Temasek Poly shrug off Nanyang JC in volleyball invitational semi-final

Story by Kenneth Tan/Red Sports. Pictures by REDintern Chua Yueda and Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports

Toa Payoh Sports Hall, Monday, May 31, 2010 – Temasek Polytechnic (TP) brushed aside Nanyang Junior College (NYJC) 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-20) to qualify for the final of the Volleyball Association of Singapore’s Volleyball Invitational Championships.

It was a relatively straightforward victory for the reigning IVP (Inter-Varsity-Polytechnic) champions whose squad was made up of current students and alumni students.

NYJC took the first point of the match when Tan Jun Ze (#13) successfully blocked TP’s Zheng Zisheng (#18) spike. However they soon went 3-1 down when Clarence Lee had a couple of spikes that went out of play. By the first technical timeout, TP held a two-point lead over NYJC.

TP began to dominate the proceedings with their diminutive libero Wong Wei Zhi (#8) impressing with his fast reflexes and a few serve errors from NYJC that gifted them a few points. They held the largest lead at 21-9.

NYJC cut the deficit to 14-24 but gifted the last point to TP to lose the first set.

NYJC started the second set well as they managed to take a 3-0 lead. However TP were not one to lie down and promptly drew 3-all. Both teams traded points in a much closer affair than the first set as NYJC went into the first technical timeout with a one-spoint lead.

However TP pulled away thereafter, scoring points at will as they went into the second technical timeout with a three point lead. They continued in the same tempo and clinched the second set 25-19 when NYJC’s Darren Lim spiked the ball out of play.

TP looked eager to seal the game in the third set as they raced into a 7-1 lead and held a four-point lead at the first technical timeout.

NYJC came back strongly though as they landed five points straight midway through to cut the deficit to 16-15 which caused TP coach Yap Ah Kuan to signal a timeout.

They continued to give TP a big scare as they managed to hold them 20-all towards the end. However they could not sustain their efforts as they conceded five points straight to TP to lose the set 20-25 and the overall match.

“In terms of experience, I think we had the edge over NYJC,” TP coach Yap Ah Kuan said after the game. “As for our attacking-wise, we did okay. My players’ mentality going into this game was relaxed which helped them to perform better.”

“A problem however is that I had a few players missing out today due to clash with exams,” he added. “As a result, I had to call up three members from the alumni into the squad. Obviously chemistry is not that good between the current members and the alumni, but their individual skills made up for it.”

On the upcoming final on Wednesday, Mr Yap said: “I haven’t watched VAJB before, so I will watch them in their semi-final against St Hilda’s Sec to understand their play!”

TP will take on Volleyball Association of Johor Bahru (VAJB) in the final scheduled on Wednesday, June 2nd at 11.30am while Nanyang JC take on St Hilda’s Secondary on Tuesday, June 1st at 6pm to fight it out for third place.

Final Score
TP 3 NYJC 0
25-14, 25-19, 25-20

Temasek Polytechnic
Loan Shihao Louis (#1), Tan Ryan (#2), Lim Chee Yong (#3), Leong Bao Wen Mark (#4), Samuel Chew (#5), Wong Hua Lun (#6), Shaun Lim Jie Liang (#7), Wong Wei Zhi (Libero, #8), Aaron Teo Zong Jie (#9), Darren Wong Hong Zhi (#10), Zhou Zhiyao Benjamin (#11), Lam Jun Yi Sean (#12), Toh Shang Wei (#13), Lam Wei Liang Alvin (#14), Benedick Ong Zi Quan (#15), Guo Kangwei (#16), Hong Ming Xiong (#17), Zheng Zisheng (#18)

Nanyang Junior College
Darren Lim Jek Chong (#1), Chow Ming Hui (#3), Lee Yi Song Clarence (#4), Yeo Kai Shian (#5), Tan Yun Sheng (#6), Esmond Chiam Zhen Hao (#7), Muhammad Syafiq (#8), Lim Yi Kai (Captain, #9), Kenneth Yeow Kok Fai (Libero, #10), Ng Zi Hao (#11), Ong Jun Feng (#12), Tan Jun Ze (#13), Lew Voon Jin Eugene (#17), Johner Tham Kei Nam (#18)

Invitational Fixtures (Men’s)
Day 5 Tuesday (1/6)
Match 9 10:00 – 12:30 Men’s 5th & 6th
Punggol Secondary vs. Hwa Chong Institution

Match 10 18:00 – 20:30 Men’s Bronze
St Hilda’s Secondary vs. Nanyang JC

Day 6 Wednesday (2/6)
Match 11 11:30 – 14:00 Men’s Final
Volleyball Association of Johor Bahru vs. Temasek Polytechnic

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