London Orcas 3 - 1 Tendring Ladies
26:24, 25:9, 22:25, 25:22
Report by Sarah Edwards
Tendring women had their Super 8 quarter final game against London Orcas on Saturday. Tendring started strong and were leading 8-4 at the first technical time out. Lois Chitticks who made her debut as libero for the team had some strong passes and great defensive play which allowed pin hitters Mechell Daniel and Colleen King to get some great kills. The team fought hard throughout the whole set but unfortunately lost 26-24.
The team had a slower start in the second set and found themselves down 20-8; however, they did not let the score crush their spirit and they kept fighting for every single point. There were some great plays made through the middle by players Skye Gullatt and Amelia Smith due to some smart choices made by setter Molly Van Essen. The final score for set 2 was 25-9.
Despite a tough loss in the second set, the team went into the third set with a positive mindset and were leading 8-5 in the first technical time out. There were some great rallies throughout this set alongside tough service pressure from Amelia Smith and Molly Van Essen. Despite being 2 sets down, the team remained mentally strong for the whole set and won 25-22; which was a great achievement by the team.
The team entered the fourth set with a win within reaching distance and showed why they are in the top division despite being one of the youngest teams. There were some huge blocks from Skye Gullatt, Colleen King and Amelia Smith, as well as some incredible defensive plays by the whole team. Unfortunately, the opposition took the 4th and final set 25-22 showing their strength and experience as a team.
This was the final game for four key players in this year's squad, player-coach Colleen King, Mechell Daniel, Skye Gullatt and three year veteran Molly Van Essen.
Tendring are proud of their performance in their final game of the season, and player coach Colleen King stated how proud she was of the whole team for their efforts throughout the whole season. The whole team is incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported and helped us throughout the season and we are hoping to better ourselves next year.