Phantom Hercules shows the way
Three weeks into the Volleyball Horsham winter season and Tim Popple’s Phantom Hercules is leading the pack in a new-look A Grade competition.
The competition has been consolidated to give competitors more opportunity to play quality matches and it has been Popple’s team that has settled the best in the first three weeks.
The inclusion of Pat Laffy and Campbell Mason has given Phantom Hercules much-needed depth, with Laffy ever consistent in his pass-hitter role and Mason using all his athletic ability to be an effective middle blocker-attacker.
All Phantom Hercules players receive good delivery from the association’s number-one female setter Kara Johnson.
Nathan Berry’s Hypnos Roar sits second, its last effort a character-building five-set win over Hades Nuggets.
Berry has a team that is consistent in defence with Delaney Wills and Tyler Puls leading the way, while Paddy Sherry and the returning Lachie Wilson provide variety in attack.
Matthew Berry’s Hades Nuggets sit third and are just shadowing Jayden Mcqueen’s Poseidon Murtoa on the ladder.
The Nuggets need to find an extra string to their attacking bow as Jon Fitzgerald is their go-to man at the moment, while James Davidson and Loucas Vettos are finding rhythm as middle attackers.
Mcqueen’s Murtoa team is settling under Jordy Weidemann’s setting and will look to continue to improve as the season progresses.
In B Grade, the senior teams in Phantom Masters, Von Steiger Shadows and Waterhammers are leading the way against more youthful opponents in Saints, Phantom Rangers and Murtoa.
The key to these three teams is the amount of improvement they have in them as the season progresses, while the younger teams will steadily improve as each week goes by.
Just how much they improve, only time will tell, as long as they don’t leave their run too late.
Anyone interested in playing A or B grade on Wednesday nights or C Grade or juniors on Monday night in Horsham can drop in to St Brigid’s College stadium on either night to inquire.