U18 Junior Grand Prix review (6th and 7th Dec) - Staffs, South Hants, Future Stars and AST earn promotion to Super Series

Girls 

It was third time lucky for Newcastle Staffs A in their bid to clinch a place in the fourth and final Super Series of 25-26, to be played early in the New Year. 

The team had twice finished second, but this time used home court advantage to good effect to win all their Gold Pool A matches. 

That included a nail-biting and crucial three-set success over Taunton secured by just two points in the decider (25-21, 23-25, 15-13), as well accounting for third-placed Ashfield Vipers and Newcastle Staffs B, who were fourth. 

They will be joined in the top tier after Christmas by South Hants A (pictured top), who hosted and topped Gold Pool B without dropping a set, beating second-placed Wessex A in straight sets first up. 

Willesden Divets, who ran Wessex close in a three setter, came through against Richmond B in the battle for third and fourth. 

Silver Pool C, hosted at Ashcombe School, saw a three-way tie on points at the top by teams who all won two and lost one of their matches. 

The superior set difference of Ashcombe Dorking enabled them to take top spot (+3) ahead of Sevenoaks School (+2) in second and Wapping Wildcats (+1) in third, with London Lynx completing the standings. 

Bristol were the clear winners of Silver Pool D played at Coventry and Warwick Riga after securing an unbeaten record in their three matches, dropping only one set. 

That came in their clash with second-placed Urmston Grammar B, edging out their North West opponents by the narrowest of margins (15-13 in the decider). 

MK City A saw off Nottingham Rockets in the scrap for third and fourth. 

Hosts Leeds Gorse Purple claimed top spot in Bronze Pool on set difference (+2) after losing out to runners-up Frodsham (0) in their match-up, but then seeing the Cheshire club defeated by fourth-placed Sheffield, who finished just below ENVC. 

AST Academy got the better of hosts London Giants in three sets in the first match of Silver Pool F and that proved to be pivotal as both sides went on to win their other games. 

Team SideOut were comfortable winners over Worthing Lions in the third and fourth position decider. 

In the National Tier 2 Pools, Stockport finished at the summit of Pool G, played at Coventry and Warwick Riga, winning the crucial match against Wales Academy 15-13 in the decider, while Nuneaton were hosts and victors in Pool H – both claiming three wins from three. 

Another host side, Thames Valley topped Pool I, while Malory Eagles B were winners of Pool J in Ashcombe. 

Only two teams played in Pool K, where Bromsgrove School were the victors and Pool L was dominated by Richmond E. 

MGGS took Pool M, hosted by Wapping Wildcats, while Hills Road Sixth Form hosted and won Pool N with a 100% record. 

Boys 

Future Stars will be back playing Super Series volleyball in the New Year after coming through three tough games unscathed to top Gold Pool A. 

They had to go to three sets to get the better of runners-up Stockport Blue and Leeds Gorse Purple, winning by just two points each time, with a more convincing, straight sets success of hosts Black Country, who beat Leeds to clinch third spot. 

Host club AST Academy triumphed in Gold Pool B without dropping a set and are another side to earn a quick promotion back to the top division. 

They were head and shoulders above the other teams, not dropping a set, while Richmond Hawks, South Hants A and MK City A all finished on the same points, after winning one and losing two, and with the same set difference of –2. 

However, they were ranked in the order listed by virtue of their points difference, which was +5, -11 and -34 respectively. 

There were no such calculations needed in Silver Pool C, where there was a clear order of rank, led by South Bucks, who finished unbeaten. 

The key game proved to be their third-set victory over second-placed hosts Ashfield, clinching a 15-12 third set victory. 

Sheffield saw off the challenge of Nottingham Rockets to seal third place ahead of the East Midlanders. 

Silver Pool D at Sevenoaks School saw Bristol come out of a competitive group on top. 

They pipped Richmond Jackals to the post after both sides had won two and lost one, courtesy of their superior set difference. 

Sevenoaks (-2) were third ahead of Willesden Knights (-3) by the same method after both teams ended with one victory to their name. 

Frodsham were the front runners in Bronze Pool E, at Coventry and Warwick Riga winning three out of three, including three setters against second-placed Hermitage and Tamworth Spartans, who got the better of Wales Academy in the fight for third and fourth place. 

Wessex were the dominant force in Bronze Pool F held at South Hants, running up a points difference of +51 in acquiring three straight sets wins. 

London Giants sealed victory in their other two matches to take second spot while Weymouth beat AST Academy B to clinch third. 

National Tier 2 Pool G was hosted at Coventry and Warwick Riga and was bossed by MK City B, who took a maximum points haul, just as hosts Lincoln Cannons did in Pool H. 

Pool I saw Dartford come out on top with an impressive show of strength, while Pool J had Thames Valley equally in control.  

Worthing Panthers used home court advantage to good effect in Pool K to finish with a +48 set difference and Bromsgrove School were successful in two three setters to lead the way in Pool L. 

Team SideOut were the star performers in Pool M, staged at ENVC. 

Volleyball England would like to thank all host clubs for providing the facilities to enable pools to be staged. 

Click here to view all Junior results and fixtures.