SALFORD volleyball club endured mixed emotions yesterday afternoon as both the men and women were in Northern Conference Cup action at the semi-final stage for the first time in Salford’s history.
With volleyball one of the newer running sport societies at Salford, to have both sides in the last four of the respective cups was testament to the players and coach Richard Lee.
The men’s side started the day’s matches as they took on familiar foes University of Manchester – a side they have faced three times already this season, with Salford registering two wins.
Like any good boxing match, these two Northern 2A sides set the tone early in the first set, going toe-to-toe, point for point, in what proved a fascinating watch.
With University of Manchester currently top of division 2A, many in attendance thought Salford men had a real job on their hands but it proved wide of the mark with the hosts firmly holding their own.
A deft flick at the net from Mihail Sahatchiev got Salford points on the board after the visitors’ assured start through towering captain Toby Rose.
The fact that both side’s had met multiple times already this season it was clear this was closer to chess than any other sport. The game plans were tight and both were making errors, preventing them from reaching their full potential.
As points were exchanged with every change of serve, a mix-up at the net between Salford’s Boyan Pashov and Auson Edwards edged Manchester in front and soon after the first set was wrapped up.
Captain Toby Rose and number two Jesse Lawrence began to find more and more room for smash net winners across the court, which saw a degree of distance established between the two sides.
The same pair were proving a cut above the rest despite moments of real quality from Salford – at 25-18 it was, arguably, a fair reflection of how the first set played out.
Little did the crowd know at that stage that this game would go the distance of five sets with Salford re-energised in sets two and three with 26-24 and 25-23 recorded.
Salford captain Jakub Hanszke came of age after a number of rallying pep-talks by coach Richard Lee and lady luck was soon aiding Salford’s road to glory.
The commitment and desire Salford showed was evident early in the second as proceedings looked ominous after falling 5-1 down inside a matter of minutes.
Yet a spirited comeback saw Manchester’s confidence knocked as they were forced into two timeouts in quick succession in a bid to arrest the decline having started the second set so strongly.
Once they hauled themselves back in the contest, the pressure was on Salford to get themselves in front, for match-winners, set winners, to announce themselves in what were critical stages of the game.
With Salford on set point at 25-24, Sahatchiev rose highest to clinch a well-deserved set point following a patient set-up for him to find the winner.
As news about the game spread the crowd, which started sparse, grew and grew with chants of “Let’s go Salford!” growing louder and louder inside the sports hall.
Salford continued their momentum to take the third set before Manchester’s Simon Matema led the comeback in a swashbuckling fourth set where he became a big player for the away side.
With two sets apiece it all came down to the final set where 15 points was all that either side required to reach the final.
Rallies got longer and players had to become mentally tough in order to not lose their nerve; Salford kept their heads and that was the reason they went on to clinch it 15-7.
After a handful of errors in the opening two sets it was Boyan Pashov who led by example in the fifth with some crucial points, creating breathing space between the two sides before the win was officially wrapped up and celebrations could begin.
Team captain Jakub Hanszke was both delighted and frustrated as he spoke to Quays News following match point:
We play against [University of Manchester] all the time but it was exciting to win. We didn’t play at our best today so it was a great win but not one I’m satisfied with as the captain because we can do so much better. Without [Rich Lee] we probably wouldn’t be winning a single set; he’s a real asset for us.”
“It’s great for the university that we get recognition and the guys are super excited to be in the final. We are going to train hard from now until next Wednesday because we want to win!”
Up straight after were the women as they prepared to take on Sheffield Hallam – league leaders of Northern 2B – but there were no such celebrations after defeat in four sets.
Unlike their male counterparts the opening two sets went against them and put Hallam in pole position for a spot in the final.
That is not to say the hosts did not have chances early on because they did with Giulia Fenci and Christina Lie both breaching the formidable Hallam blockers to keep Salford in the two sets.
A narrow 24-26 defeat in the first was followed by a 19-25 second set loss – at this stage the odds were stacked against the women on joining the men at next week’s finals day.
Salford bringing it back, now just 22-18 to Sheffield Hallam in the 2nd set. Great point played below pic.twitter.com/9qQWzKw8u3
— USSU Opportunities (@USSUStudentOpps) March 2, 2016
But a rousing talk prior to the third set by coach Richard Lee proved inspired as he urged the crowd on the balcony to make some noise to make home support count.
It worked.
The third set was, arguably, the best set either of Salford’s teams produced all afternoon with Hallam unable to answer the continual questions asked by the hosts.
The visitors coach was forced into calling two time-outs in a matter of points in a desperate attempt to arrest the slide his side were suffering as Salford’s dominance was evidenced in the final set score of 25-12.
That however was as good as it got for the women as, despite their best efforts, the Yorkshire visitors proved too strong in the fourth as they eventually converted a match point courtesy of a Salford technical at 24-25 down.
The club coach Richard Lee told Quays News afterwards:
And when asked what his secret was with this club…?
“I don’t think I’ve got any secrets [to winning] other than the great bunch of players at my disposal!”
It was heartache for the women’s team but the men now face the prospect of the final at Lancaster University next Wednesday where they will undoubtedly want to be returning with some silverware!
By Nathan Salt
@NathSalt1
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