With volleyball on a national rise with youth teams participating in international tournaments, one Kent league is focusing on growth, not just on points.
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00:00 Five teams, three games and only three sets to win it in.
00:03 This is Kent's Invicta Volleyball League, a developmental league like no other.
00:08 It's packed with National Volleyball League players and national youth players.
00:12 This week is the first triangle of matches of 2024, featuring favourites Invicta Maidstone as well as Canterbury's teams,
00:18 Gold and Black. The first game of the new year features Canterbury Gold versus Canterbury Black.
00:23 The score starts off with an even heat between the rivals before Gold started to pile on the pressure.
00:28 With clever passes from setter Ironman Lam Roussey, Gold took the first set 21-16.
00:34 In the next two sets, Black got their revenge in the second and pulled it back to anyone's game,
00:39 thanks to better defensive coordination, winning the second set 21-15.
00:44 But they couldn't stop Canterbury's Golden Boys, who won the next set 21-18.
00:48 We asked Gold's Lam Roussey and MacMahon what they thought about their performance.
00:52 What are you going to look to improve on in the next game?
00:54 Middle connection and setting tempo sets in the middle.
00:58 I can connect my spikes better and overall get more powerful.
01:02 Now Black had the Herculean task of facing off with Invicta Maidstone,
01:06 the team home to England youth players number one Jacob Lloyd-Williams and number two Mickey Horney.
01:11 Again, the match started evenly enough. Around the 10-point mark, the teams had managed to keep each other at bay.
01:16 But with some powerful hits and closed off blocks, Invicta gave themselves a 9-point lead.
01:22 Black did well to try and catch up, but not before the favourites closed out the set 21-19.
01:28 The second set saw no more successes for the Blacks, with a barrage of hits and serves that were hard to block and even harder to receive.
01:35 Invicta brought out their A-game, seeing the Blacks off 21-13.
01:39 This time, although it was a consolation point, it was their last game of the day, so Black weren't giving it up just yet.
01:45 Starting with a lead of three points, attempting to bleed Invicta of just one set.
01:50 But it wasn't in the cards and they lost the set 18-21.
01:54 And then it was time for the decider. Canterbury Gold against Invicta Maidstone.
01:58 Gold had had time to rest while Invicta were riding off the back of their victory.
02:03 The first set was a massacre. Invicta piled on the pressure with strong hits from number three Jack Adby and Jacob Lloyd-Williams' dominance above the net, winning the first set 21-only 7 points.
02:14 The second set saw the Invicta machine begin to break.
02:17 The difficult timing between setter and middle was wearing thin, but it wasn't enough.
02:22 As the Maidstone team edged the win 21-18, sealing their victory.
02:27 This is what Invicta Maidstone's Alex Salnteguia had to say about the victory.
02:32 We did very well. We could do a lot of things better.
02:35 The timing with the set of four were a bit off, but this is something we can work on.
02:39 And also the passing is very important, so another thing we need to work on as well.
02:43 It was a long day with many battles across the net.
02:46 And Invicta Maidstone were the clear winners with all six sets won, while Gold won two of their sets and Black just one.
02:53 Thank you for watching the Invicta League Roundup.