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The
ladies final between QLD and NSW. |
Photo:
ABPH Kade Rogers
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By
ABPH Kade Rogers
It was Queensland all the way last month in Brisbane when the
sunshine state smashed their way to victory at the National ADF
Volleyball titles.
In the ladies final, QLD easily accounted for NSW, taking 3 out
of 4 sets, while the QLD men sent visiting team the Royal Navy
packing with a 3 from 5 sets win.
The ladies final saw the northern-ers cruise through the first
set, 25-13, with MAJ Jenny Becker and SQNLDR Kirrily Dearing proving
to be an effec-tive attacking combination.
NSW strengthened their defence in the second, and with the setting
of CAPT Erica Rodgers and spiking of CPL Merika Nilsson, the NSW
team quickly added points to the board.
QLD responded, adding SQNLDR Vicky Campbell to their attacking
line up to take the second set 25-16.
NSW took advantage of a loss of QLD momentum in the third to take
the set convincingly 25-15 In the fourth, Campbell teamed with
Dearing and Becker to quell the NSW attack.
FLTLT Gretchen Fryer came on for NSW as a last ditch attempt to
salvage points for the sinking NSW side but to no avail. QLD took
the final set 25-7.
In the men’s final, QLD started strongly against the English
visitors but it became a close set, the home state just taking
the first by a point, 24-23.
The RN defenders picked up the pieces of their loss and quickly
nailed 9 points to the board taking a 6-point lead in the second.
A savage point for point duel ensued and QLD bounced back with
effective blocking by SGT Steve Elder levelling the scores 22
all.
Frustration was beginning to mount and tempers reached boiling
point cul-minating in a yellow card for CPO Ian Weller (RN).
The stalemate was broken when QLD broke free and finished the
sec-ond set 29 27.
“The match was right down to the wire,” said manager
Rick Warren.
The Royal Navy beat the home side in the second and third sets,
25-22 and 25-19 respectively.
But the fifth set, the decider, saw the Queenslanders snatch victory
in a 2 point thriller, 16-14.
