By George Liley
York men’s volleyball team found redemption against an underperforming Central Lancashire side on Wednesday evening with a fine straight sets win. Following a crushing defeat to Central Lancashire in the Student Cup last weekend, York exhibited the kind of passion that proves they are worthy of a top four finish. In what was dubbed “the biggest game of the season” by captain Jonas Pollex before the match, York shrugged off criticism of their previous games with a fine performance, playing their opponents off the court.
The first set began tentatively with both teams showing signs of early nerves. York’s Bartek Krzyszycha could only power an early serve long, however made up for the early mistake with some fine work at the net, unleashing cross-court attacks that upset any rhythm Central Lancashire could muster. Captain Jonas Pollex took control from the off, mixing up his attacks and finding success with expertly placed dinks into the holes in Central Lancashire’s defence. Jan Vohryzek produced a fine performance too as York cruised the first set 25-16, with the home side barely looking troubled.
Central Lancashire fought hard in the second set, however York dug in deep to clinch the set 25-20. In an evenly contested set, both defences held firm and some fine blocking by Central Lancashire asked questions of York’s attack. Panayiotis Nearclious produced the highlight of the set with a thunderous spike, whilst Vohryzek continued to look dangerous throughout. Lukas Thoeni captured the spirit of the evening with leaping attempts to defend the York court, and produced a fine display to help his side go two sets up.
Chris Stent set the tone of the third set with a fine shot early on, and Jonas Pollex looked ever reliable as he gained more control on the match. Despite some mistakes, York were able to clinch the final set 25-19 and secure victory over Central Lancashire in an impressive straight sets win.
The win for York has come at an important time, and the side now look odds on to finish in the top four in their division. Captain Jonas Pollex expressed his delight following his team’s sterling performance. He said: “The game was crucial but we were able to step up our game, forget our past few matches and achieve a fine home win.”
Though questions have been asked regarding the strength of Central Lancashire’s side after losing a key player from last weekend’s game, York stepped up to the plate with a spirited win over potentially tricky opponents. The spirit and determination of the York side shone through, and the team can now look forward to their next match knowing that, on their current form, they are most certainly the team to beat.