.
Pre team selection, chatter was rife with who may be leading after this week, with the absence of the championship leader Gareth….
The first match, as always, was a 6 v 6 affair, with an even split down the leader board for players, it showed when the match finished a nail biting 23-24, those on team 2 getting a single point advantage over their fellow players.
The arrival of 3 players brought the return to 4 v 4, and we enlisted the all powerful random team selection machine, otherwise known as ‘The Chair’….
There was a notable performance from some of the shorter players, moving about and picking up more balls than normal, negating some of the taller players tactics.
And then…came…the….rain…!!! Thankfully it was only a light drizzle, so was still playable with a little caution and a keen eye on the surface.
Even with some players seemingly ignoring coaches advice to only bump set, confident in their water based setting skills…. this then brought about an onslaught of handling errors, most noticed in the 3rd match between team 1 and team 2, with a 13-28 victory!
The weather dried up for matches 4, 5 & 6, but the light reduced. We are not sure if this is due to the earlier setting of the sun, darker clouds looming overhead, or the apparent mass of gnats or mosquitos blocking out the sun in search of the juiciest skin….
There were some notable performances throughout the evening, with a special congratulations for Harper for gaining the highest score of the evening at 151, 7 points more than 2nd highest scorer – also thank you for keeping the scores in your game as well Harper 🙂
The average scores per match for this week were 19.83 at lowest, and 25.16 at highest.
Our most notable movers in the top of the table this week were Gareth, dropping from the lofty heights of 1st down to 5th after missing this event, and Kenny moving all the way up to 4th. She is now the leading female, but also in contention of taking the overall title, being only 89 points from the lead!
With Jorden managing to outscore Archie by 17 points this week, it has moved him up into 3rd, 2 points behind Archie in 2nd place.
Our new leader this week, for the 2nd time, and scoring the second highest amount for this week, is Lewis. An impressive 144 this week moves him into 1st place on 716 points, 44 points clear of the lead.
What will happen next week? Can Gareth reclaim his position at the top? Can Archie beat his old coach, can Jorden prove the value of experience? Or will Kenny or Harper come rattling through to contest the lead? Only time will tell!
Maidstone Volleyball Club 