UEL Women’s Volleyball first team advanced to the semi-finals of the BUCS National Championship after a 3-1 victory over Sheffield Hallam University at SportsDock on Wednesday afternoon.
The Blues were making their first appearance in the competition, having been given a bye into the quarter finals. The away side comfortably overcame Oxford in the last-16 of the Championship to earn them the tie against UEL.
Sheffield raced into a 4-0 lead in the first set after UEL misplaced many of their early efforts. The hosts were able to regain some control as Madison Powell worked well with captain Morgan Lowenkamp to win some vital points.
However, Hallam were stubborn and continued to frustrate UEL in the opening exchanges as they continued to dominate with the score at 6-11.
Shining Star
The hosts finally found their rhythm with five minutes gone. Arela Williams produced a trademark smash, bringing the score to 14-13 as UEL led for the first time. In response, Sheffield called a timeout to assess how they were trailing in a match they had dominated.
Moments later, Williams was in fine form once again. She cleverly dinked a shot over two Hallam players, before serving strongly to keep UEL ahead. Some brilliant defensive blocks resulted in UEL taking the first set 25-19.
Digging Deep
As they did in the first set, UEL struggled during the opening stages but levelled the scores at 5-5 when Shantell Arnold smashed the ball over the net from close range. Individual errors were common however, and the home side struggled to pull away from a resilient Hallam outfit.
Soon, the Blues carved out a small advantage as Arnold did well to win a good point which helped UEL seal the second set 25-20.
Hallam Hassle
With a straight set victory in sight, the third began frantically with UEL taking a 9-8 lead inside three minutes. However, Sheffield showed character and established a huge 19-14 lead thanks to some great defensive work and poor shot placement from UEL.
The away side took the set 25-18, with coach Jefferson Williams visibly frustrated that the game had not been put to bed.
Defiant Display
UEL started the fourth set well with coach Williams motivating the team from the sideline. They took a 7-5 lead thanks to good work from Lowenkamp and Annie Boele, with the latter producing a great shot to give the hosts an advantage.
The away side stuck with UEL for most of the final set, but quality was starting to shine through as the hosts developed an 18-13 lead. Tiredness crept in for Sheffield as individual mistakes become more prevalent, leaving UEL to comfortably claim victory by 25-15.
Team Sheets
UEL: Ailsa McDonald, Alvie Co, Annie Boele, Arela Williams, Ariadne Sierra, Eleftheria Katsampouni, Katerina Boletou, Madison Powell, Morgan Lowenkamp, Shantell Arnold, Peyton McDaniel, Saffron Betts.
Sheffield Hallam: Breen, Fubara, Beckford, Brittien, Miller, Heath.
