A dominant first two sets lead to a 3-1 win as Northumbria University M2 Volleyball came out on top over Manchester.
“Manchester started off quite poorly and we managed to get a lot of the bench players in, getting some good court time,” said coach Ross Enfield.
In the third set the visitors finally gained a foothold in the game and bounced back with well-balanced offensive and defensive play.
“I am very satisfied with the first two sets and a lot of the third set,” added Enfield.
“Manchester stepped it up, their defence got a lot better and we made had a tough game of it in the third.
“We sort of dropped off a little bit with our standards and a lot of bad habits crept into the game.
“I think it was more of a mental thing being up 2-0 and then letting the errors creep in a little bit too much.”
Northumbria pushed on to overcome the third set setback and put the game to bed by winning a highly competitive fourth set 30-28.
“Our guys kept a good level and we made Manchester work really hard,” added Enfield.
“We were down for a lot of the set and traded point for point in the end. We showed really good mental toughness just to stay in the game, keep with Manchester and eventually get the win.”
Northumbria’s next game is at Newcastle University on October 17, where they will hope to secure their second win of the season.
Patrick Dalacker
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