Last updated at 12:02, Friday, 12 March 2010

Tynedale schools were well represented at the Sport Universities North East of England Under 15 regional volleyball championships.

Champions: Haydon Bridge U15 volleyball team are North East championsThe line-up is Rob Slater, Richard Voase, Nathan Fairless, Rhys Main and Callum Mitchell.

Hexham Queen Elizabeth High School and Haydon Bridge High School both fielded teams in both the girls’ and boys’ competitions.

Both girls’ teams enjoyed some success in the early stages with QE gaining draws against Cramlington and Acklam Grange and Haydon Bridge defeating Biddick Sports Colleges, but both teams finished in third place in their pool, so just missed out on semi-final places.

In the boys’ competition, the Hexham boys found the going tough, though the A team managed to hold Cramlington to a draw.

However, the Haydon Bridge boys, who won this competition last year at U14 level, were getting into their stride with wins over Queen Elizabeth B and Biddick Sports College and a draw against Haughton A.

This set up a semi final match with Acklam Grange, which the Haydon Bridge boys won without dropping a set.

In the final they faced Haughton B, who gave them a run for their money, before the Haydon Bridge team pulled away to win 26-19, to take the title of North East of England U15 volleyball champions 2010.

This weekend, the Haydon Bridge boys will be travelling down to Birmingham to represent Tynedale in the National U15 Volleyball Championships.

They hope to improve on their seventh place at U14 level last year, which helped them win the Tynedale Sports Council Team of the Year Award.

First published at 09:45, Friday, 12 March 2010
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk