NEVER-SAY-DIE York Volleyball Club hit back from two sets down to beat Darkstar Derbyshire 3-2 and book their place in the semi-finals of the National Shield.

The York men won the deciding set 15-13 at Joseph Rowntree School to avenge their 3-2 defeat to the same opposition in National Volleyball League division three the previous weekend.

York fielded a virtually full-strength squad, missing only one of their setters, the injured Roman Ashauer, but they made too many errors in the opening two sets and lost 25-22 and 25-15.

Adam Kupka came to the fore in the third set and York took it 25-19. York maintained that momentum in the fourth set, which they closed out 25-22.

Neither team were able to gain a real advantage in the decider and, at 13-13, it could have gone either way.

York won the side-out to reach 14-13 and then captain Adam Meszczynski took the crucial final point with a strong block at the net to land the set 15-13. York have a home draw against Northumbria/Middlesbrough Academy, a strong division two side, in the last four on Saturday, March 1.

The day after their Shield triumph, York turned out a depleted squad but still beat Nottingham Rockets 3-1 in the league at York College.

The Rockets pulled back a ten-point deficit to snatch the opening set 27-25. They looked on course to win the second when they came back from 8-1 down to lead 20-19.

However, York prevailed 25-22 and the hosts then came back from a deficit to win the third set 25-22.

Most valuable player Meszczynski ensured York closed out the match with a 25-19 triumph in the fourth set, cementing their second spot in the league table.

Meanwhile, York Ladies made it back-to-back wins in the Yorkshire Premier League with an easy 3-0 success against Leeds.

Good defensive coverage allowed York setter Katie Thorn to unleash a full range of attacks in the first set, which York won 25-14.

York made a host of changes in the second set but the result was the same – one-way traffic and a 25-17 win.

Rather than ease up in the third set, York stormed through it to win 25-11. The top scorer was Spanish middle player Cristina Galvez, who contributed 12 points, including six kills, five winning serves and a block.

Coupled with the previous week’s 3-1 victory at Menwith Hill, the win pushed York to fifth in the Yorkshire Premier League.