London's Janine Sandell plays volleyball for Team GB

GB women fall to defeat against Dominican Republic.

Team GB volleyball women’s team failed to live with the stronger and more experienced Dominican Republic.

They got off to a poor start in the opening set and could only muster up five points by the time their opponents had reached 20.

Team GB ended the set with a slight confidence boost, as they rallied briefly, though a service error from Ciara Michel once more gifted the Dominican Republic the opening set 25-9.

The second set started positively and they kept themselves in the tie as they headed into the second technical time-out 16-10 behind.

But it was another dominant spell from the 11th-ranked opposition to open up an seven point lead at 19-12.

Captain Lynne Beattie inspired her team-mates and lifted the morale inside Earls Court as they pulled it back to 19-14.

Try as they may, they were unable to stop the Dominican Republic taking the set by 25 points to 18.

Grace Carter’s spike helped claw GB back early on in the third set after originally finding themselves 4-1 down and a similar effort from Janine Sandell brought the gap back to just three at 10-7.

And it was 10-10 as the women raised their game to give them hope, however, as quick as their recovery game, it soon vanished as they went 19-13 behind.

The Dominican Republic managed to hold their nerve and take the match with a 25-19 victory in the final set.