NEXT STOP HOLLAND FOR VTAM EN ROUTE TO OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION

VOLLEYBALL, May 14, 2012: Volleyball Team Australia Men are preparing for a four-match series against the Dutch National Team this week as they continue their build up to next month’s Olympic Qualification tournament in Japan.

VTAM went down fighting 23-25, 23-25, 20-25 to world ranked number three Poland in their most recent match in front of a very vocal and energetic crowd of 4,300 Polish supporters in Lodz.
 
The enthusiastic young Australians played their best match of the year to date, but according to assistant coach Dan Ilott “were average in service reception and in attack when it really counted.”  
 
The  Australians started the match with good energy and focus, leading the first set at both technical timeouts and at 21-19.
 
A high error rate in service hindered the team’s opportunities to create points and unfortunately they could not capitalise on their opportunities at the end of the set, losing 23-25.
 
The second set was similar to the first, with Australia attacking well in the side-out phase despite some less than perfect service reception statistics and again led Poland at 8-7, 16-14 and 21-20 before a particularly poor referee call followed by two attack errors from Australia saw the set slip away, Poland winning 23-25.
 
The third and final set was not up to the same level by Australia who struggled in service reception and attack whilst Poland lifted their game and controlled the set from the first technical onwards, winning comfortably 20-25.
 
TEAM STATISTICS
 
SERVE             2 Aces, 11 Errors, Proficiency 1.57
RECEPTION     32% Perfect, Proficiency 1.89
ATTACK           41% Kill, 20% Error, 21% Kill Efficiency
BLOCK             9 Stuff Blocks, 16 Control Blocks.
DEFENCE         19 Controlled Digs.
 
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