Australian Volleyball League - Finals, Melbourne 24th/25th July
WA's state senior women's side, the WA Pearls, took out the Australian Volleyball League title last weekend for the 2nd year in a row. Not only was the win back-to-back, but the girls did not drop a game on their way to collecting gold, a feat which has never been accomplished by a team in AVL history.
The girls finished on top of the ladder with 10 wins, 0 losses, and headed to Melbourne as firm favourites for the title. They defeated UTSSU in 3 sets (25-21, 25-21, 25-20) in the qualifying match on Saturday, then defeated the University Blues in 4 sets (25-23, 25-19, 18-25, 25-16) in front of an extremely small crowd on Saturday (although there were a few familiar WA faces showing their support). It was a rematch of the 2009 grand final, and the WA girls were again too slick for their opponents.
It caps a remarkable run for the WA girls after finishing the 2008 season at the bottom of the ladder. They won all 12 games in 2009 to claim the title, and repeated that effort in 2010. Pearl's captain Tara West was named the league's MVP for the 2nd year in a row, confirming her dominance in all areas of the game.
The Pearls were stronger than their opponents in all aspects of play this year, but their team goals of tenacious defence, aggressive serving and focused fun were a highlight. It is a real credit to their coaches Pauline Manser and Laurel Wentworth that the girls have such belief in themselves and their teammates.
Congratulations to the Pearls!!