HAWKS TAKE

FLIGHT IN 2013

ALSO INSIDE:

ROUND 4 RECAP

NORWOOD

AUSTRAL

HENLEY

MT LOFTY

SOUTH

USC LION

ROUND 5 PREVIEW

LADDERS & RESULTS

TIPPING TABLE

volleyball south australia

weeklydig.WEEKLY MAGAZINE OF THE VOLLEYBALL SA STATE LEAGUE

ROUND 5 (MAY 3-4, 2013)

02 VSA DIG. | volleyballsa.com.au

LION REMAIN UNDEFEATED, SOUTH MEN INTO SECOND

0-4: Mt Lofty’s men will need to turnaround their season after a slow start. PICTURES: Peter Argent & VSA Archives (2010)

USC Lion has ended Henley’s unbeaten start to the

women’s State League season, outclassing the Hawks in straight-sets at Brighton Secondary School last Friday night.Henley entered the match full

of confidence after consecutive victories over 2012 finalists, but Lion dominated from the outset.Zina Stone performed well for

Henley, as the Hawks dropped to

Norwood has kept reigning premiers Mt Lofty winless

after four rounds of the men’s State League season, winning their grand final rematch 3-1 at Mt Lofty Sports Centre on Saturday.The Bears dropped the first set,

but recovered to win in four sets and remain undefeated.Sam White was impressive for

Norwood, as they avenged their

South Adelaide has moved to second on the ladder in the

men’s State League, accounting for Austral Phoenix 3-0 at Mt Lofty Sports Centre last Saturday.London Olympian Nathan

Roberts - making his season-debut - had an immediate impact as South claimed a tight first set before easing to victory.South has now won three of its

four matches - with its only loss

After an even opening three weeks of State League action - which saw only four straight-sets contests - there were five straight-sets victories in round four. Amongst them,

USC Lion defeating Henley in a top-of-the-table women’s clash.

third place after four rounds.Earlier, Henley’s men moved

into third spot after triumphing over USC Lion 3-0.The Hawks played aggressively,

frustrating their opponents and restricting the impact of key players. Russell Moore was amongst the best for Henley.Henley face the winless Mt Lofty

in round five.

2012 grand final defeat and claimed their fifth win in their last six contests with Mt Lofty.

Meanwhile, Norwood’s women lost to Mt Lofty 3-0 despite the best efforts of Bonnie Poulter.

The result saw Norwood slip to fifth on the ladder ahead of an encounter with fourth-place Austral next weekend.

coming against top-of-the-table Norwood in round two.South Adelaide’s women saw

their winless start to the season continue, as Austral claimed a straight-sets victory.Phoenix breezed through

the opening two sets, before prevailing in a tight third set as they recorded their first victory of the season. Verity Hanka was dominant for the winners.

BY DAVID PENROSE

COVER IMAGE:Zina Stone has been a key behind the Hawks resurgence.

© Peter Argent / Volleyball SA

MENHENLEY HAWKS 3USC LION 025-14 25-17 25-18

WOMENUSC LION 3HENLEY HAWKS 025-19 25-16 25-14

RESULTS(ROUND 4)

AFTER RD 4 RD4 TOT

1 CooperPeacock 4 202 Camacattack 6 193 Justin93 4 194 Rusty 6 195 anaconda_2216 5 186 Grumpy 4 187 Pafagel 4 188 Best setter 5 179 BOOF77 5 17

10 twest 4 17

VS

MENNORWOOD BEARS 3MT LOFTY 122-25 25-16 25-23 25-20

WOMENMT LOFTY 3NORWOOD BEARS 025-17 25-14 25-9

VS

MENSOUTH ADELAIDE 3AUSTRAL PHOENIX 025-20 25-14 25-17

WOMENAUSTRAL PHOENIX 3SOUTH ADELAIDE 025-19 25-15 26-24

VS

LEADERBOARD

NORTHERN KNIGHTS

RESERVES WRAP

Back-to-back wins for Knights

Super South

Northern Knights have secured back-to-back wins

in the men’s State League reserves competition, defeating Austral Phoenix at Mt Lofty Sports Centre last Saturday.The Knights built on their

victory over USC Lion in round three, as they defeated Austral in straight-sets.Matthew Grace lifted his side

in a tight contest, as the Knights improved to third on the ladder.The Knights’ women are still

searching for their first victory of the season, after they were defeated by Austral 3-0.Erin Kelly put in a gallant

performance as the Knights pushed Phoenix, improving as the match went on.

South Adelaide has maintained its perfect start to the

women’s State League reserves season, defeating Henley 3-0.South have a 4-0 record, while

third-placed USC Lion are the only other undefeated team, with a 3-0 record after four rounds.In the men’s competition,

Norwood have improved their winning streak to five-games, beating bottom-placed Lion 3-0.

WHO’S PLAYING?FRIDAY 07:00 PM NORWOOD v AUSTRAL BRIGHTON 1SATURDAY 02:00 PM SOUTH v USC LION MT LOFTY 1SATURDAY 04:00 PM HENLEY v MT LOFTY MT LOFTY 1

MATCH OF THE ROUND (SATURDAY 4pm)

HENLEY HAWKSVS

MT LOFTYHenley lost their undefeated start to 2013 in round four, eclipsed by the well-oiled machine better known as USC Lion.The challenge for the Hawks now, is to rebound from their first loss against another tough opponent, 2012 grand finalists Mt Lofty.Mt Lofty have quietly accumulated a 3-1 record after four rounds, with their only loss coming also against table-topping Lion. After the Hawks loss to USC last Friday night, Lofty moved into second-place as they defeated Norwood on Saturday.Hannah Ross continued her strong form, as Mt Lofty won in straight-sets.Henley, led by Zina Stone, battled hard but were under continual pressure from Lion as they fell in three-sets.This battle will give a strong indication of how far the Hawks have come from last season, or if Mt Lofty are still the closest to Lion.

RECENT MEETINGS:RD 13, 2012 MT LOFTY 3-0 25-5 25-19 25-18RD 09, 2012 MT LOFTY 3-0 25-17 25-16 25-9RD 04, 2012 MT LOFTY 3-1 25-13 25-14 24-26 25-9

WHO’S PLAYING?FRIDAY 08:30 PM NORWOOD v AUSTRAL BRIGHTON 1SATURDAY 02:00 PM HENLEY v MT LOFTY MT LOFTY 2SATURDAY 04:00 PM SOUTH v USC LION MT LOFTY 2

MATCH OF THE ROUND (SATURDAY 4pm)

SOUTH ADELAIDEVS

USC LIONSouth Adelaide and USC Lion finished 2012 with identical win-loss records as Lion claimed the fourth and final spot in the finals due to their superior set percentage.In 2013, both sides sit inside the top four after the first month of the season. But they enter this weekend’s clash in contrasting fashion.Second-placed South have performed well in the early rounds, with their only loss coming against top-placed Norwood in round two, as they have built a 3-1 record.However, USC are coming off consecutive losses to Norwood and Henley, after winning their opening two games of the season.Lion face the added challenge of London Olympian - and former teammate - Nathan Roberts, as they look to return to their winning ways. In his season debut last weekend, Roberts put in a dominant performance for South as they defeated Austral in straight-sets.

RECENT MEETINGS:RD 13, 2012 SOUTH 3-2 25-18 19-25 25-15 16-25 15-9RD 09, 2012 USC LION 3-1 21-25 25-18 26-24 26-24RD 04, 2012 SOUTH 3-2 23-25 23-25 25-17 25-18 15-5

03 volleyballsa.com.au | VSA DIG.

LEAGUE MENROUND 5 PREVIEW

LEAGUE WOMENROUND 5 PREVIEW

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After four rounds of the State League season there are two unbeaten teams, and two winless teams. Which outcome do you think will happen first?A) Norwood’s men lose thier first game of the season 25%B) South Adelaide’s women record a win 17%C) Reigning men’s premier Mt Lofty open their account 42%D) USC Lion suffer a loss in the women’s competition 17%

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vsaweeklydig.FAN CHOICE POLL

henley hawks

Hawks flying high in ‘13BY DAVID PENROSE

Henley may have lost their unbeaten start to the women’s season

last round, but after a difficult 2012 the Hawks women are definitely on the up in 2013.After enduring a winless 2012

Henley’s women have opened their season with a 3-1 record, with their only loss coming against the undefeated USC Lion in round four.While disappointed to have lost,

Henley President Matthew Lane could still see positives from a performance against the side he rates as a clear number one.“We had our moments with

Bec Palmer making good solid defence and passing, but it was our worst hitting game this season,” Lane said.Despite the hiccup against Lion,

the Hawks have already won as many sets (nine) as they did for the entire 2012 season.Lane believes the added talent

and depth - in the way of Heike Jensen, Zina Stone and Becchara Palmer - is a key behind the turnaround from last season.“Heike, Zina and Bec bring

confidence to the older (existing) and younger players that they are a team that can compete against the top teams in SA.”While the Hawks women will

be looking to break their finals-hoodoo, Henley’s men will be looking to improve on last year’s preliminary final exit.Despite sitting third, Lane

concedes his men still have work to do, starting with a tough contest against Mt Lofty - the side which ended their 2012 season in the preliminary final.The Hawks have been plagued

by inconsistency in the first four rounds, but at their best look capable of beating anyone.While top four is the target, the

Hawks men are striving for their first premiership since merging with Campbelltown in 1998.

HAWKS: Henley’s Zina Stone and Jason Thomas at the State League season launch earlier in the year. PICTURE: Peter Argent / VSA

LEAGUE MENP W L SF SA Set% Pts% PTS

1 NORWOOD 4 4 0 12 4 75% 53% 122 SOUTH ADELAIDE 4 3 1 10 6 63% 51% 103 HENLEY 4 2 2 9 7 56% 52% 84 USC LION 4 2 2 7 7 50% 50% 85 AUSTRAL 4 1 3 4 9 31% 47% 66 MT LOFTY 4 0 4 3 12 20% 45% 4

LEAGUE WOMENP W L SF SA Set% Pts% PTS

1 USC LION 4 4 0 12 2 86% 56% 122 MT LOFTY 4 3 1 10 4 71% 57% 103 HENLEY 4 3 1 9 9 50% 51% 104 AUSTRAL 4 1 3 6 9 40% 47% 65 NORWOOD 4 1 3 6 19 38% 47% 66 SOUTH ADELAIDE 4 0 4 3 12 20% 44% 4

RESERVES MENP W L SF SA Set% Pts% PTS

1 NORWOOD 5 5 0 15 6 71% 53% 152 AUSTRAL 5 3 2 10 11 48% 50% 113 KNIGHTS 5 2 3 9 9 50% 50% 94 SOUTH ADELAIDE 4 2 2 9 8 53% 51% 85 MT LOFTY 4 2 2 9 8 53% 51% 86 HENLEY 4 1 3 8 11 42% 48% 67 USC LION 3 0 3 2 9 18% 46% 3

RESERVES WOMENP W L SF SA Set% Pts% PTS

1 SOUTH ADELAIDE 4 4 0 12 3 80% 58% 122 AUSTRAL 5 3 2 11 6 65% 53% 113 USC LION 3 3 0 9 2 82% 57% 94 NORWOOD 5 2 3 9 13 41% 47% 95 MT LOFTY 4 2 2 7 6 54% 50% 86 HENLEY 4 1 3 5 10 33% 49% 67 KNIGHTS 5 0 5 2 15 12% 40% 5

DIV ONE MENP W L SF SA Set% Pts% PTS

1 SOUTH ADELAIDE 5 4 1 14 6 70% 56% 132 HENLEY 5 3 2 13 7 65% 53% 113 NORWOOD 5 3 2 12 8 60% 52% 114 MT LOFTY 2 5 3 2 10 11 48% 44% 115 AUSTRAL 4 3 1 11 4 73% 54% 106 MT LOFTY 1 5 2 3 9 11 45% 50% 97 USC LION 5 2 3 6 13 32% 46% 98 KNIGHTS GREEN 4 1 3 4 10 29% 53% 69 KNIGHTS WHITE 4 0 4 3 12 20% 42% 4

DIV ONE WOMENP W L SF SA Set% Pts% PTS

1 AUSTRAL WHITE 5 5 0 15 2 88% 59% 152 HENLEY 5 3 2 11 8 58% 54% 113 NORWOOD WEST 5 3 1 10 3 77% 56% 104 USC LION 5 3 1 10 3 77% 55% 105 NORWOOD EAST 4 2 2 7 7 50% 50% 86 SOUTH ADELAIDE 4 2 2 7 9 44% 51% 87 AUSTRAL PURPLE 5 1 4 5 13 28% 46% 78 MT LOFTY 5 1 4 5 13 28% 42% 79 KNIGHTS 4 0 4 0 12 0% 29% 4

04 VSA DIG. | volleyballsa.com.au

Standings(after round 4)

RESULTS(ROUND 4)

RESERVES MEN 1 2 3 4 5NORWOOD d USC LION 3-0 25-20 25-19 27-25KNIGHTS d AUSTRAL 3-0 25-23 25-22 25-22SOUTH d HENLEY 3-2 19-25 16-25 25-16 25-22 15-9RESERVES WOMEN 1 2 3 4 5SOUTH d HENLEY 3-0 25-17 25-20 25-22USC LION d NORWOOD 3-2 25-17 20-25 25-14 24-26 15-12AUSTRAL d KNIGHTS 3-0 25-19 25-21 25-23DIV ONE MEN 1 2 3 4 5AUSTRAL d USC LION 3-0 25-21 25-15 25-11SOUTH d MT LOFTY 1 3-1 25-10 25-9 20-25 27-25NORWOOD d MT LOFTY 2 3-1 25-18 25-15 18-25 26-24HENLEY d KNIGHTS W 3-0 25-17 25-12 25-11SOUTH d USC LION 3-0 25-20 25-19 25-22DIV ONE WOMEN 1 2 3 4 5NORWOOD E d SOUTH 3-1 12-25 28-26 25-13 25-23NORWOOD W d USC LION 3-0 25-22 25-23 25-23AUSTRAL P d HENLEY 3-0 25-7 25-19 25-12AUSTRAL W d KNIGHTS 3-0 25-10 25-12 25-13NORWOOD W d MT LOFTY 3-0 25-20 25-13 25-22AUSTRAL W d HENLEY 3-1 26-28 25-16 25-22 25-21

UPCOMING fixtures(round 06)

LEAGUE MEN VENUE/COURT

10/05/13 07:00 PM USC LION v AUSTRAL BRIGHTON 111/05/13 02:00 PM MT LOFTY v SOUTH MT LOFTY 111/05/13 04:00 PM NORWOOD v HENLEY MT LOFTY 1

LEAGUE WOMEN VENUE/COURT

10/05/13 08:30 PM USC LION v AUSTRAL BRIGHTON 111/05/13 02:00 PM NORWOOD v HENLEY MT LOFTY 211/05/13 04:00 PM MT LOFTY v SOUTH MT LOFTY 2

RESERVES MEN VENUE/COURT

11/05/13 09:00 AM KNIGHTS v HENLEY MT LOFTY 111/05/13 10:30 AM USC LION v MT LOFTY MT LOFTY 111/05/13 12:00 PM AUSTRAL v SOUTH MT LOFTY 1

RESERVES WOMEN VENUE/COURT

11/05/13 09:00 AM USC LION v MT LOFTY MT LOFTY 211/05/13 10:30 AM AUSTRAL v SOUTH MT LOFTY 211/05/13 12:00 PM KNIGHTS v HENLEY MT LOFTY 2

VSA WEEKLY DIG.WRITERS David PenroseDESIGNER David PenrosePHOTOGRAPHY © Peter Argent / VSACONTACT To contribute to VSA Weekly Dig, pitch a story idea, or provide photographs, please contact David at dap.1987@hotmail.com

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FULL STATE LEAGUE DRAW & RESULTS:www.volleyballsa.com.au/stateleague/draws