YORK Ladies finished their year on a high by winning their final three games in the Yorkshire Premier Volleyball League.

They pulled off a magnificent triple by whitewashing Leeds Metropolitan University, Menwith Hill and Leeds 3-0.

Pocklington Ladies have also maintained their good form and are on course to claim their first title.

They have won six of their seven games, the latest being a 3-2 victory at Leconfield, last season's champions.

Pock, bolstered by a recent win over Bradford, took the first set 25-20 against the experienced Leconfield line-up.

Leconfield hit back to level at 25-22 and got their noses in front to take the third set 26-24. Pock coach Steve Williams made some changes at this stage and it paid dividends as Pocklington drew level at 25-17.

When Leconfield led 7-2 in the deciding set it looked as though Pocklington were going to be beaten but skipper Victoria Eaton served up four aces and with Claire Trodden producing a couple of spikes, the tension mounted as Pock edged in front and eventually won 15-13.

York men's team lost their unbeaten West Yorkshire League record when they went down 3-1 to Leeds-based HASSRA.

Despite some great blocking by Dave Fielding and Wayne Palmer, York couldn't counter powerful National League hitter Dave Whitehead.

However, York pushed HASSRA all the way and only lost the first set 26-24. The York team took heart and with Tim Godson and Steve Williams finding gaps in the defence took the second set before eventually going down 3-1.

York's West Yorkshire league side then took on their own club-mates, the newly-promoted NFR team.

Pin-point setting by Derek Cattle saw the senior WYL side take a 2-0 lead.

In the third set NFR hit back with setter Tim Mineard finding his hitters, Simon Sharpe and Michael Carr.

At 24-16 the York NFR team were poised to take the set but opposition skipper Graham Cartwright came to the service line and took his side to a 3-0 victory.

York's Men's Premier team maintained their good form by beating Bradford University 3-1 and Leconfield by the same score.

A bonus for York in the Leconfield game was the return of Albert Severin after injury and he played a key role in the victory.

Updated: 11:00 Saturday, December 22, 2001