Shetland men’s volleyball players suffer early league defeats
Shetland were unable to win either of their opening fixtures in the Scottish Volleyball League Division One.
A 3-0 defeat to Lenzie was followed up by a deciding fifth set against Glasgow Mets 2.
Shetland 0, Lenzie 3
(10-23, 23-25, 18-25)
The first match of the league for the Shetland men’s volleyball team began with a strong serve from Joshua Morrison, earning the opening point.
However, Lenzie quickly took control, putting Shetland under pressure with powerful serves and building a 1 – 6 lead as Shetland worked to find their rhythm.
A solid connection between Morrison and Wayne Leask produced a strong opposite hit that Lenzie could not defend, giving Shetland a brief boost. But Lenzie’s quick reactions and clever tip plays kept them ahead.
Lenzie maintained momentum with sharp serves and well-placed attacks, forcing Shetland to stay alert. Shetland managed to pull a few points back thanks to Bobby Laurenson’s smart serving and Lukasz Prawdzik’s quick middle attacks, bringing the score to 10-23. Lenzie, however, finished strong, closing out the first set with a powerful serve.
Shetland started the next set with confidence, taking an early lead and maintaining great control of the ball. Prawdzik and Jarryd Jamieson were solid at the net, putting up strong blocks to shut down Lenzie’s attacks.
In the back court, Leask and Kyle Duncan worked tirelessly, making excellent pickups to keep the ball in play and setting up Morrison for quick middle and outside attacks.
Shetland’s teamwork and communication began to flow, with cross-court attacks landing well and Laurenson’s powerful hits helping the team edge ahead.
Lenzie fought back with some powerful spikes and perfectly timed blocks, pulling the score to 16–15.
Despite Shetland’s efforts, Lenzie managed to capitalise on deflections from Morrison and Prawdzik to gain crucial points.
At 21–21, both teams battled point for point in a tense exchange. Shetland pulled ahead with strong hits from Prawdzik but Lenzie then closed out the set with a strong serve.
The third set opened with Lenzie taking the first point after a long rally that ended with a precise outside hit into open space. Shetland responded quickly, showing strong communication and composure. However, a few moments of miscommunication cost Shetland two points, giving Lenzie a 3-6 lead.
Shetland fought back with well-placed attacks and regained some control on court, but Lenzie stretched ahead 9-15. The energy dipped briefly, yet Shetland refused to give in. Monster blocks from Morrison and Prawdzik regained the serve, while Leask delivered powerful attacks that pushed Lenzie.
With the score at 14 – 20, Duncan took command of the back court, keeping the rallies alive and giving Shetland every chance to fight back. Despite their determination and excellent teamwork, Lenzie held firm with strong serves that Shetland struggled to return.
Shetland 2, Glasgow Mets 3
(25-22, 17-25, 20-25, 25-17, 7-15)
Shetland started strong, with powerful serves from Wayne Leask taking them to a 6–1 lead and forcing Mets to call an early timeout. Thomas Clark dominated through the middle with quick, sharp hits, while Leask’s defensive pickups allowed Joshua Morrison to spread the attack.
Despite losing a bit of rhythm at 19–17, Shetland held their composure. Jarryd Jamieson’s outside attacks broke through Mets blocks, and at 24–22 he hammered the winning ball off the blockers’ hands to take the set for Shetland.
In the second set Glasgow Mets found an early lead at 3–9, prompting a Shetland timeout. After regrouping, Morrison’s precise setting connected perfectly with Jamieson on the outside.
Despite the Shetland efforts, Mets capitalised on small gaps in Shetland’s defence and closed out the set to even the match, 17-25.
Jamieson’s quick reactions in the third set at the back court and Leask’s front-court attacks kept the score tight at 8–7.
Both teams showed signs of fatigue, battling point for point. Kirkness continued to deliver perfect passes for Morrison to set up his hitters, but Mets managed to edge ahead 25–20 and take the set after a strong finish.
Shetland started the fourth set with renewed energy, putting pressure on Mets with well-placed attacks and clever plays that forced errors. Morrison controlled the pace of the game beautifully, setting up Leask and Lukasz Prawdzik for clean kills.
With the score at 24–17, Prawdzik stepped up to serve and sealed the set for Shetland, levelling the match once again.
The match heads into a deciding final set to determine who will come out on top. The deciding set began with a strong receive from Kyle Duncan, allowing Morrison to set up Prawdzik for powerful attacks that gave Mets an early 1–8 lead before the teams switched sides.
Mets regrouped quickly, taking control of the rallies and keeping Shetland scrambling to stay in the game. Despite Prawdzik landing an ace and Shetland fighting hard until the end, Mets pulled ahead and secured the final set 7–15.