Rota's Gabriella Rivera spikes the ball while Menwith Hill defensive player Alexis Thomas attempts to block the strike. (David Hodge/Stars and Stripes)
Rota's Gabriella Rivera spikes the ball while Menwith Hill defensive player Alexis Thomas attempts to block the strike. (David Hodge/Stars and Stripes)
Menwith Hill's Monique McCreary (left) sneaks the ball past Rota?s Michaela Texidor during a match at RAF Alconbury, England, Oct. 2. (David Hodge/Stars and Stripes)
Rota Admiral player Yosenia Solis sets the volleyball during a match against the Menwith Hill Mustangs. Mustang player Sarah Hoover maneuvers her way into a better defensive position. (David Hodge/Stars and Stripes)
RAF ALCONBURY, England?Mustang player Kaia Pierce (left) sends a volley over the net past Admiral player Michaela Texidor during a game between Menwith Hill and Rota. Rota went undefeated in four games at RAF Alconbury. (David Hodge/Stars and Stripes)
Brussels' Ana-Marija Vasileva slaps the ball across the net during a match against the Menwith Hill Mustangs. The Brigands were victorious against the Mustangs. (David Hodge/Stars and Stripes)
Menwith Hill?s Monique McCreary serves the volleyball during a doubleheader at RAF Alconbury, England on Oct. 2. (David Hodge/Stars and Stripes)
Rota's Michaela Texidor attempts to block a shot from a Menwith Hill player. The Rota Admirals defeated the Mustangs Oct. 2 at RAF Alconbury, England. (David Hodge/Stars and Stripes)
Rota's Ashley Stedge serves the volleyball during a match against the Menwith Hill Mustangs. (David Hodge/Stars and Stripes)
RAF ALCONBURY, England — Four volleyball teams in DODDS-Europe’s Division III got a good look at one another this weekend when they converged on RAF Alconbury for a total of six varsity games in two days.
And if what they saw is an indication of what will happen when they meet again at the European championships in Kaiserslautern, Germany, then watch out for Rota.
The Admirals, which came all the way from Spain to compete against Menwith Hill, Brussels and Alconbury, won all four of their matches Friday and Saturday. The event marked the first time this season that the majority of the D-III teams were at the same venue and able to see the other teams firsthand.
Rota defeated Alconbury twice and Menwith Hill and Brussels once each. In the other matches, Alconbury posted a close win over Brussels, who defeated Menwith Hill on Saturday.
For teams like Brussels, this meeting served an important purpose, according to the Brigands’ head coach Vicky Westland. It is the only time during the season they face division rivals Menwith Hill and Rota. The rest of the season they will be playing larger schools on the continent, with the exception of a rematch with Alconbury during a three-way meet in two weeks.
“These are the girls we will see in the Europeans,” Westland said, referring to the Nov. 4-6 tournament.
While noting that Rota looks like the team to beat so far, she was happy with how her girls played and the progress they are making.
“Today, [the Brussels girls] were just on fire — they had great teamwork and communication,” she said.
