In the third round of the National Volleyball Cup on Saturday morning, Kernow played against London Lynx, a team that plies their trade in the highest level league in the country.

The quality of the London team was evident from the off; in the first set they raced into an 8-2 league, playing with a devastating mix of control and power. By the time the Kernow players raised the tempo of their own game and got into any kind of rhythm, it was far too late to salvage anything from the first set which Lynx duly took 25-15.

In preparation for set 2, Kernow made some slight changes in personnel, and came out determined to make an impression on the Lynx defence. A run of tough serving from James Moseley brought about a 4-1 lead for the Cornish team in the early stages of the set. Unfortunately, however, Kernow were not able to build on the momentum as London countered with heavy attacks from both wings, and a huge block shutting down the options for the Kernow hitters. Points were traded as the latter stages of the set approached, and the attacking forces of both teams found a rhythm; Moseley and Mularczyk both scoring some big kills for Kernow. It all unravelled at 18-19. T. Wilson of London had a run of 5 consecutive serves taking the score to 24-19, and Lynx converted at the first opportunity to take a two set lead.

The third and final set of the day began at frenetic tempo. Kernow did not want to come away from the game with nothing to show for their efforts. The quality of the game was high, with points being scored from all positions and few errors from either team. A possible lack of experience was the difference as, once again, Kernow fell away at the tail end of the set. From 16-16, some minor errors crept into the Kernow service reception; London Lynx pounced on the weakness, and closed out the final set 25-21.

Overall, despite the 3-0 loss, Kernow gave a good account, and proved that they can easily compete at a higher level. Saturday's opponents play a full three divisions higher, but didn't have everything their own way against the Cornish team. Hopefully, Kernow can learn from the experiences in this cup run and press on in their bid for promotion in their first season in the National League.

Kernow Squad: James Moseley, Luke Richardson, Marco Mark, Truan Harris, Will Sandall, Michael Jenkin, Michal Mularczyk, Ross Bowler, James Polkinghorne, Jonathan Holburn.