Ashcombe take Under 18 National Title - Sunday 25th April 2010

Wessex and Ashcombe played in one of the most competitive matches of the finals weekend at the National Finals at Crystal Palace on Sunday 25th April. Captain Izzy Fumagalli was named as Most Valuable Player as the Ashcombe team took the title 3-2. Coach Freda Bussey had to make several changes and some difficult coaching decisions in order to keep the team in the game after they went down 2-1.

Under 15 squad placed 5th in National Finals - Sunday 21st March 2010

Despite losing their first 2 games in the National last 8 competition the young team were able to bring it all together in their final game for a 2-0 victory against North Riding Eagles. The team was coached and managed by Richard Reynolds and showed a lot of spirit especially in the final game where they came from behind to take the final set. Tameside beat Redhill Stourbridge in the final to take the National Under 15 title.

Ashcombe win through to Under 18 National Finals - Sunday 28th February 2010

A 2-1 victory over Tameside gives Ashcombe a place in the National finals against Wessex on Sunday 25th April at Crystal Palace in London. The hectic schedule saw the Under 18 team beat The American School, London and then lose 2-1 to Wessex and beat Tameside B team 2-0 to come 2nd in their pool. They then faced Tameside A in a tough semi-final but came through with flying colours winning by powerful serving and blocking.

Ashcombe Under 16 lose in National semifinals - Saturday 27th February 2010

Victories over Middlesborough and Redhill both 2-0 and then a 2-1 loss v Newcastle Staffs left the Ashcombe Under 16 team a semi final place against last years champions Tameside from Manchester. It proved one game to far for the Ashcombe side and they lost 2-0. The team was captained by Georgia Bird and supported by Megan Warren as vice captian and Sian Warren as the lead setter. Lauren Joyce, Robyn Wisdom, Stacey Fullerton, Taina Bedeschi and Sophie Szyszko completed the squad.

Under 18 Girls reach Last 8 competition - 7th February 2010

The Ashcombe team started their journey to the Under 18 National Championships by beating both Richmond and Team Southampton 2-0 in the competition on Sunday 7th February. Led by captain Izzy Fumagalli the young team were dominant in attack. Hannah Carey and Georgia Bird attacked and passed with confidence allowing the rest of the squad to enjoy the competition.

Under 15 success for Ashcombe girls - Saturday 30th January 2010

Ashcombe Under 15 Girls were victrious over Norwich, Croydon, Richmond and Tendring to reach the finals of the Under 15 Regional Championships. The tournament attracted 9 clubs and a whole day of competition ensued. In a close final Boswells won 2-0 and took first place but both teams win a place to the Under 15 finals on Sunday 21st March where they will play in a tournament for the top 8 teams in England.

Ashcombe Under 16 Girls win through to last 8's - Saturday January 16th 2010

Led by captain Georgia Bird the Under 16 Girls team from Ashcombe had to dig deep to beat Richmond A, Richmond B and Boswells School in the 2nd round of the National Championships held at Ashcombe VC on Saturday. Consistent serving and passing by Megan Warren were key factors on the victory as was the setting of Sian Warren and hitting of Georgia Bird.

UK School Games - 3rd-6th September 2009

Ashcombe and Durrington High School players, Hannah Carey, Georgia Bird, Bethany Taylor, Sian Warren and Megan Warren were all in the England South Squad that played in the UK School Games in Cardiff on 4th-6th september. The teams played against teams from England North and Midlands, Scotland West and East, Ireland and Wales and beat North in the Final to become UK Games Champions for the 2nd year in succession.

UK Games squads announced - 8th July 2009

5 Ashcombe junior players, all Durrington High School students have been selected for the England South Squad for the UK Games in Cardiff 4th-6th September. Hannah Carey, Georgia Bird, Bethany Taylor, Megan Warren and Sian Warren will all be training with the squad in preparation for the competition. Jimmy Carey will also be training with the under 17 Boys squad. Hannah Carey, Izzy Fumagalli and Georgia Bird are pictured right in last years winning England South team.

Ashcombe players selected for England South boys Squad

Sselected for trials are Jimmy Carey and Chris Stent who will train with the England South Boys team over the weekend of 27th/28th June at the Ashcombe Centre.

Ashcombe players selected for England South girls Squad

Georgia Bird, Hannah Carey, Sian Warren, Beth Taylor, Megan Warren, Sophie Szyszko and Emily Begley have all been selected to train as part of the England South Squad for the UK School Games to be held in Cardiff in September. The first training session took place over the weekend of 23rd/24th May at the Ashcombe Volleyball Centre.

3-2 loss in National Finals in Sheffield for Ashcombe Under 16 squad on Sunday 19th April

Despite putting in a real team effort the young Ashcombe team, based at Durrington High School, was unable to take the 5th set in a close fought National Final . The squad was captained by Hannah Carey with more power at the net provided by Georgia Bird, Niclole Anderle and Megan Warren. Setters Sian Warren and Beth Taylor directed the play and young players Sophie Szyszko and Dahna Richman were be ready to play their part.

Under 15 Girls placed 5th in England at National Championships in Birmingham - 28th March 2009

Captained by Georgia Bird the young Ashcombe side, mainly based on students from Durrington High School failed to reach the semi final stages of the National Under 15 competition but showed great promise for the future. Sian Warren and Megan Warren both showed strong leadership qualities on court, helping young players Emily Begley, Abbey Peters, Sophie Szyszko, Robyn Wisdom and Dahna Richman. to take a full part in the team work. Results: 2-0 loss to Wessex, 1-1 draw v Newcastle Staffs, 2-0 victory v Moorside.

Ashcombe Under 16 Girls don't drop a set on the way to National Finals - 7th March 2009

Winning all 4 matches 2-0 showed the strength and resolve of the talented Ashcombe junior team. Captained by Hannah Carey the team was rarely tested allowing all 10 players to get court time without losing pace. Sian Warren and Bethany Taylor were able to set to Georgia Bird and Nicole Anderle in all zones to ensure successful attacks. Blocking by Megan Warren and Hannah Carey was a real strength of the team, not allowing the opposition teams of Boswells, Nunthorpe, Richmond and Tettenhall Tigers to attack with any confidence of breaking through.

Under 18 Ashcombe team lose 2-1 to Tameside in National semi-final. - 8th March 2009

In a game that would grace any national final, the roller coaster match between Ashcombe and Tameside had everything. Powerful attacks, desperate defence, mistakes under pressure and partisan crowds. Ashcombe took the 1st set showing condfidence in attack and forcing mistakes from Tameside but at 18-11 down in the 2nd set Tameside found their form and forced errors in passing and attack from Ashcombe. The third set showed Tameside in full flow and Ashcombe were unable to match their passing and attack plays.

Under 15 Girls win through to last 8 competition - Saturday 7th February 2009

By beating both Southampton and Boswells 2 Ashcombe Under 15 Girls took 2nd place in their southern round tournament, only losing to Boswells 1. The side bought together experienced players Georgia Bird, Sian Warren and Megan Warren to play alongside Abbey Peters, Robyn Wisdom, Emily Begley, Sophie Szyszko and Amy Potkins.

Ashcombe Under 15 team February 2009

Under 15 Boys lose out to Boswells and Thomas More - Sunday 8th February 2009

10 boys teams competed for the 2 places allocated to the South East, London and East for the National Championships. Ashcombe faced both winning teams in their pool with Boswells 1 and Thomas More winning through to the final stages on 29th March at The University of Birmingham. beating Tendring 2 [2-0] and Richmond [1-1] gave the young Ashcombe side a taste of success and the chance to compete against some of countries top teams.

Jacob Obong and Harry Bird block for Ashcombe under 15 Boys

Under 14 Boys and Girls teams book a place in National Finals - Saturday 31st January 2009

Ashcombe junior teams both reached the national Under 14 finals to be held on 28th February and 1st March. All regions had local championships and the top 2 teams from each region will go the the 18 team play-offs. Ashcombe lost to Newbury in the boys final but Ashcombe A beat Ashcombe B in the girls final.

Ashcombe Under 18 Women win 2nd round Championships - Sunday 11th January 2009

Ashcombe beat Cambridge, Boswells and St. Edwards all by the score 2-0 to reach the last 8's of the National Championships. The next round will be held at Nottingham University on Sunday 8th March. All 11 members of the strong Ashcombe squad were given court time and coaches Freda Bussey and Debbie Frost tried various combinations of players in the games. The team was captained by Jess Grimson and together with Vice Captain Maria Frost they encouraged the team to their successes.

Under 18 Men take 3rd place in National 2nd Round Championships - Sunday 18th January 2009

Ashcombe Under 18 Men faced tough opposition, Ernest Bevin, London Oratory School and Loughborough Lions in their 2nd round pool matches, held at ashcombe VC. Ashcombe's first game was against Ernest Bevin who are the current Under 16 National title holders and although the game was a 2-0 victory for Ernest Bevin, Ashcombe matched them in many rallies and showed real potential. The London Oratory School took 2nd place but a good victory over Loughborough Lions put Ashcombe into 3rd place and will not make the finals.

Ashcombe Under 16 Girls gain a place in the last 8 National Championships - Saturday 17th January 2009

Ashcombe beat Wessex and Redhill 2-0 and lost 2-1 to Wirrall to win the pool in their 2nd round National Championships campaign. The long journey to Stourbridge from Worthing did not seem to affect the squad who were keen to impress coaches, supporters and opposition. The standard was very high with all 4 teams capable of gaining a last 8 place. Sian Warren took on the role of setter with Beth Taylor and they confidently set up attack plays for Hannah Carey, Megan Warren, Nicole Anderle and Georgia Bird. Sophie Szyszko, Abbey Peters and Robyn Wisdom had their first games for the junior team.

Theresa Farley and Hannah Carey selected for England Under 19 squad to play Scotland - December 2008

Ashcombe players Theresa Farley and Hannah Carey [only 15 ] were selected to play in the December International series of matches in Scotland. Also selected are Ashcombe Under 18 players Beth Lowney, Luana Mesquiati and Jessie Forrester who now play for Malory in NVL Division 1. England beat Scotland 3-1 and 3-0 in the 2 match series.

Ashcombe's opposition for the Junior Cups now known -12th December 2008

The Under 18 Womens opposition will be Boswells School, Cambridge and St. Edwards on Sunday 11th January. On the 18th January the Under 18 Mens opposition will be Ernest Bevin College, Loughborough Lions and London Oratorary School. Both these competitions will be at The Ashcombe Volleyball Centre. For the Under 16 girs the venue is Redhill School in Stourbridge with the opposition teams named as Redhill, Wessex and Wirral Arrows.

Ashcombe Under 16 Girls team named as Runners Up for the "Sussex Young Team of the year Award" - 21st November 2008

Ashcombe Under 16 girls team, with players from Durrington High School, Worthing, made the shortlist for the prestigous Sussex Sports Award. The winners of all the awards were announced at The Sussex Sports Awards Presentation and Dinner at the Hilton Brighton Metropole on Friday 21st November and the team were announced as the runners up to Helenswood Under 13 Cricket team who are National Cricket Champions.

Ashcombe Under 16 team - National Champions April 2008 in posh gear.

Four junior Ashcombe girl players in the South England team that wins the UK School Games - 29th - 31st August 2008

Izzy Fumagalli, Hannah Carey, Luana Mesquiatti and Georgia Bird have been secected to represent South England in the UK School Games from 28th - 31st August 2008 in Bath. Sabrina Farley was also selected as a reserve player. The team beat England Central, Scotland North and South, Northern Ireland and then England North in the final. .

Under 16 's win National Final - 27th April 2008

A fabulous 3-0 victory over Newcastle Staffs by Ashcombe Under 16 team led by Izzy Fumagalli was the highlight of the Sunday games at the national Finals held at Bath Uneversity for Ashcombe VC. All the players except for Luana Mesquiati are pupils at Durrington High School and are a mixture of year 9,10, and 11 students so many players will be eligible to fight for the title again next year. Team [left to right]: Coach Freda Bussey, Sian Warren, Megan Warren, Beth Taylor, Hannah Carey, Izzy Fumagalli, Sabrina Farley, Lucy Pierce, Georgia Bird, Luana Mesquiati.

Jess Grimson, Hannah Carey and Susan Hoare selected for England and GB training - 12th July 2008

Jess, Hannah and Susan have all been training with the Junior England squad and Jess and Hannah with the GB squads during June and July. The talented Durrington High School, Chichester College and Ashcombe players show great promise and together with other Under 17 players Nara Hassanova, Maria Frost, Georgia Bird and Izzy Fumagalli are the future of Ashcombe VC.

Under 18's lose 3-2 to Tameside in National Final - 27th April 2008

After being 2 sets up it looked in the bag for the Ashcombe 18 side but a determined Tameside clawed their way back into the game and finished victors. Jess Grimson was awarded Most valuable Player for her fabulous extreme recoveries and attacking play but it was not enough for the team to take the title. Captained by Beth Lowney the young side will all be able to contest the same competition next season.

Ashcombe Under 15 girls - 3rd in England - 30th March 2008

A great victory over Wessex 25-12, 25 15 followed by a close 1-1 draw with Newcastle, Staffs and another 1-1 draw with Nunthorpe took Ashcombe to a semi final place against Tameside. A close fought match v old rivals Tameside saw captain Hannah Carey lead her team with determination and great team spirit. Sian Warren and Georgia Bird blocked and attacked with confidence and setters Emma Mountford and Beth Taylor kept the team attacking.

Under 18 Women reach the finals - 9th March 2008

The Under 18 squad did not lose a set all day beating St. Edwards, Mavericks and Tameside in pool matches and Wessex in the semi final. Tettenhall Tigers took Tameside to a close semi final but Tameside took the match 2-1 to take their place against Ashcombe in the final. Both matches will be played at Bath University on Sunday 27th April. Confident setting by captain Beth Lowney and power hitting by Jess Grimson, Luana Mequiati and Jessie Forrester were key in Ashcombe's success.

Under 16 girls reach the finals - 8th March 2008

Captained by Izzy Fumagalli, the Ashcombe Under 16 girls team beat Tameside B and Mavericks to reach the semi finals and then beat Tameside 2-1 to reach the final. They will play Madeley in the finals, the only team to beat them in the pool matches. Outside hitters Hannah Carey and Luana Mesquiati attacked and blocked with strength shiowing variety in their net play shots. Middle blockers Georgia Bird and Sabrina Farley played a key role in net defence. Beth Taylor took on the role of Libero for the first time and took control of the defence. With all bar one players in the Under 16 side coming from Durrington High School, Worthing, Coach Freda Bussey will be putting in extra training sessions to help the team prepare for the National Finals to be held on Sunday 27th April 2008 at University of Bath.

National Finals - Ponds Forge, Sheffield 2009

Ashcombe 2 Tameside 3

National Finals - Bath April 2008

Ashcombe 3 Newcastle Staffs 0