The Bergers were faster on Saturday night but Mt Lofty still finished in front.
It was billed as a blockbuster and justly so [You can see some of it now on Devo]. It’s always a great game when teams like the Falcons, Heidelberg, Mt Lofty and USC Lion match up. The Bergers are on top of the table in the Vic Volleyball League. I’m not sure where Mt Lofty are on the ladder but they’re always in the top 3. Two great coaches – Raoul Tuul (Lofty) and Michael Brookens (Bergers). It’s old school Australian Volleyball meets new school Australian Volleyball [though oddly enough the two men probably aren’t that far apart in age].
Lofty ended up winning 3 sets to 1, no doubt helped by ex-Heidelberg and international player Dave Jones suiting up for them. Tony Scott dominated as Libero (and executed a spectacular jumping backset, leaping from behind the attack line) and Marcus Jones was too strong in attack and on the block. There were moments that Heidelberg looked unstoppable, with Cedric Legrand putting on an impressive display and George Santamaria setting brilliantly as always.
Heidelberg plays fast, and later on I spoke to Michael about their game philosophy. The pass comes in fast, preferably not going any higher than the antenna. The ball leaves the setter’s hands at hitting height. The swing hitter passes from around the middle of the court and has to cover a lot of distance to hit the ball (often they hit the ball well before it reaches the stick). It’s dynamic and there’s a lot of movement. It appears confusing and spontaneous, but that’s the general idea – to undermine the read block and get 1-on-1s as much as possible.
There are coaches who do things well, and those who re-invent the recipe. The biggest joy in watching the Olympics is seeing how coaches find that point of difference to get an edge. The Bergers style of game requires a substantial investment to reinvent nearly every aspect of play: the passers need to stab the ball in rather than slow it down; the setters have to have the right technique to be able to play fast passes; the hitters all need to hit more like quick hitters with an open-body approach and more vertical less horizontal jump.
The Bergers are still developing this style of play and it will continue to evolve [you can't get a team to play that much faster overnight]. When it was fast it was effective, but when they had to slow down the ball it was back to an even playing field. No doubt it was this early stage of development and missing a couple of starters that cost them the game. If the Bergers are dominating now in the Vic League, one can only wonder what they will look like in 12 months time. Let’s hope we get to find out at next year’s SA Open.
