Sunday evening saw the first Premier League volleyball of 2017 and it was an evening of drama in terms of the destination for this season’s league title.
For the past few seasons the title has gone to either Kinross or Fife but these two have been inconsistent this season and it is Perth teams who are poised to lift the trophy. Gregor Walker’s Dodgy Spikers and Ian McGrath’s Mental Eagles are separated by one point as the season enters its final months.
Both sides were on the two courts at Bell’s to open 2017 with Mental Eagles taking on Steve Martin’s SoVoBo who had drafted in Ian Martin to replace Doug Crockart who was on coaching duties in Orkney. Eagles stormed ahead in the first set to win 25-12 and followed this up by taking the second set 25-16. Meanwhile on court two Colin McGinley’s Team Fife were having a ding-dong battle with Dodgy Spikers. Jamie Salvin’s powerful serves and hits proved the main difference in the first set with Spikers winning 25-18. The second set saw Fifers take the lead at 14-11 but Spikrs fought back and soon the score read nineteen points each. Fifers edged ahead but back came Spikers to edge victory 25-23.
Mental Eagles then met Stuart Anderson’s Hitting Bricks with Eagles flying high to win 25-12; 25-15.
SoVoBo played Jack McKelvey’s Kintronics in a thriller. Steve Martin’s side eventually crept ahead in a very close first set, winning 31-29. The second set saw the Kinross side level the game with a 25-21 score. The third set decider was again very close, Kinross just pipping SoVoBo at the final whistle to win 7-6. After a disappointing start to the season. Craig Scott’s Scotrange opened their 2017 games against Hitting Bricks and recorded victory 25-18; 25-14. On court two Dodgy Spikers were keeping up their momentum with a 25-14; 25-15 win against the young Kintronics’ side fielding four players agesd 17 and under. Team Fife then defeated Kintronics 25-12; 25-23 with the Kinross side putting up a very spirited second set performance with young Ryan Dallas playing a blinder.
The final game on court two saw league leaders Dodgy Spikers meet Scotrange. The Kinross side overcame the leaders to inflict Spikers’ first defeat of the season with a 25-18; 25-21 scoreline. This gives hope to Mental Eagles who now sit one poised on point behind Spikers, making the remaining games very interesting.
How they stand:
| Pld | Won | Drwn | Lost | Sets Won | Sets Lost | Pts For | Pts Agst | League Points | |
| Dodgy Spikers | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 437 | 356 | 79 |
| Mental Eagles | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 444 | 329 | 78 |
| Team Fife | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 473 | 349 | 71 |
| Kinross Scotrange | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 285 | 324 | 39 |
| Hitting Bricks | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 407 | 420 | 37 |
| SoVoBo | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 224 | 361 | 19 |
| Kintronics | 9 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 15 | 281 | 412 | 14 |
This Sunday’s Recreational League fixtures (officiating team in brackets):
6 pm Aberfeldy v Hitting Bricks (Hits & Giggles)
Kinross Juniors v Motley Crew (Perth High C))
6:40 Perth High C v Hits & Giggles (Hitting Bricks)
Kinross Juniors v Aberfeldy (Motley Crew)
7:20 Motley Crew v Hitting Bricks (Aberfeldy)
Tay Pearls v Dunfermline (Kinross BB)
8:00 Kinross BB v Mongrels (Tay Pearls)
Perth High C v Perth High B (Plus Perth)
8:40 Tay Pearls v Perth High B (Kinross BB)
Plus Perth v Mongrels (Dunfermline)
9:20 Hits & Giggles v Plus Perth (Perth High B)
Kinross BB v Dunfermline (Mongrels)