Phantoms the teams to watch

Phantom Hercules and Phantom Masters will go in as favorites to take out their respective grades in a Volleyball Horsham Lightning Spike Challenge tonight on the back of good form during the round robin section of the competition.

In A Grade, Phantom Hercules finished with five wins and one loss to top the table in the T-20 version of the game, ahead of Hypnos Roar, Poseidon Murtoa and Hades Nuggets.

The first semi-final features Hypnos Roar and Poseidon Murtoa going head to head for the first play-off spot in the gold-medal match.

Much will depend on the availability of the Poseidon Murtoa year-12 boys, but if they field their full-strength team the match up between Jayden Mcqueen and Nathan Berry will go a long way to determining the outcome.

Mcqueen is dynamite in attack while Berry has the jumping ability to put up a solid blocking defence against the Murtoa champ.

The second semi-final sees favorite Phantom Hercules up against Hades Nuggets.

The Phantom team has the firepower with Tim Popple, Tyler Snowden, Campbell Mason and Pat Laffy feeding off the good setting of Kara Johnson to cause enough grief for the Nuggets.

The Nuggets will make it tough as their backcourt defence is their strength as they keep themselves in the game more than most.

But if Matthew Berry cannot get the ball to Jon Fitzgerald their attack is quite tame.

In B Grade, Phantom Masters are undefeated on top of the table and assured of a spot in the gold medal match, even with one game to go.

Phantom Rangers have been the surprise packet and sit in second spot, and would have to get smashed by Murtoa to miss out on any medal match.

Von Steiger Shadows sit third and must beat, or only just lose to the Masters, to make a medal match.

Much depends on the Waterhammers as to who plays in what medal match as they must beat the winless Saints boys and hope Murtoa does not beat the Phantom Rangers to make the bronze medal match.

All in all the shortened form of the game has been well received by both grades and an intense and fun night of volleyball is on the cards.

The first games start at 6pm with the A Grade gold medal game at 7.30pm and the B Grade gold medal game at 8pm.