9 Apr 2024
Sitting Cup and Shield Review
It was also a worthwhile trip from Scandinavia for the Norway national team who battled hard to claim the Shield title in what, Cup Finals weekend aside, was a finalé to the 2024-25 season.
In all, six teams entered the competition, for which the draw was made in the morning before matches got underway.
Pool A pitched Panthers, Lincoln Imps and Norway together, with Pool B having the two National Cup Finalists, South Hants and Sitting Bucks, as well as Help for Heroes.
Panthers started off strongly in their first game against Norway and edged to a 26-24 first set victory.
However, the overseas team were able to fight back in the second and third sets, winning them 25-18, 15-11 to clinch the match 2-1.
Imps went into their opener against Panthers knowing a win would put them at least runners-up in the pool, so they came out swinging.
Taking the first set by a tight 25-22 scoreline, they stretched their lead in the second, 25-17, meaning the final game would decide the pool.
Imps, who have taken part in all of the Sitting Grand Prix, used that knowledge and expertise to race through the first set against Norway by a 25-14 margin.
Norway however, were not going down without a fight and took it to three by clinching the second equally emphatically, 25-13.
The decider proved to be much closer, but it was the international team who came up trumps to take it 15-11 and book a match against the second place team from Pool B in the crossover semi-finals.
In pool B, Help for Heroes started their campaign off well with a strong performance against National Cup Finalists, South Hants.
They were pushed hard by the Hampshire side, but were able to seal the game in straigt sets, 25-22, 25-20.
Hants then faced a tricky game against the team they will face in the Sitting Grand Prix Cup Final later this month, Sitting Bucks.
And as the reigning Grand Prix champions prevailed 25-17, 25-20, it left Hants having to settle for a place in the Shield play-offs.
That left Help for Heroes and Sitting Bucks to battle it out for top spot in the pool and it was the former who were able to pull off a superb 2-1 success.
After going down 1-0 in the first set, losing it 25-18, the veterans built some momentum and took the next two sets 25-20, 15-13.
As a result, the crossover games saw Norway face off against Sitting Bucks and Help for Heroes take on Lincoln Imps.
After their loss to Heroes, Bucks wanted to show their true colours and did so against Norway with a strong performance helping them to a 2-0 triumph (25-16, 25-17).
Heroes made it difficult for themselves with another three-set match against Imps.
They won the first set comfortably enough (25-16), but then Lincoln came back in the second to take it 25-17
However, the Imps wee unable to carry their momentum into the final set, which saw them miss out 15-9.
Another three-setter unfolded between Panthers and Norway in the Shield semi-final before Norway repeated their success from the start of the day with another 2-1 victory.
The Scandinavians were, however, made to work hard for it, as after winning the first 25-21, the second set went the way of the all-female squad 26-24 before they won the decider 15-7.
Norway would face South Hants in the Shield Final after the latter beat Imps 2-0 (25-17, 25-15) in the other semi-final.
Hants came out fast and took the first set 25-14 and looked on course to hit back from their pool defeats.
However, Norway dug deep and claimed the second set 25-19 to take it to a decider
In it, the Norwegians held their nerve to take it 15-12 and ensure they returned home with a trophy.
Meanwhile, Sitting Bucks met Help for Heroes again in the Cup final and came out determined to rewrite the scoreline from earlier in the day from the pool stages.
They leaned on all of their experience to see out the first set 25-16 and then used their power in the second to ensure there was no comeback, taking it 25-14 to lift the winners’ trophy.
To view all the results of the weekend ,click here.
Keep an eye out for news on entering the Sitting Cup and Shield next season, as well as entries for the Sitting Grand Prix.
