This weekend sees our top teams competing for places in the quarter finals of the English national cup competitions. On Saturday the Sowden family have divided loyalties when dad Keith coaches SUNDERLAND CITY PREDATORS of Divsion 2 at CitySpace, Chester Road against TEAM NORTHUMBRIA and son Kieran who is a key member of the team currently ruling the roost at the top of the premier division in England - the Super 8s. It is the north east volleyball equivalent of Newcastle United playing Hartlepool and should draw a good crowd to the Sunderland University city campus.
On Sunday TEAM NORTHUMBRIA women are odds on favourites at Middlesbrough College where they take on the newest national league team in the region. TEAM DURHAM boast a number of Americans in their team which has had a great start by winning all their matches so far in their first season in Division 3 North.. They have the unenviable task of ending the Northumbria 66-match unbeaten run over 3 seasons in the top flight however, the addition recently of 3 GB 2012 Olympians, Lynne Beatie, Maria Bertelli and Lizzie Reid, to the Tyneside-based squad makes their job doubly difficult. The match gets under way at 1.45 pm