Cambridge 3 - 0 Birmingham

The Women’s Blues had their first game of the season against an always-competitive opponent, Birmingham University. To start this year’s first game, Blues’ coach Jean Jacquet put on a team of experienced players who had been representing the team since last year. He was looking for a structured game. The first set was fairly rough at the beginning: the new setter, Jennifer Bellamy, was trying to adjust to each player’s need, and the players were trying to get into the game for the first time this year. As time went on, however, good passes from the libero, Josephine Socratous, enabled increasingly better sets from Bellamy. These were turned into strong hits from the outside player (Xenia Oshmian), swift swings from the middle players (Katharina Bitzan and Fiona Danks) and even cunning tips from expert Alice Pei-Shan. The Blues claimed a win for the first set. The second set soon turned dramatic: Birmingham upped their game, led by a captain who consistently found ways of cheating the Blues’ defence. Towards the end of the set, the Blues were behind by a handful of points, prompting Jean to request strong serves from his players. Responding immediately, with solid defence, good hits and powerful serves, the Blues managed to narrow the score difference and eventually win the second set 27-25. Cambridge seemed relaxed as the third set began, and, although Birmingham fought hard to keep themselves in the game, it was the Blues who won the third and final set, thus achieving their first win this season.

The Women’s Blues team hope to achieve results as high, if not higher, than last year’s: finalists in the Student Cup, first in their League and third in BUCS Finals. And of course, to win this year’s home-turf Varsity. 

The Cambridge University  Volleyball Club is composed of four teams: Men’s and Women’s Blues (which both represent the university in BUCS) and second teams. Its 65 members  represent over 20 countries. To try to make volleyball more popular in a country which focuses on football and rugby, the University has become a Higher Education Volleyball Officer (HEVO) ambassador: a programme aiming to bring more people into the sport. Last year, graduate Ariane Hanssum set up beginners’ sessions, which the club continues to host once a week. They teach anyone wanting to learn how to play and to get the basics.

Catch up on Cambridge Volleyball's results from last year: http://www.varsity.co.uk/sport/5019

For more information on CUVC, or to join a beginners’ session yourself, visit the club’s website: www.srcf.ucam.org/cuvc