‘We have had a change of tactics and have got our full team together so we hope this time we can take the game’ Vineeth writes excitedly in the pre-match messages. ‘To get any matches would mean a big thing to us’, Anna comments, and the initial chants of ‘Swansea’ can’t help but spur on the players.
The matches begin and the crowd hushes with the odd cheer when Swansea scores. Cardiff spectators shortly enter and the crowd cheer when either team scores a point. However, the ambiguity of who’s winning and who’s losing is clear throughout, but the general spirits are high for both sides.
In what seems like an organised blur, the matches are almost over. Neither team is giving anything away, and it’s not until a couple hours after that I find out the final score, but it doesn’t matter. The spectating experience was an intense experience, but one that was very enjoyable for all.
Unfortunately, despite Swansea playing fantastically throughout, the final score came to 13-3. The women’s team, however, did win their first match in the past few years of Varsity -a great feat in itself, bringing more hope than ever for next year!
Then came an afternoon full of Volleyball and the beginning of the most electric atmosphere to ever happen in a sports hall.
With a nervous team captain and a desire to win this year, the stakes were high for the Women’s match as they huddled around each other discussing last night’s activities in a friendly manner. The sense of cameraderie was strong throughout both on and off the court. Not only was the atmosphere electric, but spectators found themselves on edge, constantly watching the ball in a fierce fight against Cardiff.
And what a fight it was. Although the women’s team played fantastic shots, it wasn’t enough to claim victory against Cardiff, and Swansea unfortunately lost 3-1. That being said, the Swansea crowd was hopeful for the Men’s Volleyball and more spurred on than ever before. It wasn’t easy for the Men’s to win- if you thought that the women’s volleyball was a battle, it was nothing compared to the men’s. Once again, the crowd was fantastic for both Cardiff and Swansea as they cheered their respective teams on after each point scored. We won 3-2 after a very close 5 set game worthy of Varsity legend, and saved the day on Bay to clench our first Bay victory!
The crowd cheered louder than ever and went to Liberty Stadium in high spirits, ready to watch the Men’s rugby match. Despite only having one victory on Bay, the teamwork and support from the crowds was phenomenal and a win really made the day even more enjoyable. As the saying goes ‘it’s the taking part that counts’ and in this case, it was true and the Waterfront waits eagerly for next year.
by Carys Svendsen
