AVL Round 3 Preview – The chase is on as Storm and Vipers build early leads
Round 3 of the AVL starts tomorrow with the Melbourne Vipers enjoying some rest from the sidelines with a bye.
In the women’s league the team from Melbourne is living up to their status of pre-season favourites, with Phoenix, Pirates and Storm trying to take advantage of the Vipers’ bye week to regain some ground.
That leaves the Men’s Adelaide Storm as the only squad in the AVL who could claim six wins out of six games in this round, and consolidate their leading position on top of the league. It’s an intriguing proposition and one that it’s worth watching out for, as another thrilling weekend of AVL action is about to unfold.
Canberra Heat v Tasmania Echidnas
Australian Institute of Sport, Bruce ACT
- 22/10: 2pm Women / 4pm Men AEDT
- 23/10: 10:30am Women / 12:30pm Men AEDT
The Tasmania Echidnas return to action in round 3 after getting a quick taste of the AVL just before their bye week. The Tasmanians will look to put their first points on the board after the Storm ruined their seasonal debut in front of their home crowd, but it won’t be an easy trip to the nation’s capital.
They will face a Men’s Heat team that has been showing flashes of past brilliance in the first two rounds, but also lacking consistency. Their season has been a rollercoaster so far, winning the opening match and then conceding defeat the following day in both their double-headers. This weekend might tell us where their season is going.
On their side of the net, the Women’s Heat will try to conjure again the excellent attacking that led them to claiming a thrilling five-setter against the WA Steel last week, but the Echidnas have already shown that they will fight hard for every point.
Find out more about the new Tasmania Teams HERE
Live stream Canberra Heat v Tasmania Echidnas round 3 matches at https://cluch.tv/sports-volleyball/avl/act/
NSW Phoenix v Adelaide Storm
Netball Central, Sydney Olympic Park NSW
- 22/10: 5pm Women / 7pm Men AEDT
- 23/10: 11am Women / 1pm Men AEDT
The Adelaide Storm conclude their three-away-match streak in Sydney with the men’s squad hoping to take an immaculate record back to their fans in Adelaide. With the WA Steel facing the Pirates in a tough match-up in QLD, there could be an opportunity for the South Australians to extend their lead at the top of the standings. A young Phoenix team has several players still new to senior indoor volleyball, but the NSW franchise is bound to get better and better as their level of experience grows.
On paper, the women’s matches should prove to be a closer contest. NSW impressed in their season’s debut last week, making the extra preparation time count as they relied on intensity and teamwork to claim a double victory against the Pirates. The Storm started the season well in Tasmania, but were defeated twice by the Vipers who delivered classic dominant performances in Melbourne. The team from Adelaide would surely be delighted to get back to their winning ways on the road before finally enjoying the support of their home crowd next week.
Live stream NSW Phoenix v Adelaide Storm Round 3 matches at https://cluch.tv/sports-volleyball/avl/nsw/
Queensland Pirates v WA Steel
Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium, Carrara QLD
- 22/10: 4pm Women / 6pm Men AEST
- 23/10: 10am Women / 12pm Men AEST
The Women’s Steel left Canberra with a 3-0 win behind fantastic efforts from Shelby Maher and Caity Whincup and will try to keep their momentum going as they face the Pirates on the road in the Sunshine State. The two teams are levelled in the standings after two weekends, but a home court advantage could make all the difference with the Pirates trying to head towards the upcoming bye week off the back of a convincing display.
In the men’s league, Pirates and Steel are separated by only one point and will face off for the title of early season contender behind the Storm. The Pirates were convincing against a young Phoenix team last week and should welcome captain Kieran Ivers back into the squad. Will it be enough to prevail? WA coach Ben Gray’s men surely disagree.
Live stream Queensland Pirates v WA Steel Round 3 matches on Volleyball QLD YouTube
Saturday’s Matches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whzq8Hj4kcM
Sunday’s Matches: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_TzzdVWXnI
