TN looking Good for Cup success - coach
DAVID Goodchild has hailed Team Northumbria volleyball as the side to beat after they progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women’s Cup on the back of a straight-sets win against Manchester.
TN’s stellar performance saw them take the first two sets 25-11 before the hosts sealed the match with a 25-9 win in the third.
Goodchild said: “There was a big gulf in class.
“We managed to rotate everybody into the game so they had a chance to play and we produced a good all-round performance.
“The girls controlled the game and it was just nice to see the players win their last game before the Christmas break.”
Team Northumbria’s next fixture sees them face off against local rivals Durham in January - allowing coach Goodchild time to reflect on a barnstorming first half of the season.
He added: “I am really happy with how the season has gone so far.
“Our loss at Polonia in the Super 8s has really been the only negative.
“From a BUCS perspective we have won every game.
“The team seems to be starting to gel now. We have a lot of new people in because we only retained two players from last season.
“That is a lot of players who have had to learn new systems, new styles and get to know each other as well as understand the way I work and my coaching philosophies.
“It is a case of just keeping our momentum going now.
“There are a lot of really good teams we will come up against, again including Durham and Polonia.
“However, I think when we play at our very best it is going to be a hard ask for anyone to beat us.
“I am delighted at where the girls are now in the programme and I believe this team will go from strength to strength in the New Year
“I definitely think we are the team to beat.”