VTAM RALLY FOR FINAL SET VICTORY IN UTRECHT
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VOLLEYBALL, May 21, 2012: Volleyball Team Australia Men (VTAM), with Thomas Edgar and Travis Passier in deft touch, won six consecutive points in the final set to win a thrilling five-setter against the Netherlands in the city of Utrecht over the weekend.
The Jon Uriarte coached Australians overcame a vocal local crowd to wrap up a thrilling five setter and the match, 19-25, 25-18, 25-23, 14-25 ,15-11, to level the four-match series at two wins a piece.
With the final match all-tied up at 2-sets all, the Netherlands created a break point to lead 9-11 – but they would not add to their score as the emerging young Aussies rallied for a stirring victory.
Australia sided out and then countered with a great transition defence play, culminating in an attack kill to opposite Edgar to level the scores at 11-11.
An attack error by the Dutch sent them to a time out with Australia in front 12-11 to give the Aussies just the sniff they needed.
The game was then decided by three consecutive stuff blocks to Australia through Edgar, Passier and then finally with a triple block to win the set 15-11 and complete a memorable 5-set victory.
Coach Uriarte said after the match: “I was proud of the team’s efforts this evening and their improvements over the past three weeks. We will now return to our AIS European training base in Varese, Italy tomorrow to begin our final five-day training camp.”
It is then off to Japan for the Australians to prepare for their Olympic Qualification tournament in Tokyo from June 1-10.
The winner of the tournament and the top ranked Asian nation (including Australia) will qualify for the 12-team Olympic competition in London 2012 and if the winner is an Asian team then the next best Asian team will also qualify.
Australia (ranked 22 in the world) will face off against tournament favourites Serbia (seven), Venezuela (16), Puerto Rico (17) and fellow Asian nations, hosts Japan (15), China (10), Iran (12) and Korea (20).
Buoyed on by a lot of crowd support, the Netherlands started strongly in the opening set, serving amazingly well with heavy jump serving that created a number of reception and attack errors from Australia.
Netherlands led 4-8 at the first technical time out, and extended this to 11-16 at the second technical time out.
Australia improved their level of play later in the set, but the Netherlands maintained their lead through till the end of the set, winning 25-19
The determined victors started the second set well with a stuff block to Passier who started to work well through the middle of the court in attack with both Aidan Zingel and Passier recording attack kills to help Australia to an 8-4 lead at the first technical time out.
The Netherlands created break points through service aces and Australia broke back with points of their own in transition offence, Australia still leading at 13-9.
A few errors in attack from Australia and another service ace to the Netherlands saw the scores back to within 1 point at 17-16 to Australia.
From this point Australia showed another level of play as they recorded four break points through a stuff block to Zingel and transition for point attacks to Igor Yudin and Adam White following some excellent block and defence. Australia won the set 25-18.
The third set started evenly with both teams attacking well, but two attack errors from the Netherlands gave Australia a small lead at 8-6.
Three break points on serve after the technical time out through counter attack kills to Edgar and a stuff block to Passier saw Australia extend their lead to 14-9.
The Netherlands responded with three stuff blocks of their own to close to within 2 points at 16-14 at the second technical time out and then evened the scores at 17-17.
Both teams sided out on reception attack from this point until the Netherlands created a break point in transition attack to take the lead 20-21.
Australia created a break point of their own through a transition attack play to Edgar to take the lead 23-22 and then finished the set on their first set point through a great stuff block to Harrison Peacock to win the set 25-23.
The fourth set saw a spirited fight back from the Dutch.
Successive stuff blocks followed by three consecutive attack errors from Australia saw them leading at 7-13.
This lead was extended to 10-18 as they continued to apply significant service and attack pressure on the Aussies, who struggled to maintain their consistency.
The Netherlands continued their good play dominating the set and winning 14-25 sending the match into a fifth and deciding set.
The home team continued their momentum scoring early points with three break point transition attacks to lead 2-5.
Australia countered with a stuff block to Zingel and a service Ace to Yudin to level the scores at 7-7 and then changed ends at 7-8 down.
The game was neck and neck at this point with both teams siding out point- for-point but it was the Australians who rallied to win the set and the match, giving them a huge confidence booster as the countdown continues towards next month’s Olympic qualification tournament.
TEAM STATISTICS
SERVE 1 Aces, 15 Errors, Proficiency 1.62
RECEPTION 36% Perfect, Proficiency 1.89
ATTACK 47% Kill, 23% Error, 24% Kill Efficiency
BLOCK 11 Stuff Blocks, 19 Control Blocks.
DEFENCE 26 Controlled Digs.
The Australian Squad:
| Jacques Borgeaud DOB: June 19, 1991 Home: ACT Club: Regina University, Canada Position: Libero Height: 179 Weight: 78 Aden Tutton DOB: December 6, 1984 Home: SA Club: Lang Henkel Volley, Netherlands Position: Libero Height:182 Weight: 81 Grigory Sukochev DOB: February 18, 1988 Home: SA Club: Humene, Slovakia Position: Setter Height: 196 Weight: 86 John Dekker DOB: May 9, 1988 Home: QLD Club: Humene, Slovakia Position: Outside Height: 205 Weight: 83 Luke Smith DOB: August 30, 1990 Home: WA Club: Linkoping, Volleyball Club, Sweden Position: Outside Height: 200 Weight: 90 Lincoln Williams DOB: October 6, 1993 Home: QLD Club: AIS, Australia Position: Opposite Height: 196 Weight: Thomas Edgar DOB: June 21, 1989 Home: QLD Club: Caffe Aiello Corigliano, Italy Position: Opposite Height: 212 Weight: 106 |
Aidan Zingel DOB: Nov 19, 1990 Home: NSW Club: Bluvolley Verona, Italy Position: Middle Height: 207 Weight: 102 Nathan Roberts DOB: Feb 17 1986 Home: SA Club: CMC Ravenna, Italy Position: Outside Height: 199 Weight: 90 Travis Passier DOB: April 26, 1989 Home: QLD Club: M. Roma Volley, Italy Position: Middle Height: 205 Weight: 99 Igor Yudin DOB: June 17, 1987 Home: Vic Club: Yaroslavich, Russia Position: Outside Height: 199 Weight: 81 Harrison Peacock DOB: January 31, 1981 Home: SA Club: Linkoping, Volleyball Club, Sweden Position: Setter Height: 192 Weight: 90 Andrew Grant DOB: April 22, 1985 Home: QLD Club: AIS, Australia Position: Middle Height: 206 Weight: 93 Adam White DOB: November 8, 1989 Home: Qld Club: Lang Henkel Volley, Netherlands Position: Outside Height: 203 Weight: 89 |
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