Queens Come 2nd in UCD Blitz

Dublin, Ireland, 6 Feb 2007 - Queens Volleyball Club lost a hard fought match against Po-Lucky from Limerick to place second in the 2007 UCD Blitz. This prestigious mixed tournament saw 24 teams from across Ireland competing for the coveted prize of champions. Organiser Sergio Sparviero said, “Having run this tournament for several years now, I can say that it was the best yet. The teams were better than ever with most Premiership players getting involved.”

Queens began the first round on Saturday morning with three comprehensive wins without losing a single set. The second round began with another win for Queens before they narrowly lost against semi-professionals Po-Lucky. Queens rallied again and won their two remaining matches on Saturday quite convincingly. Sunday morning began with another win for the students which put them on top of their group and so faced UCD in the semi-final. Queens played outstanding volleyball to sweep away the Dubliners and so faced Po-Lucky in the much awaited final. Psychological advantage was with the Limerick side due to their beating Queens in the second round, but Queens went out fighting and took the first set 25 – 21. However tiredness from two full days of volleyball action took over and despite rallying all their energies, Queens narrowly lost the next two sets and thus the competition.

Team moral was quickly reinstated, however, when star player Pawel Kot won the MVP award for his superb hitting and blocking displays throughout the weekend. Swing hitter Fabrice Malherbe and setter Chris Grant also had an outstanding tournament, combining well and fast to beat the block of all teams they encountered. Captain Chris Grant said, “I have to congratulate my team members who all played so well during the course of the tournament. The standard was very high and when I saw the five teams we had to play in the second round I was not too hopeful. However excellent team spirit and some exquisite individual performances allowed us to play to our full potential. The final was an exciting affair with an enthusiastic crowd and perhaps next year we can take that one step further and win.”