Alice Di Rosario the ace as Cambridge VC & Anglia Ruskin University advance in National Cup

Last 16 spot beckons

Cambridge VC & Anglia Ruskin University have made it through to the last 16 of the Volleyball England National Cup.

The Division One side were up against Coventry & Warwick Riga, with the Division Two North side having won their first four matches of the season.

Cambridge setter Jessika Vieira got the first set underway with the first ace of the match, settling the team into the game as they passed well and made their attacks county.

Alexa LeMarquand and Kinga Budzinska were making some good blocks, and with Charlotte Handford and Alexandra Safryghin free scoring, Cambridge took the first set 25-13.

An evenly-matched second set changed direction in Cambridge’s favour after a rare service error from Riga, and with strong blocking from Mirto Rontiri and good defensive play by Josephine Socratous, they went on a run of seven unanswered points to lead 19-15, and closed out the set 25-18.

A different line-up took to the court for the third set for Cambridge, and Alice Di Rosario got her new role as setter off to the perfect start with two quick aces as they raced into a four-point lead.

Riga had no answer to the tough serving and powerful accurate attacks as Cambridge moved 15-3 clear.

Di Rosario got her seventh ace of the match for the final point to give Cambridge a third set 25-10 win, and close out the match 3-0.

In the last 16, Cambridge will face Polonia SideOut London, one of the top teams in the country.