WEYMOUTH Women’s Volleyball Club have significantly strengthened their playing squad during the past few weeks.

This has been partly due to the demise of National League Super 8 team Swiss Cottage.

International transfer regulations have forced Super 8 teams to register all incoming foreign players and pay a set transfer fee.

This financial expense has forced Swiss Cottage to withdraw from the league due to the fact that all of their players were foreign.

Weymouth only play tournament volleyball albeit at elite level so the transfer fee does not therefore apply. This has made Weymouth an attractive club for elite players to join.

Outside attack Marjan Su has joined the squad directly from Swiss Cottage.

Also coming into the Weymouth set-up is American opposite attack player Tasha Harvey.

Kansas-born Harvey, however, will play National League volleyball and compete for London Malory, who have comparatively few foreigners.

Weymouth also have also secured the services of Italian setter Chris Maddedu who has been installed as club captain.

Maddedu has the skills to play the Libero position, a role she brilliantly controlled for Weymouth at the recent Surrey Cup.

Weymouth will continue to train but their next competitive fixtures are likely to be over the Christmas and New Year period when the NVL Super 8 Clubs are forced to take a playing break.

Many of these clubs continue to train in an attempt to keep continuity in their form.

Talks are on-going to arrange friendly fixtures with three of the Super 8 outfits.

There is also a possibility that Weymouth will play a match against New Forest Ladies who play their volleyball in National League Division Two (England’s third tier).

The international transfer ruling also doesn't apply to the National Knockout Cup, so it is looking increasingly likely that Weymouth will enter next season’s competition.