WALTHAM Forest girls and boys teams have both qualified for the semi-finals of the London Youth Games volleyball competition.

The boys team started badly but managed to overcome their adversity to reach the latter stages while the girls defeated the defending champions.

Vince Broad, the boy's captain, said: "We finally proved what we are capable of as a team. It went down to the wire to see if we'd make it through and I'm ecstatic that we're in the semis."

Jim Howell, the team's manager, said: "For the girls, the key game was against Wandsworth and we did excellently to beat them and qualify.

"The boys started badly but then we started to play and I'm delighted both teams have made it through."

Girls captain, Natalie Harvey, added: "We are very happy to go through, especially as the team has just been formed."

The girls were drawn from a range of schools including Leytonstone School and Thorpe Hall Primary while the boys came from several schools including Highams Park School and Willowfield School.

In the semi-finals Waltham Forest boys will take on local rivals Redbridge while Waltham Forest girls will play Havering at Crystal Palace on July 4.

Meanwhile, Redbridge, who are students at Chadwell Heath Foundation School, qualified after convincingly beating Kensington and Chelsea 25-7.

The team overcame Barnet, Ealing, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston and Tower Hamlets to qualify.

Nathan Dixon, team captain, said: "We've been here before, so we knew it wouldn't be easy. We played well and we're determined to perform well in the semis."