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We are the volleyball club of choice in Rugby Warwickshire, with both adult and junior teams for boys and girls aged 11-16. We offer the opportunity to play in the West Midlands regional leagues and new players of all abilities are always welcome.
Please have a look around the webpages to find out more about us or email us for more information.
Rugby Phoenix Mens and Ladies teams have seen mixed fortunes during the year; the Ladies team sit top of Division 2, the Men’s 2nd team languish without a win in Division 3 and the Mens 2nd team mid table of their respective division.
Thanks to Charlotte, some of the action has been captured below – and some interesting Volleyball techniques are clear to see! – Enjoy
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Rugby Phoenix Women 3 Nuneaton Women 0 (25-13, 25-11, 25-18)
Rugby Phoenix women were keen to keep their momentum going following last weeks emphatic win and knew they had a chance of another victory after seeing off this weekends opponents, Nuneaton, earlier in the season.
Rugby took the lead in the match through some great serving by captain Jan Wardle and never looked back. Sabine Innes continued her recent good form by controlling the back court and making sure the away side got very little from the opening set. Rugby pushed on and took the first set to take the lead in the match.
The second set saw the introduction of Mirjam Grainer who made sure Rugby pressed their advantage with some brilliant hitting down the line. Jo Lewis passed the ball well to find outside hitter Verena Sotebener who caused several problems for Nuneaton with her serving and hitting. Rugby carried on strongly to win the second set and put them 2-0 up on the match.
Rugby came out for the third set with a change in line up as Rhea Fielding came in to set in place of Jo Lewis. Nuneaton really fought back hard in what was to be the final set and caused the home side some problems with a change in defensive formation. Rugby managed to find their rhyme late on and with Nikki Wardle hitting well through the middle the host took the final set to win 3-0. Another good result for the womens team who will look to keep this form heading into a tough cup game at Wood Green next week.
Rugby Phoenix Men 1st Team 3 Nuneaton Men 1 (15-25, 25-15, 25 -23, 25-20)
Rugby Phoenix mens first team were without a league win in their last 5 matches so they knew this would be a crucial game against local rivals Nuneaton.
Rugby started the game very slowly and let several errors give their opponents an easy lead. The home side tried desperately to get back into the set but Nuneaton raised their game and even a late substitute appearance by coach Jon Chetham couldn¹t get Rugby back into the set.
As the teams entered the second set Rugby knew they would have to come up with something better if they were going to get any points from this match. Outside hitter Jacob Jarek soon found his range and hit several unstoppable shots at the Nuneaton back line. The cool head of Andy Nicklin meant that Rugby could compose themselves and set up a host of middle attacks that saw them take the second set and level up the match.
The third set saw both sides trading early points. Middle hitter Matthew Glenn put in a fantastic performance and linked up with setters Simon Jones and Aneel Khanna to edge Rugby into the lead. Both sides continued at a steady pace until Rugby eventually won the set despite a late comeback from the away side.
Rugby sensed victory entering the fourth set and knew if they kept up this performance they had a chance of winning the game. Captain Mark Fielding made sure his team carried on and really put pressure on the Nuneaton defence. With some good hitting in the middle, Rugby snuck into the lead and kept there through out the set. The home side eventually claimed the fourth set to win the match 3-1.
A great win for the men who were well supported during the match but one question still remains…with a lovely new fit jumper, could the ex-cardigan wearing mans jeans be any tighter James?
We’ve got some great offers this week to help you save money and raise funds for Rugby Phoenix Volleyball Club at the same time.
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Birmingham University Women 0 Rugby Phoenix Women 3 (13-25, 14-25, 23-25)
After being narrowly defeated by Birmingham University just before Christmas, the Rugby Phoenix Womens team knew they had to be at the top of their game for this reverse fixture.
Rugby started strongly with Verena Stoebener, who served spectacularly throughout, wining several early points to put the away side in a dominating position. Rugby pushed their advantage, commanding the opening set, and with Nikki Wardle not giving Birmingham any chance by hitting the ball into the gaps at the back the away side took the first set in a comfortable fashion.
Buoyed by their opening set form Rugby strived to keep their momentum going as they entered the second set. Sabine Innes was uncompromising at the back as she picked up everything the hosts threw at her. Captain Jan Wardle pushed Rugby along with some strong serving to put another big gap between the two sides. Rugby continued winning point after point and eventually took the second set to give them a 2-0 lead.
Rugby sensed an early victory although Birmingham weren’t about to let them get away easily. The hosts upped their game in the third set and caught Rugby off guard as they took the lead for the first time in a set. With Rugby 6 down on the score card it was the turn of Jo Lewis to step in to serve and with the opposition unable to deal with it, Rugby re-took the lead. With points being traded back and forth Rugby knew it was going to be a tense end to the set. Mirjam Grainer blocked superbly well at the net to take Rugby to within a point of victory, which they subsequently won to take the match 3-0.
It was the performance of the season so far for the womens team who were supported excellently through-out by the injured Rhea Fielding and the clubs favourite cardigan wearing northerner James Haigh.
Rugby Phoenix Ladies Volleyball team easily overcame their Birmingham University opponents to win 3-0, reversing their 2-3 defeat in December to the Uni team.
Consistent serving and a dominating block defence were key and sets them up well for the next match against Wood Green.
Don’t forget that Volleyball training starts again on January 4th – hopefully all of the turkey and mince-pies will have been digested as I am sure coach Jon will have something special lined up!!
See you all at 8pm (Ladies) and 9pm (Men)
Rugby Phoenix Men’s 1st Team 2 Birmingham University Men 3 (25-20, 23-25, 25-17, 22-25, 15-17)
It was a case of de ja vu for the Rugby Phoenix Men as their match had an almost identical feel to the womens game.
Rugby started the first set in commanding form, Dmitrijs Ledkovs served strongly and won some important opening points. The home side pushed on from there with the commanding presence of captain Mark Fielding to ensure that the first set went the way of the hosts.
Birmingham came back strongly in the second set and put Rugby on the back foot. Andy Nicklin was introduced into the game and almost managed to inspire Rugby to victory in the second set but the away team had other ideas as they pushed aside a spirited comeback and claimed the set.
Strong hitting for Rugby from Jacob Jarek and Matt Glenn allowed Rugby to take the third set comfortably, but a drop in concentration meant that the game was tied when Birmingham hit back to win the fourth.
Rugby unfortunately entered the fifth set with the same slow pace as the fourth and found themselves behind very quickly. Despite an almost single-handed effort from Aneel Khanna serving several unstoppable shots Rugby lost the final set by just two points.
A disappointing weekend for the Rugby sides who will feel they could easily have been celebrating two victories instead of the defeats.
Rugby Phoenix Women 2 Birmingham University Women 3 (21-25, 25-20, 25-19, 12-25, 13-15)
Rugby Phoenix women hosted their Birmingham counterparts this weekend in a match that may turn out to be one of the closest run contests of the season.
The game started with Rugby taking an early lead thanks to some strong attacks from Nikki Wardle at the front. The early lead soon diminished though as the away side fought back strongly to take the first set.
Vicky Nealon came into the game at the start of the second set, and along with Verena Stoebener, attacked well to make sure Rugby didn’t lose any further ground in the game. Sabine Innes made sure the home sides backline was secure and spurred Rugby on to take the second set and level the game.
The two sides traded the next two sets to make it 2-2 and forcing the game into a tie breaking fifth set. Jo Lewis and Mirjam Grainer covered the attacks effectively making sure Rugby didn’t drop any silly points as the game went all the way to the wire. Captain Jan Wardle almost inspired her team to victory but unfortunately Rugby fell at the last hurdle and lost the game by just two points.
A disappointing end to a fantastic match that will hopefully inspire Rugby in the next match!
Rugby Phoenix Ladies Volleyball team claimed another win on Sunday when their opponents, Warwick University, failed to arrive despite confirming their attendance a couple of days earlier.
Under the league rules, teams failing to arrive automatically lose the match 0-3 and recieve a -1 point penalty.
The 3 points gained by the team move them 4 points clear of their nearest opponents, Wood Green, in Division 2 of the West Midlands league.
Their next match is on Sunday 11th December when they host a team from Birmingham University.With both teams having only lost 1 match so far this season, the result could have a bearing on the final positions and potential promotion at the end of the season.
