A Drive2Survive the first game

Last friday Heren Drive2Survive played the first thrilling match of the season. In the Houtenzaal of all places. Just a few days before there were some rumours that the game would have to be moved due to ventilation problems. Luckily the Sportcentre figured out an ingeneous plan: Open the doors to outside! The match could continue! Now if only the traininghalls had doors to the outside...

A quarter to six! The meeting time. No dinner together, but a nice cup of coffee would have to do. With everyone pumped on caffeine we were ready to shine. First shoo away the gymnasts, then build the net and start warming up. The opponents (Wevo 70 HS 1) also arrived, albeit at a bit slower pace.

The match starts with comfortable lead in the first set, but somewhere during the set we lost the focus and under the pressure of the opponents howls it ends with a 23-25 score in favour of Wevo. Unsure of what to expect of the remaining sets we move to the otherside of the net and recuperate our mood. With a change in players we manage to work better together and soon it appears that the first set was just a fluke, we are 8-2 ahead. This time its us who can cheer the loudest. Wevo only manages to grab a few more points and the set ends at 25-13.

Feeling better about the results we continue to win the thrid set as well. Under the observant eyes of Henny and enthousiastic encouragments of Amund, who finds himself as the assistant coach on the three meter line due to injury. The set ends 25-19.

Replay showed that the attack from Jop was indeed on the line.

What went wrong in the fourth set, did we feel the prying eyes of everyone watching the livestream in our backs? Did we get flustered because the opponent had brought a female libero? Suddenly the score looked bad for us. Henny switched a few players, but it did not matter. The set was lost 16-25. But we have a Drive2Survive, that is why we fought hard in the fifth set. Switching sides at a small advantage (8-6). It looked almost over when the opponent got a matchpoint at 12-14. But we did not falter and scored the next three points. Suddenly we were in the lead again! 15-14, 15-15, 16-15, will the set last long? Nope! We score and celebrate the first victory of the season! Harambee H2 (3) - (2) Wevo 70 H1.

While vowing to win more sets the next game, we move to the canteen and celebrate with a nice pint. The evening ends with a bill just short of 200 euros, a good start of the year as well. Although this amount was easily overthrown the next evening.

De eerste wedstrijd is gewonnen
Dat heeft de tegenstander ondervonnen
Daar drinken wij op
Teampresentaties waren top
Het seizoen is nu echt begonnen