Rebels Women Dominated Cambridge ARU

Fourth-placed Rebels Women faced off against sixth-placed Cambridge ARU Women on Sunday, with the Rebels looking to reclaim the third spot in the Volleyball England Super League. The Rebels controlled the match from start to finish, behind their strong serve and potent offence to run out comfortable 3-0 winners against the team who took them all the way in the first game of the season. MVP outside hitter Lea Borovec took over when the tight first set hit the 20s, putting away a Molly Van Essen set to give the Rebels a 3-point lead before Catherine Tolley served out the set with back-to-back aces.

Set 2 saw the Rebels take control with some strong middle offence from Tolley and new signing Charlotte Bontems. The Rebels showed supreme control in serve receive which allowed them to attack with freedom. Their passing unit of the MVP Borovec, her fellow outside hitter Emily Priestley and libero Ariadnne Sierra dominated the Cambridge serve, forcing the Rebels opponents into a multitude of serving errors. The set was finished off by a powerful swing from opposite Leah Blight, who continued her vital season-long trend of high point scoring, low error offence.

The calm, professional performance was finished off in set 3 as the Rebels continued their relentless professional play taking everything Cambridge could throw at them. A first-point sleight-of-hand kill from setter Molly Van Essen set the tone. Whilst the mid-set was punctuated by a couple of massive Borovec swings that the Croatian will be adding to her already long highlight reel. Once again, the Rebels came alive at the business end of the set, wrapping up a 3-0 on a missed Cambridge serve.

Coach Alex Chinery added, “I was pleased with such a professional performance today against a scrappy team in Cambridge. They have height and quality that gave us problems at the beginning of the season, but it is a testament to our growth as a team that we were able to handle them comfortably today.”