Match Report - VTAM captures 2nd Commonwealth Championship for Men

Volleyball Team Australia v India Men’s Volleyball Team
2nd Commonwealth Championships, in India - 4-8-07 (Tour Match 6)

Result: VTA defeated India 3 – 2 (25-18, 25-16, 24-26, 20-25, 15-11)  

VTA Starting Line-up (and points scored): Young (4)(QLD), Hardy (C)(20)(ACT), Ferguson (21)(WA), Carroll (24)(NSW), Yudin (12)(VIC), Campbell (9)(VIC), Libero – DeSalvo (VIC)

Substitutes: Thwaite (0)(QLD), Earl (1)(SA), Roberts (1)(SA), Alderman (0)(QLD), Grant (DNP)(QLD)

Match Comment:  In front 8000 fanatical Indian fans Australia defeated India in the Final of the 2nd Commonwealth Volleyball Championships for men in Kolkata, India tonight. It was one of the best and most important Tournament victories in the history of the AIS/Volleyball Team Australia Men’s Program. Keeping the attack error rate to a diminutive 12% for the match and out-performing their opponents in block (14 to 7) and reception (2.25 to 2.10), the Australians won a closely contested and very exciting match. The first set was close in the early stages, but Australia developed a two-point lead with a transition kill through Carroll and an overpass kill to Young. Despite an Indian transition kill Australia skipped ahead by four points after the break with a block to Ferguson and a transition kill to Yudin, followed by an ace, also to Yudin. The gap widened as Yudin transitioned successfully for a second time and Young served an ace. When Hardy and Carroll blocked within a few points of each other, the set was over for India.

India started the second set with greater purpose, but it was really Australian errors that allowed the locals to lead 8-7 at the first technical timeout. A re-focus during the break had the desired affect and Australia raced to an amazing 16-8 turnaround, with two blocks and a transition kill to Ferguson and a transition kill to Hardy being major factors in the score reversal. India played a little better again in the next patch of play, picking up an ace, but Yudin stuff blocked and Australia sided out through Ferguson, to take the set.

Despite an early transition kill by India, Australia developed a good lead in the third set, with a transition play of their own through Yudin and then service aces to Carroll, Yudin (2) and a block to Campbell, to lead 8-4. This time it was India’s turn to fight back and they did so with two blocks, an ace, followed by an overpass kill off serve to trail 15-16 at the second technical timeout. The rest of the set was point for point. In the end it was two blocks and a transition play by India at 25-24 that won the set for the home team.

India developed a small lead in the fourth set (8-7) through another transition kill. The margin could have been even greater for the locals, had Australia not achieved sideout blocks to Campbell and Young, when India was mounting two more transition attacks. Hardy killed a transition opportunity after the break and Ferguson blocked again, but India produced two strong transition plays to lead 16-14. When Australia was called “out of rotation” India’s margin increased to three points. The crowd became a huge factor at this point of the match, applying enormous pressure with their deafening support. Australia errored twice on attack and India blocked to take the set.

Despite the colossal crowd support for the Indians Australia ground out five tough sideouts, at the beginning of the fifth set. Finally the Australians were able to transition through Hardy and then gain a block through the same player to change 8-5 ahead of India. India achieved a stuff block to bring up their eighth point, but Australia responded with a block of their own through Ferguson. AIS/Volleyball Team Australia took the set and the Championship.

As always, the National Team would like to acknowledge the enormous support of the Australian Sports Commission, through the Australian Institute of Sport and the Australian Volleyball Federation. The Team now travels to Greece for three matches with the National Team of Greece, as preparation for the Asian Championships continues in Europe.

Statistics:

Attack – Team 58% kill 12% error (47%ke) Ferguson 73% kill (22) 9% error, Campbell 64% kill (11) 9% error, Hardy 56% kill (32) 9% error and Carroll 56% kill (39) 13% error
Block – Team 14 kill 17 controls Ferguson 5 kills
Passing – Team 2.25 57% perfect 4% error DeSalvo 2.50 (18) 67% perfect 0% error
Setting – Team 57% all sets, 66% perfect pass sets Young 56% all sets and 65% perfect pass sets
Serving – Team 1.58 5 aces 19 errors Yudin 3 aces; Campbell 1.93 (15)

Best players – Ferguson, Hardy, Carroll, DeSalvo, Campbell and Young