One win one defeat against Edinburgh students
It was one game each last Saturday in Scottish League 1 for Dundee against Edinburgh University. The men were at home in Craigie High School for the second game in a double header against the students. Having lost 3/0 last weekend the home side pushed the Uni side into difficult situations with heavy deep serving. The visitors were struggling to cope and fell behind 4/8. They fought back to 13/13 but had gifted 11 points in mistakes with Kevin Chisholm scoring the two Dundee points! Oz Dowie, Craig Goldthorp and Dave Bonnar all scored as the scores were tied at 22/22. The students were then gifted 2 points to give them set points at 24/22. Dowie and Chisholm hit back and with Dundee at 25/24 Barry Millar served an ‘ace ‘ to win the set 26/24.
Both sides traded points and the lead switched hands several times with Rad Marinov and Craig Goldthorp both big scorers for Dundee. The home side held a 22/21 lead then Dowie, Lewis Crockart and Rad Marinov finished off the set, winning 25/23.
Dundee then piled on the pressure winning 3 runs of 4 points. Marinov, Goldthorp and Lewis Crockart all scored points from hits in counter attack, net blocks and service. They opened u a 17/11 lead as the students had difficulty scoring points against Dundee’s defence which was typified by a spectacular pick up from Mark Donnachie which disheartened the visitors. They pushed on and when a hit from the University was long and out the back of the court, Dundee had secured a handsome 3/0 win, taking the set 25/20.
Dundee’s ladies team travelled south to take in the University ll side, hoping to subdue their Championship celebrations. Both sides scored points and the scores were close at 14/12 with Dundee scoring through Natalia Stopowska and Carol Lane. Claire Pollock’s serve caused disruption and the visitors took a 19/18 lead. Carol lane then followed up with her serves allowing Dundee’s counter attack to take the set 25/20 with Stopowska, Agnes Bednarek and Pollock all scoring. The University response was to take a 7/0 lead in the second set. Lucy Wishart hauled points back but the home side stayed in front to level the game winning the set 25/17. The third set was similar to the first with Dundee just ahead with Sacha Tissot coming is a play-maker and Lucy Wishart replacing Pauletta Talmon and were level at 17/17. The students then powered their way to win the set 25/19.
It was to become harder for the Dundee side to score as the student’s defence held up against hits from Lane, Wishart and Stopowska. From 18/15 up the Dundee side lost their way and the celebrations followed as the Edinburgh team took the set 25/18 to win 3/1. Dundee have completed their league programme finishing a respectable 5th place outside the play-off places.