A great game 44-37! Even with the tricky stop-starts from the umpires, we all kept our composure and adapted well. We came out on top and showed just how strong this team is. Onto the next game, where we can smash it once again!
Written by Libby – Player
Aces 35 CBH 27
Aces won against a very physical CBH team, keeping their cool and playing a short-passing, steady game throughout.
Within the first 5 minutes of the 1st quarter Aces took the lead by 4 goals and maintained that lead throughout the rest of the match.
As we settled into the game, we quickly realised we were in for quite a physical match, with lots of contesting for the ball.
As we went into the second quarter, CBH decided to turn up the ‘chaos’ element of their play – they were dropping off their player to semi zone the space but were not organised so instead were just very disruptive which to be fair did work in putting us off slightly.
Towards the end of the second quarter and as we headed into the third we realised that we could take advantage of this disorganisation and play a short ball game, focusing on possession and sharp shooting. Instead of moving the ball quickly to goal we took our time, keeping hold of it, moving it around and choosing the right attacking pass when we were ready.
This tired CBH out pretty well and meant that in the final quarter we had loads of space through court to build play and maintain possession again.
Defencive pressure was once again a key feature of our match play today – the shooters struggled to get in decent shooting positions as well as struggling to work the ball round the D. Leah, Edie, Katie and Grace C worked well as a team to apply the pressure, secure the turnover and move the ball through court.
Timing of movement and quality of passing through court into attack was lovely to watch – Rose and Eliza supporting the defensive team bringing the ball through.
As we headed into attack we focused on rotation both in and out of the D. With Katie moonlighting as WA as well it meant our play had depth through court and allowed for space for the shooters to move around in.
Captains player went to Edie who was fantastic in the D, under the post and through court as well🤩
Thank you to Liv you kindly played up for us before her match for Clubs and did a great job!
2 out of 3 wins so far for Aces – keep up the great work girls!! 🤍✨
Written by Gemma – Captain
Hearts vs Blackbird Divas
36-47
A strong performance from Hearts. Although the final score didn’t quite go our way, it was a great display of teamwork, effort, and determination.
It took us a little while to find our rhythm in the first quarter, but once we settled, our connections started to shine. Molly Stanley and Lauren Goymer worked brilliantly in the circle, putting their training into action with some smooth rotations around the D.
Shannon Hall had a tough battle at WA against an extremely contacty WD but showed brilliant resilience and composure before I came on to give her a well-deserved break.
In the second quarter Libby, who kindly stepped up to play for us, was incredible in defence — sticking to her GS like glue and forcing error after error into the D.
In the second half, Lauren and I linked up nicely in the shooting circle, staying patient and popping out for those sneaky passes to get around some very tricky defenders. Nat, despite being slightly worse for wear, played a brilliant game in mid court (better than most of us sober tbh) making some fast interceptions and keeping the pressure around Divas shooting D.
Moving into the third quarter, Pippa Kelly and Kate McStrafick really stepped up the pressure, working together to keep their GA out of the circle and slow down their attacking play.
The final quarter saw the iconic defending duo Molly and Pippa in full force — pulling off their gymnastic interceptions to stop those goals (It looked as cool as it sounded).
A huge shoutout to Shannon, who earned a very well-deserved Player of the Match for her accurate feeds into the D and for putting up a great battle with a tough WD.
Overall, this was a great match filled with energy, communication, and determination. We just need to work on keeping our heads up, staying confident, and trusting in our ability as a team! ❤️💪
Written by Jodie – Player
Queens put in a strong performance today agaisnt a very young and fit Ryland team, but showed determination and teamwork across the court. Despite the final score of 43–32. There were many positives to take from the game.📈
In the shooting circle, Amy and Frankie worked well under pressure, creating space and found opportunities with confidence. Their movement and composure provided a steady platform.
Katie and Ximena were dynamic through the midcourt, linking defence to attack effectively and delivering accurate feeds through the court and even their defence was kept strong when Rangers had the ball!
Our defensive team, Lucinda, Georgina, Beth, and Antonia applied consistent pressure throughout. Their marking, interceptions, and resilience restricted the opposition’s shooting opportunities and kept us in contention until the final whistle.
Although the result did not go our way, Queens demonstrated commitment, positivity, and a willingness to keep fighting. We definitely didn’t give up at any point! POM- Amy but a special mention to Georgina and Ximena on their first Queens match and doing amazing!
Written by Amy – Player
21st September 2025
Alcester Hearts vs Panthers
43-49
Hearts vs Panthers was always going to be a close game, and as usual, it was very evenly matched. We all played a very strong game, communication was on point, energy and fitness levels up, and we came armed with enough bags of tanfastics to keep us going until Christmas 🎄
There were some really great passages of play; we utilised some tactics we have been working on as a team, such as zoning and tactical changes to give us the upper edge.
Molly, Jodie and Lauren were on fire in the attaching D against a very tall and tricky defensive duo, they held their ground and gave as good as they got. Molly got player of the match this week, no doubt for her amazing long shots, her positioning, and always meeting those high balls so the defenders couldn’t get their fingers on the ball. Jodie’s and Lauren’s circle rotation and splits were lovely to watch from my end of court, and Lauren’s tippy rebounds secured even more goals!
Shan at WA and Sarah at C had a great partnership, and had some wonderful feeds into the D. They were always there to reset if needed and helped the shooters work the ball round. The energy levels and fitness were fab, and we managed to force several errors by getting back onside for Centres quicker than the opposition! 💨
Hearts’ match this week saw Sarah get Hearts’ Players Player Trophy 🏆 It was Sarah first game back after having a year off. She played C for the whole gave, fitness never failing, and slotted right back in as if she’d never had a year off to have a baby! What a legend! 💪🏼
Nat was back in her natural habitat as WD, showcasing why WD is her top choice position! She slowed the game down for us so we didn’t run away with ourselves, was always encouraging us to use all channels, and on the back line pass she was always exactly where we needed her!
Pippa gave her GA a battle, had some great interceptions, and flew when intercepting the shot. She met every challenge- much to the GA’s dismay!
I was GK, doing my best to force the GS away from the post and also get ball-side for interceptions. Pip and I felt like we worked well together – didn’t get in each other’s way, but also did some good switching!
Over and out (I got passionate reliving the match, so sorry it’s a long one 😂)
By Katia – Player
Clubs faced a feisty young Jaguar team this morning- always a challenge! What a first game from a new squad. Let’s start with the shooting combination of Liv and Jeanette, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with- great movement and understanding between them. Welcome back to Chloe as WA some great feeds and defensive play. Katie playing up from Queens had an amazing game – always in the right place. Mary started as WD then moved to GD showing her brilliant agility. Georgina solid as usual with some great interceptions and availability for a reset. So pleased to see Suzanne back on court after injury playing GK and WD such a pleasure to watch. Last but not least the player of the match Libby as GD and GK-Wow! Totally shut the shooter out of the game in the second half- what a performance for your first match for ATNC. A very happy coach 😁x
Written by Elaine – Coach
Aces had a fantastic match against Blossomfield Bees; really proving why they deserve to have moved up to Division 1.
From the outset the match was highly competitive and physical, and it only took 5 minutes for one of our key players, Lucy Jones, to come off with a bad injury – Lucy, we all hope it’s nothing too major and you’re back on the court in no time!
As a team we used this time to reset mentally, recognising that we needed to play our game and keep our cool. With Lucy coming off Eliza Marshall slotted in at WA and you really wouldn’t have known that she hadn’t warmed up!!
From then on the match continued to be full on but we managed to keep our heads and before we knew it we had gained a comfortable lead. By the end we were dominating the match, playing our game and consequently managed to finish with a final score of 52:12. A shout out to Edie Buckham and Eliza for slotting into the team so well – the movement up and down the court was fantastic and it will be exciting to see where this season takes us!
Player of the match went to Rose but it’s fair to say that everyone through the court had a fantastic match!! Another shout out for Eliza for also getting captains player.
Let’s keep this momentum up ladies and I’m sure we will have a great season!!
Written by Rose – Player
Alcester Hearts ♥️ vs Alcester Aces ♠️
Final score: 48-36
What can I say? What a game! It was such an enjoyable match, with great spirit and sportsmanship from both sides, and positive vibes throughout! 💃
It was an extremely close and evenly-matched game; Aces certainly gave us a run for our money!
We had Jodie and Molly shooting, joined shortly after by Lauren. There was lovely teamwork and circle rotation to get past the tough defence that Leah and Katie put up. They held their space to receive some great feeds in (we had some of the famous ‘Nat specials’ today), or came forward to receive some short and sharp well-placed balls from Nat and Shan. The space was great, and the accuracy from all three shooters was super impressive 🎯
There was some lovely game control from Shannon and Nat in centre court. They encouraged us to use all channels, make space, and kept us steady whenever we started to run away with ourselves. They always made themselves available ball-side on the D to support the shooters, and the feeds were on fireeee 🔥
Pippa and Kate were always there as a back up if needed, and were used many times to help the attack reset to work the ball back in instead of forcing it.
Kate had a fabulous game as WD, earning player of the match from Aces for her endless interceptions and tenacity, forcing errors, putting the pressure on, and chasing down any ball in her path! 💪🏼
Pippa was great at working the ball up the court, getting it out of the defensive third and seeing it right through to the attacking third. She had some great tips, and practically flew like a bird when jumping to mark the shot. 🦅
Molly had a change scenery and came to the dark side for a quarter. We played GK, doing our best against Gemma, who earned Hearts player of the match for her insane accuracy and amazing quick movements in the D. We aimed to stay on our toes and keep her as far away from the post as possible. Pippa, Molly and I stuck close to our players, and switched when necessary to get some tips and interceptions.
Overall, very proud of how we played, it was a great team effort all round. We communicated positively and constructively throughout the court, and kept our heads when Aces were neck and neck with us for most of the game.
Well done to Molly for her first game as captain, you aced it (excuse the pun!) ♠️
Thanks to Aces for a great game, well played all, and thanks to those who came along to watch ❤️
Written by Katia – Player
Queens 55 – 27 Hotshots 🎉
What a way to end the season!
Last match against Hotshots was possibly one of our strongest performances yet!
A close first quarter, spent trying to figure out Hotshot’s tactics, led to us making a few position changes for the rest of the game. However, from that point on, we found our groove, and there was no stopping us! 🏃♀️
I cannot write this match report without mentioning the seamless and tireless work moving the ball down court from Centre to WA, GA and GS (Amy-Sue Widman, Frankie Woods, Sophie Smithers, Katie Jones! 💖). With immaculate timing against a strong defence, you kept your cool and never let Hotshots interrupt your game plan.
Defence consisted of Poppy, Beth Young, Antonia Seymour, and me, and I think it’s fair to say that we didn’t let Hotshots have it easy!
Whilst we did have the odd excitable stray pass and iffy set moves, overall it was a cracking game that highlighted all the skills we’ve been working on over the season. It was a fabulous way to end the season, and I think we can all agree that it’s been incredible to truly gel as a team and find our flow! 💛👑
Bring on the Winter season!!
Written by Lucinda – Player
Player of the match: Lucinda Granger
Alcester Queens brought their A Game and took a fab 56–47 win over the Swans! 🎉
Amy and Frankie were the unstoppable duo in the shooting circle 🔥 barely missing a thing and keeping the scoreboard ticking.
Sophie at WA and Katie at C were flying through the mid-court 💨 linking up beautifully and setting up attack after attack. Keeping the ball and all of us calm! Some incredible feeds into the circle (sorry for overheads Elaine but they were beautiful)🤣
Gemma and Poppy brought non-stop energy at WD 💪 chasing everything down and making life tricky for their opponents.
At the back, Stacey and Beth were calm, collected, and totally solid 🧱 nothing was getting past them easily. They put up a hell of a fight!
Everyone worked so well together and even though it was neck and neck after Q1, and only up by 1 for us on Q2, we stormed through on Q3 with a 4 goal lead and then 9 to finish!💜 Such a fun game and a well-deserved win for the Queens! 👑 Everyone could have got player of the match in my eyes but very grateful my shooting was on form 🥳
Written by Amy – Player
