B Division Girls’ Volleyball: Shuqun keep hopes alive with close win over Ngee Ann in Round 2 of nationals

By Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports

Presbyterian High School, Thursday, March 24, 2011 — Shuqun Secondary kept their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals alive after they edged out Ngee Ann Secondary 2-1 (27-25, 22-25, 25-17) in their Group X, Round Two match of the National B Division Girls’ Volleyball Championship. It was a tight encounter between the two teams, with Shuqun earning this crucial win after their shock loss to Cedar Girls’ in their previous match.

Shuqun settled into their game quickly as they established an early lead. Ngee Ann continued to trail, and had to call for a timeout at the 12-5 mark. Shuqun however held on to their lead to maintain a five-point lead at the 20-point mark. However, Ngee Ann were not going down easy as they started making their comeback. Ngee Ann quickly narrowed the gap to one point after a spike by Wang Qi Hui (Ngee Ann #6).

Shuqun were unable to hold on for long as Ngee Ann leveled the score 23-23 with a service ace from Jane Chan (Ngee Ann #7), prompting a timeout call from the Shuqun coach. Shuqun then regained their lead after Qi Hui’s (Ngee Ann #6) spike went into the net. The match however went into a deuce after another spike from Qi Hui. The score was further tied at the 25-25 mark, but Shuqun soon clinched the set after two consecutive spiking errors from Ngee Ann.

In the second set, Shuqun were again commanding a lead in the first half of the set, only to see Ngee Ann close in on them in the second half. With the score tied at 16-16, the match was a neck-and-neck affair, with the score being tied at several points.

With the score standing at 22-22, Ngee Ann gained an advantage after an error from Shuqun. A miscommunication in the Shuqun camp subsequently allowed Ngee Ann to take set point. Ngee Ann took advantage, with Qi Hui (Ngee Ann #6) finishing off the set with a spike from the outside.

The rubber set saw Shuqun storming ahead once again. Despite Ngee Ann’s attempt to catch up, Shuqun held on to their advantage to lead 13-8 at the changeover. Shuqun were on a run, as they blitzed ahead from then on. They amassed an eight-point lead at the 20-point mark to look set to win the set.

Spikes by Qi Hui (Ngee Ann #6) and Fong Shi Yun (Ngee Ann #16) at the next two rallies saw Shuqun further increase their lead. Another spiking error by Ngee Ann consequently drew Shuqun nearer to match point. Ngee Ann only managed to hold Shuqun off momentarily, as Cally (Shuqun #1) secured the final point for the team with a shot from the centre.

Qi Hui’s (Ngee Ann #16) attacks certainly proved favourable for the team as she contributed a total of 19 kills in match and one service ace. Shi Yun (Ngee Ann #16) and Peh Qian Hui (Ngee Ann #17) were also large contributors to the team in the first two sets as they had six and nine kills respectively.

In the Shuqun team, Cally (Shuqun #1) and Clarrissa Hon (Shuqun #2) were the top scorers with seven kills each. Clarrissa was the top blocker for the match with six points.

After this match, both Shuqun and Ngee Ann have one win and one loss each. Their next match will be of utmost importance as whoever wins will subsequently progress into the semi-finals. Shuqun will play Jurong Secondary while Ngee Ann will play Cedar Girls’.

Final Score
Shuqun 2 Ngee Ann 1
27-25, 22-25, 25-17

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