It was a busy Sunday for New Forest Volleyball Club as both teams headed off on their travels to compete in the latest round of NVL fixtures.  The ladies were looking to maintain their place in W3W's top 5 with a journey up to Berkshire to face Reading Aces 2 and Wiltshire Mavericks.  The men made the short trip across the coast to Purbrook to face Portsmouth and title challengers City of Bristol 2.

With both teams playing on the same day and thus Ladies Coach Nfor away with the Men's team, Forest drafted in the experienced Sue Brennand to take the helm.  The ladies were missing regular starters Kowale and Cwikla and knew they would need to put in a strong team performance to come away with the two wins.  First up were the Mavericks from Wiltshire who Forest had been victorious against earlier in the season at Applemore.  Into set 1 and Forest would establish the early lead forcing Mavericks into a timeout at 9-13 down.  With Aougah reeling off a succession of serves, Forest were piling on the pressure and crept towards the set with a lead of 24-16.  A mini fight back from Wiltshire forced Brennand into her first words of wisdom and this seemed to work as Forest took the opening set 25-23...1-0 Forest!

Set 2 was a carbon copy of the 1st, although the roles were reversed this time as it was Mavericks who looked to hit back immediately.  A Forest timeout at 8-13 down produced a spirited fight back thanks to first Fargher and then Upmane's service runs.  However, just like the previous set it was the team in the lead early on who claimed the 2nd set 25-23...1-1!  Set 3 was a much tighter affair as the teams traded points.  Both knew it was a vital set and it was Mavericks to first eek out a lead 13-10.  Forest dug deep and refused to go away as the injured Lane (hitting with her other arm) and Libero Pang kept the pressure on with their presence at the net and backcourt agaility respectively.  As the set entered the 'red zone' Forest had nicked the lead at 23-21 and could see the end of the set in their grapse.  Back came Mavericks however as the game got really tense, but it was to be to no avail as Dimmock, relishing her court time, served the set out 26-24...2-1 Forest!

In the 4th Forest never really looked in danger as they were always 'comfortably' ahead throughout.  An impressive display from Forests' youngest player Wells, particularly from the service line, took them into a lead of 22-18.  Moore was enojoying good service into the net as she dictated play and manouvered the Mavericks block where she wanted.  The finish line was crossed soon after at 25-21...3-1 Forest!  So part 1 of the day successfully completed...Forest MVP was Jacky Pang.

Onto game 2 and it was yet another team Forest ladies had been victious against earlier in the season...Reading Aces 2.  Reading were out the traps first and were clearly after revenge as they raced into an 11-7 lead.  Brennand was keen to address the errors and establish some rhythm and it wasn't long after that the Forest ladies began functioning as they'd shown in the last set of the previous game.  A clinical service run from the Forest Ladies Captain, Fargher, saw her reel off an impressive 5 points to take the opening set 25-22...1-0 Forest!

Sets 2 and 3 saw Reading fight back with a vengence.  Reading were out the blocks quickly on both occasions as Forest found themselves chasing the sets from start to finish.  Forest were battered 25-15 and 25-14...2-1 Reading!  Could Forest swing the pendulum the other way and save the match...well things were to get better just in the nick of time.  With the scores at 10-10 Forest began to find some point runs as they etched ahead at 20-18.  Two 3-point service runs from both Moore and then Upmane levelled matters, 25-19...2-2!

So it was going all the way...who could hold their never the best.  Forest were looking more assured as they found leads of 3-0 and then 7-2, by the change of ends it was closer however as Reading came within 2-points at 8-6 down.  It was to be a destructive service run from Reading's Peiri who eventually claimed the spoils as Forest agonisingly lost 15-13...3-2 Reading.  Forest MVP went to Upmane and Forest will take the positives out of the day with squad members Wells and Dimmock getting good court time as Forest remain in 5th.  The ladies have SGTV Solent and City of Bristol now firmly in their sights and will be hoping power hitter Lane's hitting arm will be suffciently repaired along with the return of key players Cwikla and Kowale.

Men's report to follow...