Worthing Vipers are giant-killers – but run comes to gallant end at Cambridge

The minnows put up an amazing fight but couldn’t make it past the National League division two team, whose big-hitting internationals dominated.

But Worthing, who took dozens of supporters with them, can be proud of their march into the upper echelons of the national competition.

They’d notched a quarter-final victory over top London team KS Osemka in front of more than 150 noisy supporters at Durrington High School the Vipers, showing enormous character to win 3-1.

The talented Vipers, from Worthing Volleyball Club, had earlier beaten another National League side, high-flying Cardiff.

WVC Head Coach Mark Byerley, said: “It’s been a tremendous achievement for a local team in a prestigious national cup competition.

" We’ve had some incredible matches but we knew we’d have to play at our top level to beat Cambridge and they’d have to be slightly off their game, but it didn’t quite happen.”

Club chairman Mickey Earle, said: “The march to the semi final has been particularly sweet as the team features several teenagers who only took up the sport a few years ago, and have developed through the club’s flourishing academy system.”

WVC was established in 1993 and is run by keen volunteers. Follow @worthingvolleyballclub on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.