Last week (5th - 8th April), Ireland U20 Men's Volleyball National Team traveled to Andorra to compete in the U20 CEV Small Countries Association Championships.
Three players from Galway Volleyball Club were selected to be part of this team: Ciagan Davoren (C), Stepan Potapov and Noah Leamy.
Under the direction of coach Antonio Barros, the team achieved one win (v Gibraltar) and one loss (v hosting country Andorra) in the pool stage, arriving at the semifinal against the strong team from Luxembourg and eventually playing for the bronze medal against Northern Ireland. Even with a fantastic performance from our team, the bronze medal match ended in defeat and a fourth-placed finish.
Galway boys took key roles throughout the whole tournament.
Loughrea-based Ciagan Davoren lead the team with his experience and never-give-up attitude, providing solid passing and overall an excellent vision of the game, which brought him to win an individual award as Best Libero of the tournament.
Noah Leamy's contribution to the team was precious in every single match thanks to his powerful attacks and precise serving. Unfortunately, the Letterfrack boy could not complete the last match on the court for a shin injury.
Stepan Potapov was among the youngest on the team, but gave a great contribution thanks to his tricky float serve and precise passing. He was called to perform in the hardest moments, and he showed his reliability in every fundamental.
Galway VC also contributed to the managerial part of the team, with Assistant Coach Amanda Burgio and team Manager Maya Vybornykh.
"Our club is working hard into developing the new generation of volleyballers, both in Galway city and Loughrea. - said coach Burgio - We are proud of our young players getting involved at international level and taking a key role in the future of Irish volleyball."
Congratulations to the young Ireland team who have only come together this year, showing significant improvement as the tournament evolved and reaching an outstanding game level.
Pool Stage
v Gibraltar, Win 3:0 (25-11, 25-7, 25-22)
v Andorra, Lose 0:3 (19-25, 15-25, 13-25)
Semi-Final
V Luxembourg, Lose 0:3 (15-25, 20-25, 18-25)
Bronze Medal Match
v Northern Ireland, Lose 1:3 (26-24, 23-25, 22-25, 20-25)
