Wentworth sealed a momentous victory in the college volleyball, their highlight of an otherwise disappointing day. All eight colleges entered teams into the tournament, which was based around a knockout format. Wentworth’s victory was made even more remarkable by the fact, that they were depleted to only three players, whilst everyone else had four. This though did not hinder them, and inspired by Rich Rhodes, they recorded a memorable victory over James in the final.
Their tournament began against Langwith in the third game of the first round. Here they displayed great skill to dominate the contest and record a 20-11 victory, in the eight minute game. Before this, the crowds had been treated to two classics, as Alcuin defeated Derwent 18-17, and then James fought back from a poor start to edge past Halifax 15-14. In the final first round match, Vanbrugh sneaked past a determined and committed Goodricke squad, securing a 16-14 win.
The semi-finals were eagerly anticipated, and saw Alcuin meet James, whilst Wentworth were opposed by Vanbrugh. James performed admirably to narrowly overcome a courageous Alcuin side 16-13, and book their place in the final. They were joined by Wentworth, who once more continued their excellent form, cruising past Vanbrugh by a scoreline of 18-13.
So the final saw the unfancied postgraduate college, meet one of the college heavyweights, James. Yet it was to be Wentworth’s day, as they moved into an unassailable lead and despite a late resurgence by James, recorded a 16-14 victory. It was undoubtedly the highlight of their day, and one of the best results for the college of the whole season, showing that they really can compete with the others.