Close games as state league starts

Phantoms teams competing in Victorian Volleyball League have experienced mixed results after the opening round of competition at the State Volleyball Centre.

Six teams competed with two coming out on top. Reserves women, with former Volleyball Horsham member Jess Radford returning, made short work of Dandenong and won in straight sets.

Division Two men, with Nathan Murphy and Will Saligari, drafted into the team at the last minute, also recorded a strong straight sets win, over Mazenod – the final set scoreline of 25-7 underlying just how dominant the boys were.

It was a different story for the Premier Men. With Matthew Berry coming back into the team, joining former Volleyball Horsham members Nick Adamson, Cam Robinson and Jack Hannan, the team suffered a straight-sets loss to Southern Cross Cobras.

The Phantoms were right in the match in the first set but couldn’t seal the deal. They then dropped the second 18-25 before fighting out the third.

They will be stronger for the return of injured pair Michael Mayes and Zac Hermans.

The Reserves Men, with Tim Popple and Nathan Berry playing key roles, went down to Eastside Hawks in five sets.

The boys won the first two sets and looked to be cruising, but the opposition lifted its game and took the next two sets to push the game into a fifth and deciding set. The Phantoms played well to establish an early lead but couldn’t close the game out, losing 14-16.

Division Three boys with Aidan O’connor and Alan Jorgensen-price in the team and playing state league for the first time went down in four sets to Dandenong.

The Division Two girls with Laelah Robertson and Chloe Brown were two sets to one up against Heidelberg but inexperience cost them in the run home and they lost 15-7 in the fifth set. Division Three girls had a bye. Overall it was a good start to the season, one that has seen the Phantoms Volleyball Club grow from five to seven teams with talented youngsters from across western Victoria taking the opportunity to improve their game.

Anyone interested in playing volleyball can contact David Berry on 0487 824 599 or info@ volleyballhorsham.com.au.