After a difficult start, the women of Visser Assen/Sudosa-Desto seemed to be on their way to a fifth set against national champion Friso Sneek. In the end it was a 3-1 defeat for the volleyball players from Assen.
The disbelief was visible on the faces of the Assen players and staff after the match. Although the Drenthe team had started the match with difficulty, they recovered well from a 2-0 deficit (25-22 and 25-20).
Substitute Lynn van Mill gave the people of Assen new energy and with Maureen van der Woude playing excellently, coach Mark Afman’s team won the third set convincingly 25-16. The Drenthe also dominated in the fourth set. After 24-20, however, the machine suddenly stopped and fear crept into the team, so that Sneek still won 27-25.
Empty handed
“This is the worst defeat of the season,” Afman admitted. “We are selling ourselves incredibly short. Just like last week against Zwolle, we started very badly again. Then we got away with it and got another point; now we are empty handed. They can play volleyball so well, but you have to be on from the start.”
That was clearly not the case for Sudosa-Desto in the first two sets. Fittingly, it was particularly mediocre, while the attacking play was too restrained.
Afman: “It took two sets before they knew they could play volleyball again and the passing line was in order. I enjoyed my team for two sets, but that wasn’t enough.”
In fourteen days, Sudosa-Desto can take revenge, because then Sneek will visit Assen.