19 Mar 2024
NVL review (16th and 17th March): Crocs win crunch game as Aces' play-off hopes suffer blow
The match at Avanti School was of vital importance for both sides given their precarious positions at the wrong end of the table.
But the Inter Crocs’ 25-21, 25-12, 21-20 victory puts them four points clear of the bottom three – and a full six points ahead of Bristol – with the league season entering its closing stages.
With two games left, the West Country club will now have to win both matches and results go their way if they are to earn a reprieve.
Cup Finalists Leicester Athena cemented their mid-table status with a hard-fought success at bottom club MK City, emerging as 25-23, 26-24, 25-18 victors.
Runaway leaders Sunderland’s procession towards the Division 2 title continued as they earned victory at nearest challengers Sheffield with a degree of comfort.
The North East club clinched a 25-19, 25-23, 25-21 triumph to make it 10 wins from 10, meaning finishing in top spot now seems a formality.
Sheffield did at least bounce back on Sunday to take a firm grip on second spot by beating Yorkshire neighbours Leeds Gorse 2 25-18, 25-6, 25-14.
Tamworth Spartans moved up to third spot in the table, albeit having played more games than some of their rivals, with a 3-1 success over Manchester Marvels Mystics (25-22, 19-35, 25-11, 25-21).
Herts and Essex Trinity kept pace with each other at the top of Division 2 Central ahead of what looks set to be a title-deciding final game of the season for both sides when they meet at St John Payne School in early April.
Trinity, who are two points behind but have a game in hand, were 3-0 victors on Saturday over Norwich Spikers (25-10, 25-20, 25-11) to ramp up the pressure.
But Herts responded in assured fashion with their own straight sets win over the East Anglia side (25-16, 25-19, 25-23).
A five-set thriller at the Chesterton Sports Centre saw struggling Rhinos Cambridge clip the wings of Oxford Eagles as they fought off a comeback to come through 25-16, 25-21, 21-25, 23-25, 15-12.
It was a good weekend for Loughborough Students who gave their survival hopes a major boost by overcoming Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 on the road in three very close sets (26-24, 25-22, 25-23.
London Giants are confirmed champions of Division 2 South after their victory at Sussex Dolphins, combined with Team South Wales' surprise defeat at Ashcombe and Dorking.
The Giants were metronomically efficient in clocking up a 25-19, 25-8, 25-20 victory over Sussex to make it 12 wins from 12.
The Welsh women, meanwhile, were beaten in straight sets in Surrey, handing the hosts a first win of the campaign by a 25-17, 25-18, 25-21 margin.
Bedminster won their West Country derby with Bristol to move up to fourth place, coming out on top 25-14, 25-21, 25-16.
York Falcons used their triangular fixture against Manchester Liberators and Manchester Marvels Magic (pictured above) to boost their chances of finishing second in Division 3 North.
By winning both matches in straight sets, they are now only three points behind the Liberators with two games in hand.
The Liberators did at least beat fellow Mancunians, the Magics, in what were their final two matches of the season.
Newcastle Staffs have ensured unbeaten league leaders Black Country will at least have to work for the Division 3 Central title.
They beat third-place Darkstar Derbyshire 2 25-18, 25-13, 26-24 and also Nottingham Rockets 25-16, 25-17, 25-19 in a triangular match that extends the race for another week.
In the other match, Darkstar won the battle of the East Midlands clubs, clinching the match 25-16, 25-21, 25-20.
On an extremely busy Sunday in Division 2 South East, Onyx put themselves on the brink of sealing the Championship after defeating Spelthorne Sharks (25-10, 25-14, 25-12) and Essex Etonians (25-14, 25-10, 25-15) in straight sets in their latest triangular.
This, combined with Cambridge’s 3-2 defeat at Reading Aces, where the hosts twice came back from a set down only to lose out in the fifth (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 24-26, 15-9), means they are six points clear with two games left to play and need only a solitary point to guarantee top ranking.
Reading also beat Dartford Warriors after bouncing back from losing the first set to win 22-25, 25-15, 25-10, 25-13 and are now favourites to finish third.
Behind them in fourth are Tendring, who took their record to 7-7 after triangular victories over Sussex Dolphins 2 (25-17, 25-18, 25-19) and Richmond 3 (25-21, 25-20, 25-18).
In the men’s competition, London Aces suffered a severe blow in their bid to qualify for the Division 1 play-off spot after suffering a straight sets defeat at Cambridge ARU (25-23, 25-23, 26-24).
With games running out, the capital side are now relying on slip-ups from London Giants, in second, and Black Country, in third, to stand any chance.
The other two matches played saw West Midlands sides secure victories in consecutive days against bottom-of-the-table Manchester Marvels.
First Coventry and Warwick Riga (pictured below) claimed a 3-1 win on Saturday (25-19, 25-13, 22-25, 25-22) before Tamworth Spartans (pictured top) were victors by the same overall scoreline (23-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-19).
The four-way fight for promotion from Division 2 North took another twist as Hull Thunder needed the full five sets to edge out fellow challengers Darkstar Derbyshire in a five-set thriller.
The Humberside club are now a point clear at the top after prevailing 19-25, 25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 15-12, while the visitors’ fifth defeat of the season has seen their hopes fade.
Hot on Hull’s heels are Lincoln Cannons, who lost one tight set and won another on their way to a 25-17, 23-25, 25-15, 26-24 success over Harrogate.
Loughborough Students took full advantage of the North Yorkshire side’s setback to go three points clear of them and ease lingering relegation worries with a 3-0 win at bottom club Everton Dugongs (25-21, 26-24, 28-26).
Division 2 Central is set for an exciting climax after London Baks notched an important 3-1 victory that was not without difficulty at MK City (25-21, 29-27, 13-25, 26-28).
It leaves the Londoners, who have a game in hand, within striking distance of top spot as leaders Hounslow meet fourth-placed Newmarket in their respective final games of the season.
Elsewhere, Norwich Spikers climbed to third with their ninth success of the league season, the straight sets win against Wombourne getting progressively easier as the match went on (25-21, 25-16, 25-11).
Although Dartford Crossers cannot escape the bottom three, they at least registered a morale-boosting victory over Cambridge, fighting back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 (19-25, 24-26, 28-26, 25-22, 15-12).
Bristol’s 13th league game of the campaign did not prove to be unlucky as they carried on their 100 per cent record, meaning they now need just one more win to take the Division 2 South title.
The team on the wrong end of the result on this occasion were Wiltshire Mavericks as the West Country side were 25-23, 25-13, 25-27, 25-11 victors.
Second-placed Exeter Storm continued to keep their rivals honest, cantering to a 25-12, 25-12, 25-14 win over City of Bristol.
Wessex also enjoyed a successful weekend as they defeated Guildford International in five sets (22-25, 25-20, 25-20, 17-25, 16-14) to keep alive their survival hopes.
Newcastle Staffs 2 struck what could prove to be a decisive blow in the race to become Division 3 North West champions as they beat both Manchester Marvels Mavericks and, crucially, Wigan Seahawks.
After a 3-1 win over the bottom-of-the-table Mavericks, Staffs then went head to head with Shield Finalists Wigan, who were well placed to challenge for top spot should they have won the meeting of the in-form sides.
However, it was Castle who edged a terrific contest by a 3-2 margin, coming back from two sets down before clinching the tie breaker fifth (25-19, 5-25, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) to go top.
Wigan did defeat Manchester 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-22) to remain three points off the summit, but they now have to rely on Staffs, who have a game in hand, dropping points.
The same can be said of second-placed Chester who are level on points with the leaders, having played one game more.
They won both matches in their Saturday triangular, seeing off strugglers Liverpool U18 3-1 and Manchester Marvels Marauders 3-1.
Liverpool won the third match 3-1 to leapfrog their opponents and move up to seventh place.
Leeds Gorse 2 kept alive their hopes of catching leaders Kings of Court Boston in Division 3 North Central after coming out on top in their triangular against Nottingham Rockets and Coventry and Warwick Riga 2.
Two straight sets successes mean they are now six points behind with two games in hand – and the two teams are still to meet before the season is out.
Rockets rounded off their campaign by beating Riga 2 3-2 in the other match to be assured of a mid-table finish.
Four matches were contested in Division 2 South East, with Northampton edging out GNG Bedford 3-2 to stay in second, two points behind leaders Rhinos Cambridge, but having played two more games.
The other fixtures were played in a triangular and it saw Invicta boost their standing with consecutive victories over London Wildcats (3-0) and Essex Etonians (3-1).
The battle of the bottom two saw the Wildcats beat Essex, who are just above them, by a 3-2 margin that saw them prevail 15-12 in the tie breaker.
Worthing were double winners to strengthen their grip on second spot in Division 3 South West, dispatching Weymouth Waves 3-1 and Urbond Portsmouth 3-0, with the latter winning the third match in the triangular in straight sets.
Coventry and Warwick Riga pic by Aimee Hollingsworth
For the full results from across all the NVL, click here.
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