(20/02/2001)
Last weekend became a tale of "might have beens" for the Riga club. First the Men’s Shield match was called off as opponents Whitefield could not raise a team. Then the Women’s Division Two side fell to two defeats in as many days. In a disappointing showing they lost at home to Sussex in five sets in the League on Saturday and then again by the same score to Tonbridge in the Shield quarterfinal on Sunday. Ironically the Men, now passed safely through to the Shield semi-final by default, face the Tonbridge men’s team for the chance of repeat glory in Sheffield at the beginning of April. Saturday’s Women’s match at the St. Nicholas Park Leisure Centre, Warwick started with little to suggest that it would become the rollercoaster that it did. Little separated the two sides at the start of the first set as powerful serving by Riga’s Marinella Cadoni and Emma Wood was counterbalanced by an effective Sussex offence. However the introduction of Adams for Sussex proved the turning point. As Warwick’s service reception floundered, Sussex took a vital 20 - 17 lead and despite replies from Cadoni and Michelle Peryer, Sussex triumphed 25 - 22.
Set two had Sussex in early command as Riga now appeared disjointed. It took a captain’s performance from Rachel McCarthy to haul her side back into the set and at 21 - 16 to the home side, victory looked on the cards. Sussex were not to be outfought and with Warwick now error-prone, the visitors snatched the set 26 - 24 despite being set point down at one stage. The third set became more competitive as both sides held potential match-winning leads. When Sussex burst through 22 - 19, the odds on a straight set victory looked short but Cadoni, McCarthy and Peryer had other ideas. Their forceful play, allied to Sussex errors, gave Riga the chance to pull a set back, 27 - 25.
The fourth set soon became a canter for Warwick as Sussex fell apart thanks to the pressure applied by Peryer, Cadoni and fellow Italian Roberta Olivieri. The emphatic 25 - 14 score line was a clear statement of Riga intent. When the home side turned round 8 - 4 up in the concluding fifth set, an incredible comeback appeared on the cards. Now it was Sussex’s turn to take a different view. The change of ends revived their fortunes and with Warwick failing to rekindle their earlier consistency and bite, Sussex closed out winners at 15 - 12.
"We did well to come back from the dead in that third set," said captain Rachel McCarthy after the game. "But that only makes defeat that much more disappointing at the end." More disappointment was in store on Sunday as the Women sought to emulate the Men and appear in their first-ever National Final. Unfortunately Tonbridge repeated their 3 - 2 League victory of earlier in the season to deny the Warwick ambition. "15 - 13 in the fifth shows how close it was," confirmed McCarthy, "but it just wasn’t to be." Next weekend sees all Riga’s National League teams in action. The Men’s Division One team travels to Stoke in a match that is in doubt. Player unavailability, injury and suspension threaten the side’s ability to field even six players. "We’re right down to the bone and if a couple of players don’t recover we’ll have to call it off," says captain Tom Young. The Women’s Division Two side play two matches in two days again, this time both at the St. Nicholas Park Leisure Centre, Warwick. On Saturday they host high-flying Cambridge (2pm) and then on Sunday they entertain Dulwich (11am). "Two wins would keep us safely mid-table," notes captain McCarthy. Finally also on Sunday, the Women’s Division Three side travel to London to play T H Lynx, hoping to consolidate their mid-table position.