Glasgow Sitting Volleyball Challenge 2008
Saturday 20th of September 2008
Holyrood Sports Centre, Glasgow
The Great Britain Sitting Volleyball team came to Scotland the weekend of the 20th September 2008 to take part in a match and training sessions with members of Glasgow Mets Volleyball Club. The showpiece match of the weekend’s events saw Glasgow Mets take on Team GB on the Saturday afternoon. It was an intense encounter, but the GB side proved too strong for the Mets team, running out winners in three sets, 25/17, 25/21 and 25/10.
The inexperience of Glasgow Mets’ was apparent, however the match produced some fantastic rallies and all who played thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The match gave Scottish players and spectators the opportunity to get a feel for how Sitting Volleyball is played at the highest level and also raised awareness of sitting volleyball as a true sport for all, including people with disabilities.
Sitting Volleyball is a fast and exciting game. The court is smaller (6X10m) and the net is lower, therefore the game is considerably faster than the standing version. Quick reflexes and fast movement across the floor are of paramount importance. The Mets players found they had to use muscles that they didn’t know existed!
GB Sitting Volleyball head coach Jozef Banfi led the ‘Come and Try’ sessions after the match and the mixed training session on the Sunday morning, before the GB team returned South.
The event was sponsored and supported by the SVA, Culture + Sport Glasgow, the BVF, Scottishdisability Sport, and sportscotland. Many thanks go to Margaret Ann Fleming, Gillian McGuire and the Special Events committee for helping to organise the event.
Glasgow Mets Volleyball Club have taken the lead in sitting volleyball development in Scotland. The club has secured funding and aim to recruit both able bodied and disabled players for the new Glasgow Mets Sitting Volleyball Team.
Margaret Ann Fleming, CEO of Scottish Volleyball Association stated,”Glasgow Mets VC in partnership with Scottish and British Volleyball managed to host an outstanding event of Sitting Volleyball at Holyrood sports centre, Glasgow.
As the newly appointed CEO of the SVA I am absolutely delighted that Glasgow Mets as a club had the vision and enthusiasm to organize such a great event and pilot Sitting Volleyball in Scotland.
Scottish Volleyball has now tripled it’s disciplines in the past two years with the Beach Tour and now the new Sitting Programme, well done everyone!”
The club are delighted with the agreement of David Morgan, former GB Sitting Volleyball player and team manager, to coach the Sitting Volleyball section of the club.
If you are interested in playing, whatever your skill level, we would like you to join us.
Holyrood Sports Centre, Glasgow.
Tuesday evenings 7pm – 8pm
Fiona Welsh
Glasgow Mets Press Officer
The Teams;
Glasgow Mets
A.Krawczyk(captain), B. Robertson, A. Milton, V. Lyle, R. McLeod, S. Henry, F. Brown, D. Nadrowski, F. Welsh, K. Hiddleston, C. McKinlay, C. Mahon, A. Lambie & D. Morgan (Coach)
Team GB
R. Barrett (captain), R Maishria, S. Newon, K. Daniels, B. Richardson, J. Zhang, M. Jutter, A Skinner, M Chapman, S Pegg, G. Brown & J Banfi (Coach)
Further images for this event can be found in the gallery
