Troon volleyball women reach play-offs for ninth year in a row

Apr 1 2011 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

TROON women put in a remarkable performance to reach the Scottish Championship play-off final for the ninth consecutive year.

They have now made every final since the play-offs were introduced to decide the Scottish title.

Facing Edinburgh Jets at Belmont Academy, they won the first set 25-23 after a shapeless start.

Troon opened out in the second set with big hitting from Linsey Bunten, fine blocking from Stepp McCall, Caroline Clayton and Kay Wheatley, good passing from Jenny Krawczyk and Gillian Lyall and precise setting from Elaine Krawczyk to win 25-12.

As complacency crept in, Jets took the next set 25-23 despite the efforts of Jenny Jones, Claire Ramage and Hannah Grant.

There was a lot at stake so the start to the fourth set was nervy but at 10-10 Troon stepped up and with Sarah Robertson coming good as an outside hitter the set was won 25-17 and with it the match 3-1.

A win the following day against Jets this time in Edinburgh would see Troon through to the league play-off final but things didn’t look good as a late confirmation of the match start time meant that five senior internationalists and one junior internationalist would miss the return leg.

However, Troon were able to call on four internationalists, two former internationalists and four junior internationals but who had not been playing together as a unit.

Michalowski and Runciman hit early winners for Jets but Troon proved just steady enough to win the first set. Jets took the second 25-19 but again Bunten stepped up to the mark with powerful winners and Robertson won some key blocks as Troon won 25-18.

The fourth set was a masterpiece from Troon with Elaine Krawczyk serving tough and Ellis and Lyall cutting the ball past the Jets block, Jenny Krawczyk defending brilliantly and Clayton and McCall controlling the net.

There was even time to allow Katie Barbour and Eilidh Cruse to make their first appearance in the Troon first team. The set was won 25-12 and the match3-1 as Troon overcame the odds to clinch their league play-off final slot where they will meet big foes City of Edinburgh in two weeks time again in a best of three series.