THIS week’s British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) fixtures saw contrasting results for Aberystwyth University Volleyball Club men’s and women’s teams.

The men, channeling the momentum of last week’s cup victory, took a hard-earned win after another long road trip this time to Gloucester.

The women’s team had an altogether more daunting challenge, taking on table-topping UWE - a team who won the league last year but declined the chance of promotion.

The first set of the men’s game was quite a tight affair, trading the lead until 17-17 after which Aber hit their rhythm and proved too strong.

The second set followed much the same pattern.

The final set proved the most competitive, with Aber 9-15 down at one point but showing great character to get back to 23-23 with a strong run of serves before taking the set and match at the last gasp. Two wins in a row to take into the Christmas break.

In the women’s game at home to UWE, the visitors dominated early on and took the first two sets all too quickly.

Aber gave them more of a challenge in the third and final set, but the gulf in experience and all-round hitting power between the two teams proved too wide.

Despite this, there was much to be optimistic about in Aber’s performance.

They showed great spirit and managed some great digs and saves but were always on the back foot and the difference was UWE’s firepower and knack of finding spaces in the Aber defence.

The BUCS leagues take a break until January, but training and tournaments continue. Aber women’s next match is a friendly, when they will welcome the Plascrug after-school club under 18s.

- Volleyball matches are played to the best of five sets, so match scores can be 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2.

- Each set is played to 25 points, by two clear points. So if the score is 24-24, a team must reach 26-24 to win, and so on.

- If a fifth set is necessary, it is played to 15 points, again by two clear points