Match Report

Oxford M1 vs Birmingham

Date:
21 Oct 2009
Location:
Birmingham
Result:
3-2 (41-39, 25-22, 20-25, 22-25, 15-5)

Comments

Walking into the Birmingham University sports centre, we were pleasantly surprised to see the gym ceiling wasn't nearly as low as we had been led to believe (having removed the obstructing beams from the ceiling). We had arrived way early and took our time warming up, while the Birmingham team came filing in. Needless to say, we were not impressed.

The first set began rather uneventful; we started well and took a 5-point lead. Through some mistakes on our side we lost a 20-15 lead and entered the most gruelling phase of side-out after side-out routine ever recorded (thank God for Brian's drills). From 25 all, Oxford and Birmingham went back and forth all the way through to 39-39. We took the next rally, however, and then Jeremy (of all people) finished it off with the best-timed ace in recent volleyball history to finish the set 41-39.

With the moral momentum on our side, and Birmingham looking somewhat deflated, we played well the second set and kept a steady three- or four-point lead. Making few mistakes and many blocks, we took the set 25-22. The third set started off similarly, but we started slipping and began making unforced mistakes. They took an 8-point lead, at one point, and though we fought back in the end, they took the set 25-20.

The fourth set showed two good teams playing good volleyball, and it went neck-and-neck right up to 22-22. Then through a few mistakes on our end and great playing on their side we lost three points in succession, to give them the set 25-22.

They were psyched and felt the momentum to take the game after being two sets down. We still had more to give, however, and started the fifth set great. We went up to a 4-1 lead, and from then on we dominated the game. Through a 9-point serve series from yours truly took control of the match (13-3). The game was for all extents over and in the end Birmingham - quite anticlimactically - missed a serve, ending things at 15-5. After two hours and nine minutes, we walked off the court with a hard-fought 3-2 win away in Birmingham.

Apart from another glorious victory to Oxford we should mention the fact that Giovanni played five sets with a back injury, that Michael had no less than three monstrous blocks - the first three of his long, long volleyball career - that Asaiah did everything in his power to get a yellow card (but the ref turned out to be untouched by his charm), that both Will and Jeremy held the middle like brick walls - giving Birmingham no chance to get through - and lastly that we managed to win over the small audience of the away team and got them applauding our victory (to which of course we bowed humbly)!!

Report by Mark

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