U16 Last 8 review: Boswells at the double

They will be joined by Richmond (girls) and Leeds Gorse Orange (boys) who won their respective semi-finals to clinch a coveted Golden Ticket to the end-of-season showpiece occasion on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April. 

Held at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering, and with a healthy crowd cheering the players on, 16 teams competed for the four places available. 

The eight teams in each of the girls’ and boys’ sections were divided into two groups of four, with the top two in each going through to the knockout semi-finals. 

Girls Platinum Pool A opened with Leeds Gorse Orange coming through a three setter to beat Black Country A 15-8 in the decider. 

Boswells began their campaign with a 25-14, 25-18 win over Urmston Grammar, who then bounced back in the very next match to beat Black Country 25-18, 25-14. 

As expected, the match between Boswells and Leeds Gorse Orange was fiercely contested, but it was the Essex side who came through to prevail, 25-18, 25-17. 

The team in red then wrapped up top place in the group with three wins from three as they saw off Black Country 25-12, 25-22. 

The final match decided who would go through in second place and it proved to be a tight one. 

Urmston Grammar took the opening set 25-15, but Leeds hit back to take the second 25-22 and the West Yorkshire side then powered away in the decider, taking it 15-6. 

Girls Platinum Pool B went to the wire, with three teams winning two and losing one and four of the six matches going to three sets. 

Malory Eagles opened up with a 25-17, 21-25, 15-9 over Ashfield Vipers, while Richmond fought back from losing the first set 25-23 to South Bucks to storm back and clinch the next two 25-11, 15-4. 

South Bucks did not let that result get them down, though, and they fought hard to defeat Malory 23-25, 24-14, 15-8 in their next game.   

Richmond A were comfortable straight sets (25-15, 25-9) victors over Ashfield before Malory stunned Richmond by coming from a set down to win a tight decider 15-13. 

That left South Bucks needing to secure a straight sets win over the Vipers to book their semi-final spot and they duly obliged by coming through 25-15, 25-20. 

The first semi-final saw Pool A winners Boswells meet Pool B runners-up South Bucks in the Final 4. 

The school side started strongly, winning the first set 25-15 and maintained that momentum to win the second 25-18 and start the celebrations. 

The second semi-final was closer was much closer and saw Richmond do it the hard way. 

Leeds took the first set 25-20, but the London team bounced back to take the second 25-15 and then the third 15-13, where they spurned several match points against determined opponents before eventually closing it out. 

Boys Platinum Pool A saw Deep Dish set out their stall in the first game by defeating Liverpool 25-17, 25-13. 

Richmond A were pushed hard in their first match against South Bucks but after winning it 25-22, found things easier in the second to seal it 25-14. 

Bucks were straight back on court but their fortunes did not improve as they were edged out 25-18, 25-23 in a close match with Liverpool. 

The much-anticipated match between well-fancied Richmond and Deep Dish did not disappoint as the two sides gave everything. 

However, it was the South London club who edged their South-West London neighbours in each of the two sets, notching a 25-23, 25-22 triumph.

Richmond showed their grit by hitting back from that disappointment to book their Final 4 place with an assured victory over Liverpool, coming through 25-22, 25-13. 

Deep Dish maintained their 100 per cent record to top the group in seeing off South Bucks, but, after winning the first 25-16, they were made to battle hard for the second before taking it by a 26-24 margin. 

In Boys Platinum Pool B, AST Academy took on Willesden Knights first up, with the latter emerging as 25-21, 25-23 victors. 

The winner of the Boswells v Leeds Gorse match proved to be decisive in determining the group as the Yorkshire side secured a three-set success (16-25, 26-24, 15-10). 

Leeds went on to power past Willesden 25-18, 25-19 in the next match before Boswells regrouped well to beat AST 25-15, 25-21. 

The School side then booked their place in the Final 4 by overcoming Willesden 25-18, 25-12, but it was Leeds who finished top of the pile with a third victory in a row, this time against AST,  25-17, 25-19. 

The first semi-final saw Boswells draw first blood against Deep Dish, registering the first set 25-20. 

But the talented Londoners did not take it lying down and levelled the match at 1-1 by taking the second 25-21. 

It looked as if that might have shifted the momentum as Deep Dish stormed into a 12-8 lead in the tie break set, but Boswells showed a never-say-die attitude to hit back superbly and win through 16-14. 

The second semi-final also went to three sets, with Richmond gaining the early advantage of the first set against Leeds, clinching it 25-16. 

But Gorse rallied to register the second set 25-21 to set up a tense finale and they held their nerve to secure a 15-12 third set victory and spark roars of delight. 

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