UEL Women’s Volleyball first team made light work of title rivals Bournemouth University, running out 3-0 winners at SportsDock on Wednesday, keeping the title fight firmly in their own hands.
The Blues went into the match knowing that a win would keep their title challenge on track, as rivals Essex and Bournemouth both have games in hand on the east London side.
The game began in an even fashion as Helen Farr got Bournemouth off to a good start, taking the first point with a fine smash.
Both sides began trading points as the score crept up to 3-2 in favour of the hosts inside three minutes.
A huge crowd had gathered at SportsDock to cheer on UEL in their biggest match of the season, but the away side made their presence felt in the early stages.
Toe-To-Toe
Shantell Arnold forced the first time-out of the match, as she smashed home after good work from Maddison Powell to give UEL a 7-3 advantage.
Annie Boele was next to try her luck as her dinked effort fooled Bournemouth and UEL continued their advantage.
Morgan Lowenkamp entered the fray midway through the first set, instantly making an impact as her shot was too powerful for Heather Bravo.
Bournemouth continued to match UEL, forcing the hosts into their first time out with the scores at 18-17.
Arela Williams restored some order winning two great points with some accurate smashes, pushing UEL forward as they took the set 25-19.
Gear Change
The second set began in similar fashion with Williams carving a way through Bournemouth’s defensive attempts to give the hosts an early lead.
The tempo went up as UEL were ruthless, establishing an 11-3 lead thanks to a number of solid blocks. However, the away side woke up and brought the score back to 14-7 with a number of strong smashes.
Bournemouth continued to make it difficult for UEL, but the hosts raced away into a 20-10 lead as individual errors started to creep in.
Lowenkamp showed her class, combining brilliantly with Powell as her delicate dink was out of reach of Korbelaroua, before UEL claimed the second set 25-11 in convincing fashion.
Touching Distance
The third and final set began with a brilliant rally that ended with Bournemouth taking the points, as Lowenkamp’s smash was hit too long and bounced out of play.
Moments later, a mix up between Rita Calinas and Aga Winiarska gifted UEL a point as they both battled for the same ball causing the coach to call their second time out.
Errors from UEL allowed Bournemouth to regain some control, and as the scores read 11-9 Jefferson Williams called his sides’ second time-out of the match.
After the restart, UEL turned on the style and raced into a 17-10 lead. Powell placed a lovely trick shot into the centre of the court which fooled the visiting defence.
Further brilliant points were won after good work from Williams and Lowenkamp as UEL’s quality shone through.
Boele rounded off a dominant final set, blocking a shot which handed UEL victory by 25-13. The title hunt is in their hands going into the final match against Cambridge on the 23rd January in the Premier South Division.
Line-Ups
UEL: Ailsa McDonald, Alvie Co, Annie Boele, Arela Williams, Ariadne Sierra, Eleftheria Katsampouni, Francesca Smith-Daye, Katerina Boletou, Madison Powell, Morgan Lowenkamp, Shantell Arnold,
Peyton McDaniel, Saffron Betts.
Bournemouth: Marina Beul, Taylor Garmer, Thea Gudenkauf, Aga Winiarska, Helen Farr, Heather Bravo, Florence Polacoy, Rita Calinas, Camille Lauras, Sophie Pongpiriyaporn, Silvie Korbelaroua, Shari Bernhardt.
