Maidstone Volleyball League pulls off a hat trick

MAIDSTONE Volleyball League recently completed a hat trick of Verulam and District Volleyball Association (VDVA) league titles.

This year’s competition was hotly contested and went down to the wire as Maidstone and Brindhaven Titans finished level on points, but the former were crowned champions, thanks to a better set ratio.

The Ricky Perumal-coached team pulled clear in the penultimate round of the competition by beating the Titans comprehensively in a match that turned out to be a title decider.

“We had slipped up a few times this season and went into that game knowing that only a win would do,” Perumal said. “We played a fast game, which stopped the opposition from gaining momentum. I am very pleased the guys delivered when it counted.”

In the inaugural ethekwini Volleyball League, Maidstone finished runners-up to Liberte. “We enjoyed a good campaign, winning games against established clubs like Liberte and the Durban University of Technology,” Perumal said. “I think to finish second among the best clubs in the province shows that we are a team that continues to improve every season.”

While the Tongaat-based club progressed on the local front, they again found it tough to challenge the top clubs in South Africa this season. They failed to progress from the group stages of Volleyball South Africa’s Champions Cup hosted in Durban earlier this year.

Despite an encouraging showing against the University of the Western Cape and victory against the Titans, they were hammered by Limpopo outfit Kamplits in the group decider.

Perumal said: “We have learnt much from playing in the Champions Cup over the past three years and I am confident we are on the right track.”