Phillipa Hesketh
This year the women from the Sussex volleyball team are daring to dream big. Composed mainly by last year students who want to end with a bang, the Sussex women are planning on coming home with the cup this year. The season couldn’t have started out in a better way. As the amazing team that coach Soo-Bee Appleton has selected from the overly attended tryouts made their way to London for their first BUCS tournament of the season, expectations where high, and so was the adrenaline. The Ladies started their season with an amazing 2-0 win over University of Kent. Not only was Sussex’s attack clearly too fast and too strong, but with our impenetrable block by middle hitters Francesca Donolato and Daisy Mumby, Kent didn’t stand a chance. After the first set Sussex felt secure enough to swap all six players on court out, confident that the team could handle the pressure. However Sussex’s second game did not run as smoothly as they had wished. Going up against last year’s BUCS champions Kings College London, the ladies were aware they were about to start their toughest game of the year. Sussex put up a great fight, and for the first time put so much pressure on undefeated Kings that their coach, so accustomed to barely having any competition even broke out a sweat. The game ended in an unfortunate 2-0 for Kings (19-25; 23-25). After many hours of intense volleyball Sussex still had to play their final match of the day. Sussex, being exhausted from the previous matches still achieved their second win of the day against Brunel (2-0). The girls left London with two successful wins and an unfortunate loss, which will be avenged next time they meet Kings.
