MAVL R3 - G9 Canberra Heat v QAS Pirates
Set 1
Pirates - White, Douglas-Powell, Matters, Moeller, Williams, El-Mezin, Slack (L)
Heat - Farrer, Beck, Borgeaud, J Tyrrell, Langford, S Currie, C Currie (L)
Change to the Pirates this game with Josh Slack playing Libero and Brendan White taking over the role as Captain. Heat take advantage of the younger opposition and have jumped out to a 8-3 lead forcing the Pirates to take their first time out. Great diving defence from Slack to put the ball up in back court, Douglas-Powell has to jump over him as he chases it down and White gets the third touch to send it over....but Farrer returns it back with a sweet kill against a late Pirates block, and the crowd cheers the spectacular play.
Slowly but surely the Pirates are bringing themselves back into this game. Some steady passing allow Moeller to set the quick attack for White with ease, and Williams at opposite is hitting a high load as well. Pirates catch up to the Heat, 15-15 before Canberra take a time out. Andrew Small comes in for El-Mezin to serve and play backcourt.
At 18-18 the Pirates get the side out and a Douglas-Powell kill gets them to 20 points. Tyrrell sets a pipe to Borgeaud but he is called for a foot over the attack line. Pirates lead 21-18, Heat take a time out. Hitting errors from the Heat are keeping them out of this set. The Pirates block is strong at the net and at set point, El-Mezin gets the block kill and the Pirates take the first set 25-18.
Set 2
Pirates - White, Douglas-Powell, Matters, Moeller, Williams, El-Mezin, Slack (L)
Heat - Farrer, Beck, Borgeaud, J Tyrrell, Langford, S Currie, C Currie (L)
Pirates start better this set, not so nervous in their passing, and they are currently out to an 11-8 lead. Tyrrell is reading the Pirates block well and running plays that is giving his hitters one on one situations, as Farrer drills another kill for the Heat. But the strength of the Pirates is their ability to side out after each point lost, and combined with some smart serving from White, the Pirates are out to a 14-10 lead now.
The Heat have caught up to the Pirates now thanks to a huge roof by Borgeaud on Williams. He is pumped and so is his team. That brings them to 16-16. Then a hitting error from the Pirates and Canberra take the lead 17-16. But Williams hits the next one high off Borgeaud's block to side out. White at the net gets the overpass kill and Pirates back in front 18-17. Matthew Stewart on the serve for the Pirates. But now the Heat have taken back the lead again. A Farrer kill from 2 puts them 2 points clear up 20-18, QAS call for a time out.
The Heat are on a role now. Beck aces Slack out in position 1. Steve Currie tools Moeller's block. An another ace from Beck brings up set point to the HEat 24-19. Beck to serve for the set....but it's out. Matters serving for the Pirates, and he sends it long. Heat take the second set 25-20 to level the game at one set all.
Set 3
Pirates - White, Douglas-Powell, Matters, Moeller, Williams, El-Mezin, Slack (L)
Heat - Farrer, Beck, Borgeaud, J Tyrrell, Langford, S Currie, C Currie (L)
At 0-5, QAS finally get on the scoreboard through the leftie Williams. Time out Pirates at 1-6 down. The lineperson is called in to confirm the referees call, Pirates don't like th call, it goes against them. White makes sure the next point is a good one. This has fired him up, he gets another sweet kill through the middle, 4-10 Pirates.
Time out Canberra Heat as the Queenslanders have dwindled their lead back to four, 10-6. White is leading by example again he punishes the ball, Heat's lead is back to three, 14-11. Matters from 4, winds up the arm and unleashes, next point Heat are called for being out of rotation, 13-15 Pirates. After getting back to within one, Pirates dropped their concentration and Heat capitalised, forcing that time out by Pirates at 17-20 down. The time out worked in Pirates favour, they pile on three quick points, its Heat to call time out now at 20-all. Whatever coach, Neil Boyes, said has worked its set point at 24-20, The set goes to Heat after White does an illegal back row play, 25-20 and two sets to one.
Set 4
Pirates - White, Douglas-Powell, Matters, Moeller, Williams, El-Mezin, Slack (L)
Heat - Farrer, Beck, Borgeaud, J Tyrrell, Langford, S Currie, C Currie (L)
Ok, this is just crazy, how many service errors can we get in a row...three apparently. Matters gets all net to tie the score at 9-9. The players are starting to look tired and the errors are mounting up for both teams, Pirates with the lesser amount to be leading 13-9 at the Heat time out.
Moeller with the dump, 15-10 Pirates. Borgeaud from the outside gets the cross court winner, 11-15. Heat get another two quick points to claw back to within two, 13-15. Time out Pirates. Chand comes in for Dan Tyrrell at 15-19 down. El-Mezin gets the block. Accurate serve from Matters, it goes straight down the line, Pirates 22-15. This game looks set to go the full distance with Pirates just two points away from closing out the set, 23-16. Small serves for the set at 24-17, but it is saved through Steve Currie with the kill. Net touch called on Heat to hand the set to Pirates 25-18.
Set 5
Pirates - White, Douglas-Powell, Matters, Moeller, Williams, El-Mezin, Slack (L)
Heat - Farrer, Beck, Borgeaud, J Tyrrell, Langford, S Currie, C Currie (L)
Our first 5 setter of the weekend. Borgeaud rolls it over the Pirates block for the first point of the game. El-Mezin with the quick in the middle levels the scores 1-1. Beck blocks Williams and its 2-1 to the Heat. Net touch be the Heat, 2-2. Beck hits high off Moeller's block, 3-2. Matters tools Farrer's block after a big rally, 3-3. Farrer hits it down the line from 2 for the kill. 4-3. Beck aces Douglas-Powell, the Heat lead 5-3, Pirates time out.
Lift called on Farrer as he tries to recover the ball from his block, 4-5. Langford hits a quick for the kill, 6-4. Williams out in 2, looks for the line but hits it into the net. Heat serveing 7-4. Steve Currie gets the block on Williams and the Heat have the lead at the change of ends, 8-4.
Douglas-Powell tools the Heat blockers, 5-8. Farrer sends his next hit way long out the back, 5-8. Awesome ups from the Heat keeps them in this point, but its close at the net, Currie looks to swipe it off a Pirates block, but its out, no touch. Pirates close the gap 7-8. Heat take a time out.
El-Mezin gets a block on Currie, and scores are level, 8-8. Langford's quick tags the block on the way out, 9-8. Williams hits it off the Heat's block, 9-9. Douglas-Powell service error into the net, 10-9. ACE from Langford and Douglas-Powell lets it drop behind him. 11-9. Beck gets the block on El-Mezin and Heat are up again, 12-9. Pirates use their second time out.
Williams off the block for a winner, 10-12. Andrew Small in for El-Mezin to serve. Borgeaud done the line from 4 for the kill, 13-10 to the Heat. Triple block from the Heat on White for a winner and match point, 14-10. Williams with no block, burries it short into the Heat's court. 11-14. Beck hits the winning point for the Heat, cross court hit short into the Pirates court and its game over. Heat take the last set 15-11 to hand the Pirates their second defeat of the series.
Next up we have a crunch match for both teams to make the finals. Get your calculators out, if WA win this we go back to a 3-way tie for 3rd and 4th place.
