Drumshanbo VS collect silver as fierce comeback falls just short

Drumshanbo Vocational Schools’ attempt to land two All-Ireland Schools Girls Volleyball titles in one year came to an agonising end last Thursday as they were pipped in a three set thriller by Dungarvan College in the All-Ireland Cadette C Girls Final.

This Final had everything. Drumshanbo almost sneaked out of set one. They looked dead and buried in set 2 but rose again to win Drumshanbo’s first set in a cadette C girls final since 1998! They led the match in the third set, then were wiped out, or so we thought. But back they came again. The Seniors had made it all look easy but these were great with their back to the wall!

The first set was definitely of two halves. With their calm safe play, Drumshanbo began to build a lead whereas Dungarvan, who tried to set up for three passes, leading to attacks, made many errors. 

But, on about the sixth point, there was a rally of over 20 touches where Dungarvan suddenly looked a step up above Drumshanbo’s previous opposition. But, Drumshanbo kept edging ahead with Katie Browne’s spiking and acing putting them 7-4 ahead and Riona McKiernan’s spike moving them up 4 at 9-5. 

Then Dungarvan’s deliberate three passes kicked in, and they levelled it 9-9. Drumshanbo stepped up a gear however and under Kate Kenny’s service run, we saw the first Ellen McGowan Meadbh McNamara 121 spike winner followed by a similar combo from Sophie Daly via Brown spike, putting them 15-12 ahead. 

Kenny spiked a winner at 18-16 but, at 21-20, MVP Lena Niete, on her 3rd round of serves finally hit the hot spot and aced Dungarvan to the set.

Set two was some set! Manager Breda Travers had a major job lifting the Drumshanbo spirits and they fell 1-7 behind (winning one point in the last 14!). But Breda really had got through to them as, despite the score, they had begun to set up more - McNamara setting to both Daly and Brown yielded winners. 

The comeback was on, as Browne hit two more winners to cut the lead to 6-9. The net fights became crucial. Drumshanbo were deceived by the net being clipped a few times but also the agile Dungarvan won the net clashes and were 9 ahead at 16-7. 

Suddenly, though, McKiernan hit three aces. Drumshanbo began saving winners in defence, and Dungarvan got brittle. Aoife Gillard placed a winner, McGowan served deep and Drumshanbo levelled at 20-20. Dungarvan went to 22. Daly’s deep serve levelled it and Gillard set McGowan to spike and the match was level.

Daly’s form reached top in set three with spikes and superb saves which gave them a 4-2 lead. But then their rhythm deserted them. Balls fell between players. They fell 4-8, and worse, 6-12 behind. But then McKiernan served again and she served five to bring the score back to 11-12. 

Could it happen twice? But it was like they took a breath and before they finished, they leaked 3 errors and all was over. But what comebacks! They did Drumshanbo proud and many would regard them joint top of 52 teams that played in cadette C.

Panel & Serves: McGowan 7, Daly 9, Browne 7, Kenny 6, Aoife Gillard 3, Roma Dowler, McKiernan 12, McNamara 9, Niamh Mahon, Aoibheann McWeeney