ASHCOMBE Ladies were sent to a double defeat at the hands of Malory Eagles at the weekend, without winning a set.
On Saturday Ashcombe were beaten in the National Volleyball Cup and on Sunday they lost in the Super 8s competition.
That latter result means they remain in seventh place in the Super 8s.
Malory presented a tough challenge to the Ashcombe team who travelled to London on Saturday with a very limited squad. The hosts fielded a team consisting of Great Britain stars Natasha Brewer and Olympian Lizzie Reid, as well as England development squad players Lauren Williams, Michele Daniel and Nicole Parish.
Ashcombe never found their true form, losing 25-11, 25-8, 25-12 and left the capital without a place in the next round of the national cup but with a determination not to allow a repeat performance.
Some of those much needed improvements from the Dorking side came on Sunday, at home, but it was still not enough.
Careless serving and a lack of a real threat in the middle of the court led to Malory claiming the first two sets with relative ease.
With limited attack in the middle, Malory's blockers were able to close out on Ashcombe's outside hitters Michelle Conway and Kristen Erickson.
Battling illness, Lucy Boulton did not perform at her usual high and consistent standard and had to be taken off towards the end of the game.
The introduction of 16-year-old Olivia Obaseki late in the second set helped Ashcombe to build some momentum and she continued her stunning debut performance into the third set which they narrowly lost 25-23.
Despite the struggle at the top, Ashcombe's wider programme continues to go from strength to strength.
The club hosted the first round of the U16 national championships on Saturday and on Sunday the U15 team travelled to Teddington to play in the adult Surrey League where they were delighted to win their first set in their first competitive season, losing 3-1 to far stronger and more experienced players.
Coach Luke Thomas said: "At first with this team we were looking to play and get experience at a higher level, but we are now able to shift our focus from just playing and start asking ourselves, 'how can we influence the game to our advantage, how can we win'?
"The progress these young ladies have made in such a short space of time is unbelievable, the confidence they have demonstrated to compete against adults at their age without at all being phased is really quite something. This is a very promising team."
The Super 8 team now have everything to play for next weekend where they will travel to Newcastle on Saturday to play current league leaders Team Northumbria before returning home to play last placed City of Salford the next day.
A win will help lift the team clear of immediate danger of relegation, for now.
For more information about the club, please visit www.ashcombevolleyball.co.uk or follow them on Twitter: @AshcombeVolley
