TENDRING Volleyball Club’s women’s team underlined their championship credentials by beating two of their main title rivals.

The Frinton-based team roared to a straight-sets victory at Bristol on Saturday, winning 25-17, 25-20, 25-17.

It was an eye-catching success, against the only other undefeated side in National League division one and one of the main contenders for automatic promotion up to the Super 8s.

Tendring then followed it up with another victory on Sunday, again in straight sets, as they defeated visitors Birmingham 25-18, 25-14, 25-13.

Setter Rebecca Saunders said: “They were two unbelievable results from what was undoubtedly our toughest weekend of the season so far.

“We produced two consistent performances, not dropping a set in either game.

“These results show the strength within the team and our ongoing potential for Super 8s status.”

First up was Saturday’s hotly-anticipated match at Bristol.

The contest certainly had a top-of-the-table feel early on, as both teams performed well in service receive.

However, after the opening exchanges, Tendring were always in control, thanks to solid serving and excellent sideout volleyball which gave them a straight sets 3-0 win.

The result would have certainly caught the attention of Birmingham, who travelled to Frinton to play them on Sunday.

Birmingham had only lost one game so far this season and that was to Bristol.

The visitors must have known a tough game was ahead.

However, Birmingham took the advantage early in the first set and tough service pressure meant they took the early lead, leaving the hosts with some work to do.

Linda Ziverte, the club’s most valued player in both games over the weekend, went back to the service line and really put Birmingham under pressure, helping Tendring take the first set 25-18.

The Frinton side never looked back from that point.

They built pressure, forcing a number of handling errors by Birmingham’s setter, giving them comfortable leads in both sets and allowing them to win them 25-14 and 25-13.

Tendring’s women – fourth in the table with six wins out of six and games in hand on all the sides above them – have now finished their National League fixtures for this year, with their next match being away to Oxford Students on Sunday, January 4.

The club’s men, meanwhile, also had a winning weekend in the National League.

They beat Newcastle Staffs 3-0 on Saturday (32-30, 25-22, 25-22) and then piped London Lynx 3-2 on Sunday (25-19, 25-22, 17-25, 25-27, 15-8).

The team, also fourth in the table, have two more division one matches this weekend, at Coventry and Warwick Riga on Saturday and away to Leeds on Sunday.