We are a friendly volleyball club for players of all levels and nationalities. We enjoy playing indoors and outdoors, at anywhere and any time.
We have teams that compete from local to national level and are looking for new recruits for all of them.
31 August 2017: Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, Bristol VC has the team or training session for you!
We have great coaches, great players, and a great club, and we want you to be part of it.
If you want to get involved, please contact us via the club Facebook group or by email.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/11126990530/
info@bristolvc.org.uk
07 August 2017: We are pleased to announce that we will be strengthening with our coaching team for the 2017-18 season with the addition of some great new coaches.
John Watson will be taking over Men 1. John had a successful playing career with Speedwell and played with some of the greats of the game, and will be bring an immense amount to experience as well as a very competitive attitude to the team.
Gabriela Maczka will be leading the newly-created Men 3. Gabi is an incredibly talented player, currently plays for Ladies 1, and has played at a high level in Poland.
Jeremy Harris will be taking over the club development sessions. Jeremy has a passion for coaching people who are new to the game.
You won't find a better coaching team in the Bristol area!
02 April 2017: Having dominated the league all season dropping only 6 sets, we are pleased to announce that the guys continued their winning ways, securing the league title and with it promotion to national division 2. Bring on next season!
20 November 2016: Bristol VC Ladies 1 win 3-1 against Worthing VC in the Women's National First Division.
One of the most difficult away games in the season, no doubts on that. A very difficult atmosphere and inappropriate conditions at the gym had a massive influence on the game.
As confirmed by the sets partials (20-25; 27-25; 23-25; 19-25) it was a very close fight between the teams. Excellent match from our new outside Gabi Maczka voted MVP. Strong hitting and constant support backcourt offered a real boost to the team in difficult situations. Great match as well from our middle players Milena Balcerowska and Liene Knupke. They were extremely effective on block and service during the entire game.
One particular good element to underline from this match: BVC team resilience. This is gold in sport, particularly with very technical sports like volleyball. As confirmed by Coach Marco: “I am proud of the team today. We had a quite difficult moment in the second set, and it was very hard to remain positive and focused on the game. The team showed me its remarkable potential. We’ve really demonstrated BVC pride today”.
06 November 2016: Bristol VC Men 1 continue their impressive start to the season beating Guildford International and South Hants in straight sets.
The guys, yet to drop a set this season, had to fight against Guildford to maintain that impressive record. Getting drawn into an attritional battle, BVC dug deep, even coming from behind, demonstrating they have mental toughness to their game.
With their perfect record intact, the game against South Hants proved much more straight forward, with BVC dominating throughout.
Bristol VC 1 3-0 Guildford International (30-28, 26-24, 25-20)
Bristol VC 1 3-0 South Hants (25-12, 25-23, 25-13)
24 October 2016: Bristol VC are pleased to welcome Georgia McGovern to the club. Georgia, who learned her trade out in California, will be joining Bristol VC 1 in Women's National First Division. Georgia is a very talented setter and we very much look forward to helping her realise her potential with Bristol VC and with England.
24 October 2016: Bristol VC Ladies 1 beat Herts VC 3-0 in the Women's National First Division in their first win of the season..
This win constitutes a very important step forward for our girls. A completely new team has been created by the BVC coaching academy to strike a good balance between experienced and young talented players. .
As confirmed by the set partials (18-25; 16-25; 19-25) our team was able to manage the game constantly and without hesitation. Great performance of Captain Joanna Stenlake voted MVP. Consistent backcourt and very proactive on hitting. Good match as well from Vicky Telfer and Marzia di Bella, in the role of setter and opposite respectively. .
Most importantly, we have to underline the all team performance. Our ladies are developing team personality and confidence, but there’s a lot to improve as Coach Marco said: “I am quite satisfied with our performance today. The team is growing massively, and this win represents a confirmation about the quality of our sessions at the gym during the week. However, this must represent just our starting point. We have to work hard to optimise game combinations and to develop our team spirit”.
23 October 2016: Bristol VC 2 3-0 Plymouth (25-13, 25-23, 25-19)
25 September 2016: Bristol VC Ladies 2 got their season off to an ideal start with a hard fought win over Reading Aces.
After a major squad refresh over the summer, there were clear signs of a team still finding its feet, so to come away with a win was a great first step on what will hopefully be a successful season.
It was satisfying to see all players old and new play a part in the match, contributing towards the win. The positivity shown in the 5th set was great to see, and Reading were never given a chance.
Bristol VC 2 3-0 Reading Aces (20-25, 25-18, 26-24, 24-26, 15-9)
07 May 2016: Newly-formed Ladies 4 will be getting a taste of high-level volleyball at this weekend's South West Championships. Normally attended by the club's top teams, this will be a great experience for the girls, allowing them to put everything they've learned into practice.
23 April 2016: After narrowly missing out on the league title, Bristol VC men 1 will be competing for a place in NVL div 2 next season on Sunday 15th Mat at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering. Good luck guys!
10 April 2016: The west of England volleyball derby goes to Bristol VC in the Women National First Division.
It was a very intense day for the BVC girls, especially from a mental point of view. Some ex players now playing for Bath, and Bath fighting for survival in the league, offered a unique atmosphere during the match.
Marjolein Meinders was voted MVP. New player Luiza Stefanova had an extremely good game, making a real difference during very delicate moments of the match.
Great performance as well from all central players Marzia di Bella, Tamara Serrano and Liene Knupke. Playing strongly in all areas, they were able to give vital support to the team particularly in the back court.
Extremely satisfied coach Marco Mendola: "Proud to see our girls always in a positive attitude. After a quite difficult first set,I saw a determined reaction. Today we have clearly demonstrated concentration and attention for details. Bath had no chance with our girls".
Players: Joanna Stenlake, Luiza Stefanova, Liene Knupke, Mariolejn Meinders, Ruth Hambley (capitain), Vicky Telfer, Tamara Serrano, Marzia di Bella.
Coach: Marco Mendola
Bristol 1 3-1 Bath Mavericks (19-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-10)
Last match of the season next Saturday 16 March against Ashcombe Dorking VC.
06 March 2016: This weekend saw another incredible performance from Bristol VC in the Women National First Division.
Although there were many absences for flu, BVC players made the necessary sacrifice to play out of position.
Joanna Stenlake was voted MVP. She was complete in all aspects of her game, plus able to focus with smart actions in very delicate moments of the match. Extremely good game as well for Jalanya Szepesi as outside and the capitain Mariolejn Meinders.
Tamara Serrano comes back recovered from her injury with a very supportive performance. Another real positive from the match was the debut in First Division for the central Milena Balcerowska.
Another great moment for coach Marco Mendola: "There are no doubts, we are playing a different level of volleyball right now. It does not matter which players are on court, our strenght is team spirit and common targets".
Over the past two weekend, Bristol have comprehensively beat the teams in 2nd and 3rd place in the table, so can now count themselves amongst the top teams in the league.
Players: Joanna Stenlake, Luiza Stefanova, Milena Balceroswka, Mariolejn Meinders (captain), Ruth Hambley, Jalanya Szepesi, Tamara Serrano, Lindsay Levesque (libero).
Coach: Marco Mendola
Bristol 1 3-0 Worthing VC (25-12, 25-21, 26-24)
The next match in Bristol at Abbeywood School (New Rd, Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8SF) Saturday 19 March at 12.30 pm vs. Birmingham VC.
08 February 2016: Hard work always pay off!
Excellent performance by Bristol 1 in the National First Division. The match against Ashcombe has been an important milestone for the girls: precision in fundamentals, consistency, and finally, a good team spirit. Because of many injuries, 2015 was a complicated year for the team, however, thanks to some recovered players and new girls in our roster we can be more optimistic for the future.
Ruthie Hambley MVP. Extremely good performances from Lindsay Levesque and Jalanya Szepesi. Marzia di Bella offered a consistent support as central. Our Joanna Stelanke comes back officially to NVL 1 completely recovered after serious problems with her shoulder. Always determined Marjolein Meinders and Vicky Telfer as opposite and setter respectively. Hard work at the gym during the week is giving satisfaction to coach Marco and co.
Come to see us next match! High level volleyball and a friendly atmosphere are waiting for you!
Bristol 1 3-0 Ashcombe Dorking (25-20, 25-22, 25-10)
07 February 2016: Faced with the first of two consecutive weekends without their usual setter, Bristol 2 made the long trip to London hoping they could continue their winning ways.
Panic mode started immediately when the ref called a double touch for the very first set (which was absolutely clean by the way), but that was soon forgotten and the girls started to get into their stride. Stand-in setter Julia Kulla started connecting with her hitters superbly and even got in some 2nd ball hits, much to the shock of the Dulwich team.
In the second set the girls were in total control, dominating with their serve, and defending solidly when the ball came back, limiting Dulwich to only 8 points.
A chance to repeat another impressive scoreline in the third was hampered by an injury to one of the Dulwich players, which took away a lot of the energy in the game.
All-in-all it was a very composed performance, and nicely sets up next weekend's potential title-defining matches against Cambridge and New Forest.
Bristol 2 3-0 Dulwich (25-18, 25-8, 25-21)
07 February 2016: Having beat New Forest in their previous match to move top of the table, all Bristol needed to do to be crowned champions was to win their remaining games. But it was never going to be that simple was it!
First up Bristol faced Oxford, who they had beat 3-0 at the first fixture of the season. This time the guys seem to struggle to string runs of points together, through a combination of uncharacteristic low energy and Oxford having a phenomenal player that they could go to whenever they needed a side-out. This led to some incredibly long and close sets, with Oxford managing to just do enough to win. The biggest disappointment was not being able to recreate the intensity that the guys have had at training recently.
Keen to make up from the earlier disappointment, Bristol got off to a much more positive start against Guildford, convincingly taking the first and second sets. The third set was classic 2-0 syndrome with Bristol taking their foot off the gas to allow Guildford to take a set. Normal service then resumed with Bristol winning the match in four.
Although this was a massive missed opportunity in terms of maintaining their position at the top of the table, New Forest failed to take advance and dropped a game themselves, so it looks set to be a very close run-in to the end of the season between the two teams.
Bristol 1 0-3 Oxford (27-29, 19-25, 26-28)
Bristol 1 3-1 Guildford (25-14, 25-22 16-25, 25-22)
24 January 2016: Bristol keep up the pressure on top spot with a regulation 3-0 victory over Reading.
Bristol 2 3-0 Reading (25-21, 25-22 25-19)
18 January 2016: The girls limped to victory against the league's bottom team when they met before Christmas, but made amends with a solid 3-0 win second time around.
Bristol 2 3-0 Richmond (25-19, 25-15, 25-20)
17 January 2016: After quickly dispatching Southampton 3-0 in the first match, Bristol turned their attention to overturning their defeat against New Forest on the opening day of the season. At stake was top spot in the league.
The guys started with energy and confidence, and had an answer for everything New Forest could through at them, taking the first two sets. With a convincing 3-0 in sight, Bristol noticeably dropped their level in the third allowing New Forest to take the set, and gave them a glimmer of hope. The same continued in the fourth with Bristol playing below the level they had started the match with, and the match went to a fifth set. Momentum was now firmly with New Forest who led 8-3 at the change of ends. After a firm team talk the guys went back onto court with a renewed positivity and slowly worked their way back into the match. As they got closer and closer the pressure finally got to the New Forest team who started committing more and more errors. Bristol kept their nerve to win the game and move above New Forest at the top of the league.
Bristol 1 3-0 Southampton (25-20, 25-17, 25-13)
Bristol 1 3-2 New Forest (25-14, 25-22, 22-25, 23-25, 16-14)
14 December 2015: First up, Bristol faced promotion hopefuls Essex Trinity in a match that could define both clubs' seasons. Bristol knew that Essex, coached by ex-England coach Ian Legrand, were going to be very tough opponents. Matters were made even harder as Bristol were missing three of their starting 6, and three of the girls were playing for the team for the very first time.
It seemed that it was going to be Essex's day after they took the first two sets, especially with one of Bristol's players suffering what looked like a season-ending injury in the second, but Bristol, inspired by their comebacks against Portsmouth, knew that they were not out of it.
Holding their nerve to battle to take a close third set, the girls were now back in the match. Sensing an opportunity, Bristol started the fourth positively and through some amazing attacking by Weronika Zarzycka built a commanding lead. Essex could not do anything to close the gap and finished the set looking shell shocked having thought they had the victory sealed.
Fifth sets were nothing new for Bristol, and had come out winners in every one so far this season, so the girls started positively. Having gone from a winning position to be on the brink of throwing it all away, Essex players were now looking around at each other rather than taking responsibility themselves. Bristol kept the pressure on and took a very unlikely looking win. It was an incredible performance.
Next up Bristol faced Plymouth. In what must have been a hangover from an epic first match, the girls dropped the first set before running out easy winners.
What a way to finish before the Christmas break!
Bristol 2 3-2 Essex (15-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-16, 15-11)
Bristol 2 3-1 Plymouth (20-25, 25-14, 25-13, 25-20)
06 December 2015: Bristol 1 3-2 Loughborough (25-20, 25-16, 20-25, 14-25, 15-7)
30 November 2015: In what should have been a routine win, Bristol somehow made hard work of it and took 5 sets to overcome the league's bottom side.
Richmond at one point led 2-1 before the girls finally turned it on and blew them away 25-7 to avoid an unlikely defeat. Bristol then went on to secure the win in the fifth set.
Bristol 2 3-2 Richmond (21-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-7, 15-7)
29 November 2015: Bristol 1 3-1 Tameside (25-21, 14-25, 25-19, 30-28)
23 November 2015: Not even a night out in Newquay before the matches could stop Bristol men picking up two dominant wins, although some question marks over their choice of nightclub remain. The less said the better.
Bristol 3-0 Kernow (25-16, 25-22, 25-17)
Bristol 3-0 South Hants (25-13, 25-15, 25-20)
16 November 2015: In their last match Bristol's heroic performance saw them come from 2-0 down to beat then league-leaders in 5 sets. Less than a month later, the girls faced the same team again knowing how important it was to show that the previous win was not just a fluke.
It was to prove another incredibly close game, with some epic rallies. Portsmouth won a close first set 26-24, which was then followed by Bristol taking an equally as close second set 29-27. There was nothing between the two teams.
Portsmouth looked to have found something in the third and comfortably took it 25-16. Drawing on their experience from the previous game, the Bristol girls knew they weren't finished and worked hard to edge the fourth set 26-24.
It now came down to a fifth set again. Bristol knew they had done it from here before, and through a positive attitude and some good serving took a lead which they never looked like surrendering and took the match.
It was now clear that the girls could genuinely compete at this level.
Bristol 2 3-2 Portsmouth (24-26, 29-27, 16-25, 26-24, 15-11)
Contact us:
info@bristolvc.org.uk
Home venue:
Abbeywood School, New Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8SF
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