Tabs tune out Blues
Volleyball Women’s Blues
Oxford.........................0
Cambridge....................3
The volleyball court at Iffley was a scene of mixed emotions on Wednesday night. The large turn-out of loyal supporters were full of enthusiasm and vocal energy but the home team failed to respond to this vigour and they struggled through an agonising three sets. There was perhaps an unlucky omen in the form of Oxford game-winner Elga Ozols, who experienced a devastating blow on Tuesday when she sprained her ankle and relegated herself to a hobbling spectator.
On the sidelines Ozols predicted a close match, with Cambridge being potential favourites, and his proved true with the first set proving particularly close. Oxford won the first point and then followed this up with a powerful ace. However, their weaknesses started to show and Cambridge quickly opened up a lead of three points at 5-2.
The Oxford side looked disorganised from the start and confusion over who would receive the ball led to several instances where no one attempted to make a return, the players simply watching as the ball fell between them. The score did creep back up to 8-8 but this was largely a result of the Cambridge serve falling short on a number of occasions.
Unfortunately a lack of vitality from the Blues saw the set fizzled to a 25-20 Cambridge win and no amount of spectator support could rejuvenate the match. When Cambridge won the second set there was still hope that the women could replicate the fantastic comeback displayed by the Oxford Blues men’s team last week. However, despite some good rallies by Oxford, Cambridge executed more effective tactics and used their libero much more.
They maintained a fresh, energetic approach and took the last set with 25-20. The score did not reflect some achievement on the part of Oxford. At one point Cambridge were leading 8-1 but Oxford managed to avoid complete annihilation by winning some long rallies. Nynke Hofstra demonstrated good composure, delivering some very accurate hits, but overall the Oxford team seemed to rely far too heavily on talent of Hui Chen, who played with fiery determination.
Her dedication and spirit stood out in a generally lacklustre team and she commented, “I think the team thing is really a matter of ‘ass-covering’. Your body should always be ready to do some ass-covering in case it’s needed. I was trained that this is what I should do for my team.’ Hui was certainly everywhere on the court, ready to turn a bad pass into a good set or cover the hitter when the Cambridge side were blocking. She added, “I think we are a team with great potential.
Unfortunately, we don’t have enough time to wait for the potential to be realised.’” This echoes the team coach, Julien Quintard, who has told his players, ‘we have a lot of work to do, and this must come from training. Of course we need to work on basic stuff - the pass was a real issue. Again, I really want you to act as a team and this comes from training.
I want you to communicate a lot more, and do not expect that your mate next to you can get the ball but believe that you can get it. You will be surprised how many balls you will defend if you have this positive attitude.’ A positive attitude is what is vitally needed, particularly if the women want to defend the Varsity title that they won so impressively last season.
Their next match is against the fearsome Loughborough side who dominate the sport and this BUSA league, but this should at the least provide some valuable experience and hopefully force them to raise their game.
17th Nov 2005