Tendring Pipped to Double Promotion

The weekend saw Tendring Volleyball Club's Men’s team travel to Kettering for the National Play-Off’s, where they would face the winners for the other two Division 3 Conferences, University of Birmingham(UoB) and New Forest.

Tendring would enter the toughest and most import weekend of the season with a weakened squad, missing Stuart Dove - thigh injury, Liam Chinnery – Stuck in Australia and Spence Overton-White – work commitments. With two of the starting line up missing it was going to be a huge challenge for the Frinton based team.

The first match was against UoB who are a young team but would pose the greatest threat to Tendring’s double promotion challenge. The game started well for Tendring with them taking an early lead in the first set with good hitting from Neil Masters and Aaron Jones. Both teams showed signs of nerves as the set closed out but the experience of Masters and Alex Porter was enough for Tendring to win the set.

UoB come out of the blocks in the second set with all guns blazing, pushing Tendring’s defence hard. At times it was like there was four teams on court with both teams produces amazing plays and then committing the most basic of errors. UoB fire kept them going through the set as Tendring continued to make unforced errors.

The third set was similar to the second as UoB raced off to an early 7-1 lead, Tendring struggling to stop the flow of unforced errors.  At 20-11 it looked like Tendring were giving up the ghost but a good run of servers from Jamie Everett got them back in the game but the gap was to big and UoB were in the lead 2-1.

Set four saw Tendring start very badly, again too many unforced errors giving the Essex boy’s an uphill battle. With the game looking beyond Tendring’s grasp at 21-13, a glimmer of hope arrived. Sonny Chaney came on for J. Everett and Tendring got their fire back. With tough serving pressure from Masters, Porter and Chaney were unstoppable at the net. UoB had a fight on their hands, as the gap got smaller Tendring grew in confidence and UoB started to show their inexperience by going for glory shots. At 24-23 down, Tendring surged forwards and totally demoralised the UoB by winning the set.

The fifth set is normally decided by one or two points, with Tendring’s confidence overflowing from the forth set, UoB would face a tough time. For a change the set started well for Tendring as they raced to an early 4-1 lead. Widlarz, Jones and Chaney kept the pressure on in the attack as Tendring closed out the set. On match point UoB smashed a ball out, putting Tendring one game away from Division 1 next season.

Janice Porter Award: Aaron Jones

After over 2 hours of play Tendring were physically and mentally exhausted. With the Volleyball England suddenly changing the order of things, Tendring would now face New Forest straight away with two very inexperienced referees.

You could smell fear from the New Forest team as they had just watched the Tendring V UoB match and realised they were going to need a miracle for them to even compete.

After watching New Forest warm up, it looked like they only had one player that would cause Tendring and trouble. The first set started with where they had left UoB off, with Tendring piling on the pressure. Even with the poor refereeing Tendring were unstoppable, Nick Davies was able to set who he want when he wanted and there was nothing New Forest could do nothing to stop him. Tendring ran out easy winners in the first set. After 6 sets on the trot Porter had to be subbed off due knee troubles. With constant appeals to the referee about New Forest’s ball handling falling on deaf ears it seemed like they had an extra man. From mid way in the second set things started to go wrong for Tendring, New Forests main hitter was on form winning points from all his shots and Tendring started to fatigue. At 14-13 New Forest started to pull away point by point. At 25-20 Tendring had given their opponents nearly half their points in errors.

Porter came back on in the third to try and steady the ship but New Forest were on a role and Tendring had lost their momentum. Some great passing by Masters and Jones gave  Davies many options but none of the hitters converted them into points. Davies utilities the middles Jones, Chaney and J. Everett as they seem to be the only ones able to get through the New Forest block. New Forest sensed Tendring’s frustration and continued to pull away. New Forest won the set convincingly.

In the fourth Tendring hit a brick wall. At 20-12 the game was all but over but great serving from Masters let Porter, Chancy and Widlarz put up a big block up to stop New Forests attacks. Tendring inched back in to the game 21-15, 22-18, Porter demanded to be set every ball from Davies and suddenly the score was 23-23. New Forest looked fragile again. Porters cross court smash hit the top of the net but failed to go over leaving New Forest on Match point. Tendring pulled it back again but a smash from New Forest’s man of the match finished the game. 3-1 to New Forest.

Janice Porte Award: Sonny Chaney

Tendring sat around after the game looking absolutely shattered, physically and mentally.  Their fate was now in the hands of the result of UoB and New Forest.

UoB beat New Forest 3-0 which means UoB are promoted to Division 1 on sets difference. Tendring’s dream season had been dashed but if you had asked any player 9 months ago if they would have be happy with reaching the National Shield Final, being promoted 1 division and reaching the play-off’s they would bitten you hand off. This shows how far the team and club have come in such a short space of time.