Student Cup review (8th and 9th November) - Leeds qualifier 

Six pools in each of the women’s and men’s pools were concluded with the winners going straight through to play at the University of East Anglia in Norwich early in the New Year. 

The second-placed teams in each of the pools, meanwhile, will have to wait to see if their record is good enough to win one of the best runner-up spots, with more qualifiers still to come at Ashcombe School and Loughborough University over the next two weekends. 

Sets were played as the first to 21 points. Five-team pools were contested over two sets, with the winners in the case of a draw the side with the most culmative points from the two sets.

In groups of four or less, matches were fought out over the best of three sets. 

In the women’s section, University of Nottingham won Pool A at a canter in the three-team pool, overpowering Staffordshire University, who finished second, and University of Bradford in straight sets.  

Durham University 2 came up trumps in Pool B with three wins from three without dropping a set and conceding no more than 12 points in any given set. 

Runners-up Leeds University 2 have kept themselves in with a shout after getting the better of third-placed Liverpool John Moores and Sheffield Hallam University in fourth. 

Leeds University made full use of home advantage with a 100% record in their five-strong Pool C. 

The pivotal match proved to be against runners-up University of Liverpool, with each side winning one set each, but those in green notching more points. 

Possessing a strong record, having beaten Lancaster University, University of York and University of Huddersfield, the Merseyside institution have a strong chance of still progressing. 

Pool A of the men’s section featured Leeds University, and they had a day to remember as they headed up the five teams with four consecutive wins. 

Manchester Met University just edged out University of Nottingham 2 for the runners-up spot, followed by Staffordshire University and University of Bradford. 

In Pool B, Durham University 2 were made to battle hard for top spot as they were taken to three sets by local side Leeds Beckett before clinching the decider 15-9. 

Sheffield Hallam University and Leeds University 2 completed the pool order. 

University of Liverpool cruised through in the four-strong Pool C without dropping a set. 

University of Huddersfield had the misfortune of failing to win any of their matches despite going the distance in their games with both second-placed University of York and third-placed Lancaster University.

Images by Evelyn Lee (_evelyn.pov).

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