There were mixed results for Galway Volleyball Club in their first matches of 2024.
The Division 1 Women won 3-0 against Ballymun Patriots, while the Premier League Men lost 3-0 against Dalkey Devils.
The Galway Division 1 Women's team showed their strength even with very little training in the past few weeks.
After a rocky start, down 11-3 under the effective service of Dalkey girls, Galway rolled up their sleeves and started playing their game one step at a time.
With some great attack combinations between setter Amanda Burgio and wing Mikal O'Boyle, and an amazing overall performance by middle blocker Laura Idoux, the Galway girls hit the accelerator and regained confidence, closing the match in their favour with a consistent performance.
Final result: Galway VC 3 - Ballymun Patriots 0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-21)
Galway VC women's roster: Giulia Comini (C), Amanda Burgio, Mikal O'Boyle, Nedina Marku, Bianca Castelli, Laura Idoux, Cerena Miravalles, Emer Phelan, Aoibhin McDonnell, Amy O'Sullivan, Deira Valci. Coach: Giovanni Spera
It was a difficult start of the year for the Galway Premier League Men's team who had to fight against a solid and powerful Dalkey Devils team.
The match started with very high energy from both teams. Dalkey took over with a series of great serves that put the Galway team under pressure.
After regaining confidence in their serve, the Galway boys were able to fight back in the second set, point by point, with a few great blocks and smart plays.
However, the performance from Galway wasn't enough to stop the opponents, which eventually closed the match by a wide margin.
Final result: Galway VC 0 - Dalkey Devils 3 (17-25, 23-25, 14-25)
Galway VC Premier men's roster: Aidan McDonnell (C), Peter McGlynn, Jeremiah Obiekwe, Liam Bedford, Jakub Drejkarz, Walid Kanouni, Jorge Guzman, Matteo Pezzopane, Noah Leamy, Konrad Kizielewicz. Coach: Amanda Burgio
The Division 1 Women's team will play against Munster Thunder next Saturday in Limerick, while the Men have a break from the National League until February.
However, next Sunday, Galway will host the Volleyball Ireland Association Cup Men Quarter Final between Galway and Dublin VC BraVo in Claregalway.
