Story by REDintern Koh Yizhe.
Temasek Polytechnic, Wednesday, July 9, 2008 – Volleyball powerhouse Temasek Polytechnic (TP) were the big winners in the first round of the Polytechnic-Institute of Technical Education (POL-ITE) Volleyball Championships. Their men's team defeated Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) 25-27, 25-12, 25-16 while their female counterparts beat NP 25-22, 25-17, 25-17 at Temasek Polytechnic last Wednesday.
Nanyang's (NYP) men were also victorious as they defeated Republic Polytechnic (RP) 23-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-20. RP's women team, on the other hand, fared much better with a thrilling five-set 18-25, 25-18, 16-25, 25-22, 17-15 win against NYP.
Both TP teams were playing at their usual high standards with their clear straight set wins over NP. In the men's match, the first set was a close match as NP only lost by two points. However, that was as close as they would get with TP showing their dominance from the second set onwards to easily win the match. The TP women’s team won with similar ease.
On the contrary, the women’s match featuring RP and NYP was intense, with RP coming out victorious after five close sets. After losing the first set, RP came back fighting and they won the next one. Not to be outdone, NYP stepped up their game and won the third set 25-16. Midway through the fourth, NYP seemed to be controlling the game. Disappointment could be seen on the faces of the RP players and their supporters seemed to have lost their voices. It looked as though an NYP victory was assured.
However, after winning some long and crucial rallies with great offensive and defensive plays on both sides, RP got their rhythm back. They won this crucial set 25-22. The momentum carried on to the final set where both teams matched each other but RP prevailed 17-15 in the end.
Even after the victory, RP wouldn't speak much of their chances. Rena (#3, RP) said, "We will take each game as it comes. As this game showed, there is still room for improvement."
On the other hand, players from the RP men team had frustration evident on their faces as they lost to NYP. RP won a closely fought first set with great team effort. The second set was much tighter with NYP just nicking it thanks to a crucial decision by the referee made at the end of the second set. There was a mix up with the scoring and the rotation of the RP team when the scores were leveled at 22-22. That proved to be the turning point in the match as RP's morale dropped and NYP went on to win the set. Although the third set remained tight, NYP dominated the game in the fourth set and an easy win soon followed.
Both TP teams now have one win each while the RP women's and NYP's men team also have one win.
will any pictures be uploaded?