As weekends go, the one coming up will be Riga Volleyball Club’s biggest in its history. The Men’s First team travel south for two matches in as many days which will determine whether their season ends with a bang or a whimper.
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As weekends go, the one coming up will be Riga Volleyball Club’s biggest in its history. The Men’s First team travel south for two matches in as many days which will determine whether their season ends with a bang or a whimper. |
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| Saturday finds them in Dorking to play local rivals Stoke in the Knock Out Cup semi-finals. Sunday has them playing fourth-placed London Docklands in a re-arranged National League Division One fixture, knowing that victory will take them into a clear second place in the table. | |
| Riga’s first ever appearance in a Knock Out semi-final has come courtesy of some stirring performances. The first round banana skin of Third Division Guildford was successfully overcome, as was the challenge of last season’s Cup holders Wessex. That win, coming off the back of three successive League defeats, sweetened the close of 2001. An even more impressive showing in the quarter-final victory over Sunday’s opponents Docklands confirmed the progress that the side has made since last season. "At the time, finishing fourth in the League and retaining our National Shield title was just about as good as it gets," says captain Tom Young. "Now this season, we’re lying second in the League and in the Cup semi. We’re a side to be feared and anyone who beats us has got to be good." | |
| So far this season Stoke have yet to prove they are good enough. Successive three-one defeats at the hands of Riga will not have raised their confidence levels. Given that until last season, Riga had not defeated Stoke in League or Cup, the sea change in fortunes is all the more apparent. However, in the Cup reputations count for nought and Young does not under-estimate the task ahead. "Stoke have been in the Final before and they’ll be up for another shot. They’ve had a disappointing season by their standards, so I expect them to really go after us – and there’s nothing I like better than a real ding-dong of a match." | |
79 year old Zano Musins, Club President, wishes Men's captain Tom Young and the rest of the team well ahead of their first-ever Cup Semi-final on Saturday. |
But if Saturday is important for one reason, Sunday is important for another. Last season’s fourth place finish was the side’s best in its Division One history. The target for this season was a repeat achievement but with the side currently lying in second place, thoughts are running higher. "We didn’t really think we’d be where we are in the League at the minute," confirms Young, "and it’s a bit scary to be honest. But we’re enjoying it and second place is definitely our target now." |
| Two wins from the last four games of the season should be enough to see that dream come true. Having beaten Docklands twice before this season, once in the Cup and once in the League, Riga will be out to secure the first of those victories on Sunday. However, their hosts, in their first season in Division One, have sprung a few surprises this term and with their ambitious target of third place within their grasp, Docklands will not give Riga an easy ride. | |