SVA Web Summary for Student Volleyball 2012/13
A very busy student volleyball season came to a close on the windy St Andrews sands on Saturday 4th May with an impressive 34 pairs competing in the Scottish Student Beach championships . 2012/13 has been yet another full season with competition and participation across a wide range of fronts,
In the Scottish division of the British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) league programme, 27 teams entered this season’s league competition which started in October. By the end of March, after some compelling competition and closely fought matches, Edinburgh were winners in both men’s Tier 1 & 2, with both 1st & 2nd teams finishing the season unbeaten, while in the women’s competition St Andrews also finished unbeaten in lifting the Tier 1 title, while in Tier 2 Heriot Watt secured their return to the top flight next season. 
History was made in the Scottish Students Cup when Adam Smith College became the first college team to compete in the men’s competition (which had a record 13 teams). Edinburgh lifted the Cup to make it a season’s double and their women joined them in defeating a competitive Glasgow in their final. The developing volleyball scene at the University of Abertay resulted in their women competing for the first time in the Cup. The BUCS Conference Cup Finals (for Tier 2 teams), played at RGU in Aberdeen produced two competitive finals, with Edinburgh II men & Heriot Watt women deservedly claiming the silverware.
The increasing level of volleyball activity in the college sector was demonstrated in the number of regional tournaments taking place throughout the season The Scottish Colleges Final was also hosted in Aberdeen, where Adam Smith and Edinburgh (Granton Campus) colleges lifted the men’s & women’s titles respectively. College volleyball is a real growth area for the sport at present & support for college clubs & provision of competition outlets for these players will see a real increase in numbers coming into the sport in the next couple of years.Scottish teams were well represented at the later stages of the BUCS Trophy & Championship this season: Aberdeen men narrowly failed to return with the silverware in the BUCS Trophy, losing 3-2 to Bath in the final, but their women went one better in defeating Birmingham 3-1 in their BUCS Trophy final.
In the main BUCS Championship, St Andrews women performed
well to get to the semi-final before losing to eventual winners Northumbria while Edinburgh men will count themselves unlucky to have narrowly failed to reach the final, losing 2-1 to Sheffield Hallam in their semi-final.On the representative front, the Scottish Students Women’s Squad took on the senior & junior national squads at the SWNTP Tournament in Stirling in April, with a 0-3 and 2-1 outcome to their matches. Despite losing 3–0 the team made the senior national players work for their points and showed great fighting spirit against a stronger and more experienced national group.
Over 40 different nationalities play volleyball across more than 25 tertiary education institutions in Scotland, providing a rich mix of experiences & cultures. With wide ranging activity such as the international outreach programme for volleyball at St Andrews; Alumni reunion events at Dundee & Edinburgh & increasing participation within the college sector, student volleyball is in good health & continues to be an important & unique part of the volleyball family in Scotland.
The Class of 2012/13 has passed with flying colours!!
