Volleyball: Edinburgh Uni will ‘play itself’ in Cup

NON-league Edinburgh University could effectively knock themselves out of the men’s Scottish Volleyball Cup at Liberton High tomorrow.

The Scottish student champions face holders City of Edinburgh in the quarter-finals but no fewer than five of their players and coach Graeme Spowart will be turning out for City.

Jamie McHardy, Ross Kirkwood, Ben Hunter, Paulo Puggioni and Jason Ebbin all play for the Schelde Sports Scottish league leaders but can play for Edinburgh University in student competitions.

Spowart, who coached the team to the Scottish Students’ Cup last weekend and earlier this month guided them into the British Universities’ Cup final, will play against the university team. “It is a bizarre situation,” the City of Edinburgh setter said. “But in some ways it’s win-win for the players. The university have brought in another coach for the cup match, Emma 
Girot, and second-team players and alumni will come into the squad.”

Second-team captain Lewis Livingstone is one of the players who will step up to the first-team, knowing the re-cast team face a near-impossible task.

Edinburgh Jets travel to Glasgow Mets II and will be confident of reaching the last four.

In the women’s cup quarter-finals, holders City of Edinburgh host St Andrews University, Edinburgh Jets travel to second division Glasgow International, Edinburgh Jets II host first division North Lanarkshire and NUVOC travel to Troon Team Ayrshire.