Cleobury began the new season of the Prosport National Volleyball League with a tough away match at last season's Division Two runners up, Tameside.

However, while the team travelled with the confidence of a hard, but encouraging pre-season behind them and the knowledge that they have a lot to prove to themselves after a disappointing past couple of seasons, the results was not what they had hoped for.

Tameside 3 Cleobury 2

(25-21, 17-25, 17-25, 25-22, 15-9)

Despite a pre-season friendly last week, Cleobury looked a little rusty at the start of the match and it was the home team that started much better, taking an early 16-11 lead. This proved to be decisive, and despite four points off the Sophie Cook serve, Tameside took the first set relatively untroubled at 25-21.

Cleobury came out fighting at the start of the next set and the work done in training began to take immediate effect. Cleobury began to pass the ball and it enabled them to use their fast combination attacks which left the opposition floundering in their wake. Becki Brookes served for seven unanswered points and the attacks came thick and fast from Clare Jones, Sam O'Connor and Lyndsey Rankin as Cleobury coasted to a comfortable 25-17 win.

Cleobury continued in their confident mood but Tameside continued to dig in and stayed in the set and still led at 17-16. Cleobury were not to be out fought though, as again, Player of the Day Becki Brookes, came forward to serve and she continued to serve until the team had won the set (25-17). The opposition just couldn't hit the floor, thanks to some excellent team defensive work, especially from Ellie White.

Cleobury had the opposition in disarray and it looked as if they would run out comfortable winners, but how quickly things can change. They seemed a little too relaxed at the beginning of the fourth set and, as Tameside edged themselves in front, you could see them visibly regain their confidence. They led 14-7 and 21-14 before Cleobury put in one of their noted comebacks. They gradually pulled it back, point after point, and got the momentum back and looked as if they were about to sneak the set and the match. But Tameside managed to scramble a couple of lucky points to enable them to take the match into a deciding fifth set.

Now a fifth set is all about nerve and it looked like the local side had it sorted as they edged 8-5 ahead at the turn around. But, for some unknown reason they froze, they lost their focus and gave up nine unanswered points. This left them starring at six match points, and despite saving one, it was to be an impossible task as Tameside took the set (15-9 ) and the match by 3 sets to 2.

The team was 'gutted' at the fact that not only had they lost, but more that, they handed victory to Tameside on a plate.

However, they took comfort in the fact that they can all see a massive improvement on last season, and as coach Carl Brookes said, "if we play like that all season we will win more matches than we lose."

So, despite a disappointing defeat, they now know at what level of play they can compete. It is now up to them all, to maintain it.