BUCS Super 8s Volleyball Wrap

Team Northumbria celebrated a fantastic weekend of wins for both M1 and W1 Volleyball in the BUCS Super 8s Championships in Bournemouth.

Both sides secured landslide victories - pushing them through to BUCS Big Wednesday on March 22. 

Head coach Dave Goodchild was thoroughly impressed by both teams’ performances.

“It’s been a perfect weekend,” he said. “We didn’t lose a game. The girls won four games and the guys won four games and it’s been a long weekend with eight hour drives on each side.

“I hold them all in the highest esteem and I just want to thank them all individually for their hard work because they got the results they deserve.”

Goodchild was particularly pleased with how W1 played throughout the two-day event.

“We had such a good squad of 12 so I was able to rotate the players,” he added.

“Two individuals who really stepped up this week - who haven’t been starting regularly - were Alex Woolsey and Cheyne Corrado.

“There were some outstanding performances in the semi-finals from both middles Liz Johnbull and Katie O’brien. They just played on a different level and it was the best volleyball we’ve ever played.”

A depleted M1 squad, due to injuries, meant that Northumbria were forced to call on three second team players to bolster their ranks.

“The guys’ performance was up and down in the first three games but in the final against Essex, who have a lot of good players on their team, we blew them away,” added Goodchild.

“We served them off the court and they didn’t have an answer for our offence.”

Dan Starkey and Peter Bakare, who has recently come back from injury, stood out throughout the men’s tournament.

Assistant coach Paul Welsh and stats man Ross Enfield also got a special mention from Goodchild.

“The information and statistical analysis that Ross provides and the way Paul Welsh is now leading them on block defence makes a huge difference,” he added.

Both teams are well underway in preparation for their finals next week when the women will face Durham and the men will face Sheffield Hallam.