VTAM - Australia v Canada - Game 4 Live Match Report
Welcome to Game 4, the last match between Australia and Canada in this friendly series, coming to you from the State Volleyball Centre in Dandenong, Victoria. Canada won Game 3 last night in a hard fought 5 set match and will be looking to level the series with another win today. Not as big a crowd at today's match, last night reached 1500 spectators, today we are at 800, as most locals have headed across to Perth for the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships starting on Monday.
Also, don't forget that the game today is being streamed live at http://www.volleyballvictoria.com.au/stream.php if you want to watch the action live.
Set 1
AUS - Zingel, Roberts, Yudin, Young, Grant, Carroll, Hingston (L)
CAN - Mainville, Duff, Soonias, Schneider, Lankvelt, Winters, Raymond (L)
Lankvelt starts the game serving for Canada and forces the error from Roberts. Its a slow pace to start this game, no real heat being put on the ball yet, but some great defensive plays from the Australian libero Hingston keeps Australia in the game. Canada take the lead as Mainville hits a quick ball for the kill and Soonias from behind hits it sharp cross court into Roberts toes 7-3. Australia looks for the tip as the crowd gasps as Canada pick it up, Yudin tries it on the next play, this time he finds open court. Side out Australia and Carroll sends a screaming jump serve that forces the over pass and Yudin is at the net to wrap it up. But its Canada that has the lead at the first technical time out, 8-5.
Adam White replaces Nathan Roberts for Australia. Mainville aces Yudin as he dives to his right to try to touch the serve. Broken play from the Aussies as they send a free ball over, and Soonias gets the high set behind and hits it a foot over the Australian block and into court. Australia call for a time out to regroup, 5-10.
Australia are struggling to pass Mainville's tough serve as Canada get another easy point. An error from Mainville on the serve gives Australia the side out. The Aussies on the bench start the slow hand clap that gets the crowd involved in cheering and AUS and win an extra point on Zingels serve. Adam White uses the block well to hit off it and out. Australia no only trail by 2, 11-13. Canada side out and Soonias hits the huge cross court ball that Hingston touches and young chases the shank into the stands to try to retrieve, but can't make it. At the second technical time out, Australia have improved, but its still all Canada's set leading 16-11.
Great play from the Aussies, as they cover their spiker and defend well, they have three goes at attacking and Carroll finally puts it away. Edgar replaces Young as a blocking sub as Carroll is back to serve, he forces the overpass and Zingel spanks the Christmas ball. Australia closer now, 15-17. Canada time out. Lankvelt tools the AUS block to side out. Alexander replaces Carroll for AUS, first touch he finds Zingel for the quick and a side out point. That's a monster hit from Edgar, hitting high over the Canadian block and into court. Subs for Canada, Cundy for Schneider and Wilcox for Soonias. Lankvelt serves a fast serve that forces the overpass and Duff hits it straight back. Canada lead 21-17 as Australia use their second time out.
Side out AUS, thanks to Adam White on the outside. Reverse subs for AUS, Young and Carroll back in for Edgar and Alexander. Australia are hot and cold, with kills followed by errors letting Canada easily maintain their lead. reverse subs for Canada, Schnieder and Soonias are back on court. Get dive from White to save the point and allow Yudin to hit a kill off the block, AUS to within 2 points., 21-23. Attack error from Carroll brings up set point for Canada, But White saves it. Soonias uses Young's hands in the block to hit the ball into it and out, and Canada take the first set 25-22.
Set 2
AUS - Zingel, White, Yudin, Young, Passier, Carroll, Hingston (L)
CAN - Mainville, Duff, Soonias, Schneider, Lankvelt, Winters, Raymond (L)
Canada take control of the set early, with a pipe from Lankvelt and a tip from Soonias, they lead 4-1 before Yudin gets the side out for AUS with a cross court kill. White is having a great game for the Aussies, he bangs the pipe ball into the Canadian court for a kill. Yudin serves an ACE, and then what a rally the next point, pancake ups and huge hits and blocks. Australia have leveled the score at 5-5 and lifted the crowd in the process. White gets a fast ball on the outside and he hits it sharp down the line through Schneider's legs, AUS take the lead 6-5. Matthew Young chases the second ball around the post near Canada's bench and brings the ball back into play, he makes it back for the triple block, but canada hit high and its off and out. The crowd go beserk at the effort! Canada take the lead 8-7 at the first technical time out.
Carroll hits one backrow from 1 out, and the next one in. Soonias finds open court with the same spike for Canadian to side out. White smartly tools Schneider's block for point AUS, but then sends his jump serve way long and out the back of the court into the back wall. Quick ball to Mainville keep Canada in the lead, 12-9 as Australia call for a time out.
Two quick points to AUS as they close the gap to get to with in 1 point, 11-12. Carroll is back to serve, Australia make changes like in the last set, Edgar for young, and next point once Canada side out, Alexander for Carroll. Duff's quick ball hit sharp into 5 just finds the line and Canada have the lead at the second technical time out, 16-13.
Alexander finds Zingel for the quick and he hits it off Soonias' toes for the kill. huge block from Edgar and Passier on Winter's back row pipe, but Schneider makes sure next point that Canada side out with the setters dump on the second ball. Edgar high over the block but he hits it just long. Lankvelts's serve forces the error from Hingston as the ball hits the roof and is called out. Trailing 15-19, Australia use their second time out.
Service errors from both sides make for a quick game. And Australia are struggling with the passing in reception. Young and Carroll come back on at 16-21. And its another shank from the Aussies, this time off Duff's serve that brings up set point for Canada, 24-16. Kill from Yudin saves it, but Winters quickly wins it back tooling the AUS block to take the set for Canada 25-17. The Canadians lead the game 2 sets to 0.
Set 3
AUS - Zingel, White, Yudin, Young, Thwaite, Carroll, Tyrrell (L)
CAN - Mainville, Duff, Soonias, Schneider, Lankvelt, Winters, Raymond (L)
Big block from Winters in White and Canada are up 4-1 in this set. Soonias hits cross court from 2 and the Australian's can't quite touch it, Canada up 5-1 as Australia call a time out. Better pass from AUS allows Young to set Thwaite in the middle for the side out. White serving....he aces Lankvelt which the corwd loves. Mainville's quick hits Tyrrell on the shoulder on the way out. And the Mainville reads the quick behind to Thwaite to stat the kill block, 7-3. Service error from Winters gives some reprieve for AUS and Carroll tools the block for another AUS winner. Soonias sends the transition spike long, AUS to within 1, but its a service error that gives Canada the lead 8-6 at the first technical time out.
Duff gets an easy block on Zingel, and some great defence from Canada allow them to attack 3 times as Soonias wraps up the point for Canada with another kill. Trailling 6-10, Alexander replaces Young for Australia. The triple block on Yudin stats a kill block for Canada and the Canadian's love it. White flies through the air to get to the fast outside ball and his hits it off the fingers of Schnieder. ROOF!!! from Alexander on Lankvelt pumps up the Aussies and Canada call a time out 12-10 to recompose.
Good time out Canada as they win the next 4 points to Australia's 1 to again have the lead at the second technical time out. They lead by 5 point, 16-11. Nathan Roberts replaces Paul Carroll for Australia at opposite, and its a huge kill from the backrow that gets him and the team pumped. Another passing error though from AUS lets Canada get to 18-12 up, Australia call for their last time out. Tight ball at the net, AUS send over a free ball and Mainville punishes it with a quick kill, 19-12 to Canada. Adam White sides out for Australia from position 2, and next point he is in the right position in defence, but the hit is just too fast for him to control. Canada are running away with the set now 21-13, as the Australians are letting balls hit the ground on their side.
Soonias too smart for Yudin as he rolls the ball through Yudins block for a winner. Crowd is quiet now as AUS hit another error and Canada are to within 2 points of finishing the game. Never say die, Yudin sides out for AUS with a nice hit from outside. But Duff tips the quick attack for a winner and match point. Wilcox and Cundy on for Canada, Wilcox serves out at match point. Australia fight hard in the point, roberts attacks twice, first one is drilled into Wilcox's chest, but the next is stopped dead by Duff at the net, and Canada take the set 25-16 and the match 3-0, to level the series between the two teams at 2-2.
Thanks for joining us again folks, hope you enjoyed the live match reports and this series between Australia and Canada. The next tournament up for the Australians is the Asian Cup in August in Iran, before the team heads to Italy for the World Championships in September-October. Good luck to all the players and officials, we will all be cheering loudly back home in AUS.
