Ladies struggle against visitors from the west

There was a triangular set of games in Craigie High School, with Dundee hosting Caledonia West and Ragazzi ll in Women’s League 1.  The home side started against the Glasgow side, missing several starting players due to work commitments but Dundee University students, Joanna Silva and Olga Scheiermann, both filled the gaps with confidence.  Ragazzi took a lead but Lucy Wishart and Sarah Driscoll hauled the home side closer but experience was the key as Ragazzi took the set 25/22.  Both sides worked hard in the second set, trading points from different parts of the court.  Dundee’s left side was most fruitful as Natalia Stopowska and Sarah Driscoll kept Dundee in the set.  Ragazzi’s big hitters finally won the set 25/22 again.  The third set was full of long rallies, great defence and a powerful run of points from the Stopowska service.  Her run of points gave Dundee a 19/15 lead.  Driscoll and Agnes Bednarek both scored to give Dundee set point at 24/22 but Ragazzi came back and won 2 long rallies to take the set 27/25. A hand injury to Sarah Driscoll blunted the home attack and the visiting Glasgow side scraped home 25/20 to secure a 3/1 win and remain league leaders.

Next up for the Dundee ladies were the youngsters of Caledonia West who had fought back from 2 sets down to win 3/2 against Ragazzi ll in the first game of the day.  The Cale team were finding the home side difficult to deal with as Natalia Stopowska and Sarah Driscoll piled on the points to lead 14/10.  Bednarek and Scheiermann both scored points with hits to take a 19/14 lead.  A series of counter attacks brought Cale back into the set at 20/20, before they grabbed set point to lead 24/20.  Driscoll scored a great block on her own and Stopowska hit a winner but a service error gave the set to the Ayrshire side 25/23.  Cale were able to continue, with tall middle attackers causing most damage.  Dogged defence and determined hitting from the left side of the court brought Dundee closer at 17/20.  A side out and 2 points in counter attacks finally gave Cale the set 25/20 and a 2/0 lead.  The third set disappeared in a blur as the tired home side surrendered under a barrage of serves and trailed 2/12.  Lauren Smith made her debut for the home side but the visitors’ service was too strong and accurate and they cruised through the set winning 25/12.