Mauao men surrendered their competition lead to their opponents when they lost 1-3 to South Auckland side Playaz in Auckland on Saturday, despite beating another Auckland side, Diamonds, in their second match.
The Mount Maunganui-based team have the chance to regain that lead next Friday evening at the ASB Arenawhen they take on Tauranga men in a local derby match in the incredibly tight race for a Top-4 position in the Northern Zone Volleyball League.
Tauranga men themselves managed to close out the longest set of the season 34-32, against the very strong South Auckland team, but couldn't match that effort in any of their other sets, despite some thunderous hitting at times from captain Cameron Shaw.
Tauranga women had two wins in Auckland over lower-ranked home-town opposition, Saints and Harbour Raiders. The Bay side welcomed back 2012 stalwarts Simone Head and Amy Hunter, although the latter heads off later in the season to a USA university scholarship, and will miss the August Club Nationals. Tauranga moved into second place in the league, although third placed Manukau South (repeat National champions) have two games in hand. The Stew Henderson-coached side will need to step up their blocking and all-round hitting to seriously challenge both Manukau South and league leaders Sparta for the advantageous top two ranking positions.
Northern Zone League, 1st Division - Saturday June 8, in Auckland
Playaz b Mauao 3-1 (16-25,25-17,25-20,25-20); Mauao b Diamonds 3-1 (25-21,25-22,20-25,25-19); Playaz b Tauranga 3-0 (25-13,25-17,25-22); Waitakere Rebels b Hamilton 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-22); Sparta b Diamonds 3-0 (25-19,25-18,25-15); Diamonds b Rebels 3-1 (27-25,25-21,21-25,29-27); South Auckland b Tauranga 3-1 (25-22,25-19,32-34,25-20); Playaz b Hamilton 3-1 (23-25,25-14,25-22,25-17); Harbour Raiders b Sparta 3-1 (25-23,25-19,24-26,25-18)
Sparta b South Auckland 3-0 (25-13,25-7,25-9); Hamilton b Westforce Waitakere 3-1 (25-19,25-18,24-26,25-23); Tauranga b Saints 3-0 (25-8,25-16,25-10); Westforce Waitakere b South Auckland 3-1 (25-15, 23-25,25-8,25-13); Sparta b Hamilton 3-2 (22-25,25-21,27-25,15-25,15-8); Tauranga b Harbour Raiders 3-1 (22-25,25-19,25-18,25-13)
