The Northern Ireland Senior Men’s Volleyball Team returned home with bronze medals following an impressive campaign at the Small Countries Association (SCA) Championships, hosted this year in San Marino from June 12th to 15th. The tournament brought together national teams from Europe’s smaller volleyball nations in a competitive and high-standard environment.
The squad, led by Head Coach Callum Grieve and Captain Peter Stewart, demonstrated resilience, tactical discipline, and significant progress throughout the weekend, with standout performances that signal a promising future for the men’s national programme.
Opening Challenge Against Scotland
Northern Ireland opened their campaign with a tough test against familiar rivals Scotland. Despite going down in straight sets (19-25, 22-25, 22-25), the match was anything but one-sided. The NI team pushed their opponents throughout, showing structure in transition and posing threats at the service line and through the middle attack.
Coach Grieve reflected:
“We started the tournament with energy and ambition, and while the scoreboard didn’t go our way, we were in every set. This game helped us sharpen our focus and adapt to the challenges ahead.”
Statement Win Over Ireland
The highlight of the tournament came in the second match as Northern Ireland faced off against Ireland in an all-island clash. In a high-intensity encounter, Northern Ireland emerged with a dominant 3-0 victory (26-24, 26-24, 25-22). The team showed composure under pressure, capitalising on key moments with aggressive serving and composed attacking.
Captain Peter Stewart praised the team’s character:
“That win meant a lot. We stayed focused, trusted each other, and showed the kind of fight that defines this group. Everyone left it all on the court.”
Battling the Hosts and Champions
In their final fixture, Northern Ireland faced San Marino, the eventual tournament winners. Despite the challenge of facing a polished and home-supported side, NI held their ground and fought for every point. Though the match ended in a 0-3 loss against an experienced San Marino team, it shows the young NI Team the standard required for future tournaments.
Securing the Bronze
With one win and two hard-fought defeats, Northern Ireland finished in third place, claiming the bronze medal. The achievement marks a significant milestone for the Senior Men’s programme, highlighting the potential within the current squad and the effectiveness of the new performance systems in place.
Head Coach Callum Grieve added:
“This bronze represents more than just a result. It’s the product of months of preparation, team growth, and a belief in what we’re building. These players gave everything – and we’re only getting started. I am pleased with how we performed, especially after losing our Captain, Peter, and backup setter, Myles, in the first game. Of course, we need to go away and reflect on our own game, but I feel the lessons learned this week will only benefit this group moving forward into next year’s SCA Tournament at home.”
Captain Peter Stewart reflected:
“Before the competition, we knew it was going to be a tough one, especially after beating Scotland last year to take a silver medal, and then Ireland beating us in the 5 Nations tournament over Christmas.
Scotland is always a tough opening match, and this time they out-fought us in the attacking battle.
We quickly identified areas where we could improve, and I felt we delivered on those in our Day 2 game against Ireland.
Day 3 against San Marino was somewhat frustrating, as we knew we had more to give and didn’t quite hit our potential.
Overall, it was great to see some first caps in the squad, and despite two unfortunate injuries, myself included, I thought we showed just how much depth we have. It’s been a real pleasure watching the younger guys grow over the last 10 or so years and showing what they’re truly capable of.
It’s always an honour to bring home medals at an SCA competition, though the competitive side of me is always looking for ways we can do better.
A huge thank you again to San Marino and their federation for hosting a great event.”
Looking Ahead
The performance in San Marino is a testament to the positive momentum within Northern Ireland Volleyball. With a young, committed squad and a growing performance infrastructure, the Senior Men’s team has set a new benchmark – one that future squads will aim to build upon as the programme evolves. Up next is the Senior Women’s Team as they head to Dublin to play in the SCA Women’s Championship.
For more updates on national team programmes and upcoming competitions, follow @officialnivolleyball on social media and visit www.nivolleyball.com.