Super League round 16 review: Lionhearts give themselves a lifeline

Battling London Lionhearts beat Darkstar Derbyshire to clinch only their second victory of the season and set up a crucial relegation showdown between themselves and second-bottom Coventry and Warwick Riga.

The capital club went into the weekend knowing anything less than a win would have all-but condemned them to Division 1 volleyball next season. 

However, their maximum points, straight sets success over the East Midlanders means they are now only two points behind Riga. 

Lionhearts host Coventry this coming Saturday and, if they can repeat the trick, they would leapfrog the West Midlands club and go into ninth, where they would face a play-off game against the second-placed side in Division 1 in a shoot-out for top-flight status. 

While that meeting will be Riga’s last game, London still have another game to follow, but, given it is against a side chasing a top-of-the-table finish in Durham Palatinates, this weekend is likely to be their best shot of pulling themselves off the bottom. 

Against Darkstar, the match was closely contested throughout, with just two points dividing the teams in extended first and third sets. 

Crucially, those key points went Lionhearts’ way and, prompted by a MVP performance from Elena Visliean (nine kills, three blocks, five digs), they were able to close out the match. 

MVP for the visitors was Viktoriya Glazewska (one ace, one kill, one block, 22 assists from 69 attempts).

Riga were also in action and were left ruing what might have been as they took a single point from their match following a narrow 3-2 defeat at the University of Nottingham. 

The visitors forged in front, taking the opening set 25-21, but UON powered back to clinch the next two, 25-20, 25-16. 

Coventry rallied well and must have fancied their chances after levelling at 2-2 by winning a tight fourth set 25-23. 

However, it was not to be for the team in orange as Nottingham moved well clear in the deciding tie break, emerging 15-8 winners. 

MVP for the Green and Golds was Mar Vives (26 successful service return attempts from 26, 20 digs), while Amelia Turner (12 kills, 14 out of 15 successful returns of serve, seven digs) took the honour for Coventry. 

Nottingham’s victory ensures they are guaranteed to finish in fifth place in the table with one game left to play. 

The other two women’s matches produce no surprises as the top two teams continue to fight it out to finish top of the regular season table. 

Current leaders Team Sideout Polonia had few problems negotiating their trip to Cambridge ARU as they ran out 3-0 victors (25-10, 25-18, 25-14). 

The game-time was shared around for Sideout as they took the opportunity to get all their squad on the court, with no player featuring in all three sets and only two in two of them. 

Yulia Tokarenko (two kills, one block) was chosen as MVP for Polonia and Krystalynn Leomiti (13 assists from 57 attempts, seven digs) picked up the vote for ARU. 

Durham stay second but have a game in hand on their close rivals after they cruised to a 25-11, 25-8, 25-12 win over Leeds Gorse. 

Taylor Litteken (seven kills, two solo blocks, four assists from four attempts, four digs) was selected as MVP for the Palatinates and Eva Borrowdale (four kills, six assists from 41 attempts, seven digs) got the nod for the West Yorkshire club. 

In the Men’s Super League, the University of Nottingham leapfrogged Stockport to move up to sixth in the table after winning 3-1 at Brinnington Park. 

The hosts won the first set 25-17, but UON came out on top in two ultra-tight sets that followed (26-24, 27-25) to set up a more comfortable 25-21 fourth set win to close out the match. 

Slater Bird helped his side to a sixth victory of the season with an MVP performance, while Haydn Lawson was again selected for the hosts. 

Elsewhere, Durham Palatinates strengthened their grip on second spot with an assured 3-0 win over struggling Leeds Gorse. 

Ace Backer was MVP in their 25-17, 25-16, 25-18 success, with Dan Thompson chosen for the visitors. 

However, the North East side are still behind IBB Polonia (pictured above), who are now guaranteed top spot and number one seeding after their comfortable triumph over bottom club Newcastle Staffs at the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre. 

Diego Tamburini was named as MVP for the Londoners in their 25-17, 25-15, 25-20 success, while Sam Stevenson picked up the honour for the hosts.  

To view all the weekend's Super League fixtures in full, as well as the latest stats, click here. 

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