Mahindra Australian Volleyball Super League Round 5 Wrap
The 2024 Mahindra Australian Volleyball Super League is getting closer to its pointy end with the completion of Round 5 meaning only one more weekend of the regular season stands in the way of teams and the upcoming Finals Series.
While the Perth Steel took on the Canberra Heat at home, the NSW Phoenix met the Queensland Pirates at Sydney Olympic Park.
Perth Steel v Canberra Heat
Warwick Stadium, Perth, WA
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Women: Steel d Heat 4:1 (18-17, 18-10, 18-15, 18-9, 15-18)
The Perth Steel secured themselves a win over the Canberra Heat in the Women’s competition, also positioning themselves atop the standings in the process.
While the first set saw the two teams fight it out on the court until the final point, the Steel secured their dominance over the next three sets,, winning by margins of up to nine points.
A final push from the visiting side saw the Heat claim the final set and keep their slim Finals hopes alive, while Perth will wait on next week’s results to see if they can hold onto a top two spot.
Men: Steel d Heat 5:0 (18-11, 18-13, 18-12, 18-12, 18-11)
In the Men’s competition, the Steel put on a dominant display at Warwick Stadium, taking maximum points in their clash with Canberra.
Despite some top efforts from the visiting side, the Steel claimed victory in each set by a minimum of five points, guaranteeing them top spot on the ladder going into the Finals Series.
NSW Phoenix v Queensland Pirates
Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, NSW
Click here to catch-up via AusVolley YouTube
Women: Pirates d Phoenix 5:0 (18-17, 18-17, 18-12, 18-17, 18-15)
Despite some close sets, the Queensland Pirates saw to it that they came away with a dominant win in their road trip to Sydney.
While three of the five sets were decided by just a single point, the Pirates fought until the end, pushing the New South Wales side to their limit.
The win for the Queensland-based team sees them secure a strong position on the ladder as well as all but book them a ticket to the Finals Series, while Phoenix are now mathematically out of Finals contention.
Men: Pirates d Phoenix 5:0 (18-12, 18-15, 18-10, 18-14, 18-14)
The Pirates also stamped their superiority in the Men’s competition, claiming victory over the Phoenix 5:0 and securing themselves a spot in the Finals Series in the process.
Winning each set by a minimum of three points, the Pirates made their presence in Sydney known to take 11 competition points from the match.
While the Phoenix fought hard til the dying points, any chance of a place in the Finals Series rides on taking maximum points from their final match of the season.
