26 Mar 2024
NVL Review 23rd 24th March
With a game in hand over the capital team the Midlanders can still secure second place behind Essex Blaze and are now just two points behind their rivals after prevailing 25-18, 25-20, 25-19.
That was after the Giants did win but dropped a point against local rivals London Aces in a thrilling 3-2 victory.
The match was to and fro, with Giants taking the first set 25-20 but Aces coming back in second and third with 27-25, 25-22 scorelines.
But the Giants fought back and claimed the fourth set 25-17 fourth set and then clinched the decider 18-16.
After last week’s victory over Manchester Marvels, Tamworth Spartans continued their resurgent end to the season with a 3-2 victory over Weymouth.
After dropping the first two sets, the home team turned things around, eventually taking the match 3-2 (20-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-15, 15-10).
Despite the loss, the coastal side will finish the season in sixth place, as they are six points clear of the relegation zone with some teams having one game left to play.
Champions Essex continued their great season with another victory, this time over Manchester Marvels and recorded straight sets success, despite being pushed hard, 29-27, in the second.
Bottom-of-the table Marvels and Weymouth are the first two teams round off their seasons. All the rest of the division have one game left to play, except Black Country, who have two.
The title is still up for grab in Division 2 North, with Hull Thunder and Lincoln Cannons both in with a chance of claiming it.
Both teams won this weekend, with Hull ending Sheffield’s promotion hopes with a 3-1 victory and Cannons keeping the gap to just one point with a 3-0 victory over Everton Dugongs.
Sheffield headed into their game still with the chance of promotion after their first game of the weekend after a 3-1 victory over Loughborough Students.
But, after taking a keenly-contested first set 28-26, the Humbersiders hit back and improved their chances of Division 1 action next season.
The all-important final game of the season will have the top two sides going head to head, with the winner of the match being crowned champions.
MK City claimed a 3-1 victory over bottom side Dartford Crossers in the weekend’s only match in Division 2 Central.
Bristol could afford to lose a five-set thriller to Spelthorne Lions – their first defeat of the season in their last game, but still seal the Division 2 South title.
After battling back from two sets down, to take it to a decider, the West Country side eventually succumbed 16-14 in the fifth.
Exeter Storm, meanwhile, strode to a 25-11, 25-12, 25-14 win over Wessex, but it left them just a point shy of their rivals.
Guildford International finished seventh in the table ahead of bottom side City of Bristol after a 3-0 victory in their meeting.
In Division 3 North West, Urmston Grammar packed in three games as they played fixture catch-up, resulting in two wins and one defeat.
After a Saturday straight sets triumph over Manchester Marvels Mavericks, they also beat Chester 3-0 in a triangular, only to lose to Wigan Seahawks 3-1.
The Seahawks then made it two from two this weekend to secure second in the table.
Top spot belongs to Newcastle Staffs 2, who have claimed the title with two games to spare.
Two triangulars in Division 3 North Central saw Leeds Gorse 2 claim two victories, including, crucially, over Kings of the Court Boston, meaning winning the title is now in their hands.
They are three points behind the Lincolnshire side but have two games left to get the points they need to claim top spot.
With Black Country 2 having three games left and a possible nine points to play for, they could yet clinch second place.
Darkstar Derbyshire 2 claimed their first win of the season over Wombourne in their triangular, breaking their duck and giving them a positive head into their final match of the season against Sheffield.
Division 3 South East saw a Northampton edge to an extremely competitive 3-2 victory over leaders Rhinos Cambridge.
The hosts battled from 1-0 down to go 2-1 up but dropped the fourth set to take it to a final decider, which they edged 15-10.
Despite the setback, Rhinos are title winners of Division 3 South East with two games still to play.
Southampton made 100 per cent sure of the Division Three West title with a 3-0 victory over Reading Aces.
The only other club who could have gone above them, Cardiff Panthers, won both matches in their triangular against Bedminster and Weymouth Waves to move up to third.
In Women’s Division 1 Wessex, moved a step closer to winning the championship by moving a point clear of rivals Stockport with a game in hand.
As the South Coast club were 3-0 victors at near-neighbours Southampton (25-18, 19-25, 25-19, 25-21), Stockport were made to work hard for a 3-2 success over Everton Belugas.
The two rivals meet in the north on Saturday 6th April, but, even if Wessex lose, they could still secure the top spot by winning their last game – albeit a tough one at the Belugas.
Richmond ended their season on a positive note with a 3-2 victory over Leicester Athena, and their overall 13-5 suggests they are definitely one to keep an eye on next season.
Already-relegated MK City finished their campaign with a defeat against mid table London Inter Crocs (25-15, 25-16, 25, 17).
Dartford Chargers beat Bristol in four-sets (25-21, 23-25, 25-21, 25-16), with both sides being relegated to Division 2 next season.
Team Sunderland are now assured of the Division 2 North title continues with a double weekend victory against Tamworth Spartans and Urmston Grammar.
With two matches left and a 100% record, they could finish the season with only one set dropped all season.
Everton Narwals still have to take at least one point to guarantee they will stay in the division next season.
Essex Trinity are top of the Division 2 Central table with 30 points just ahead of Herts on 29 going into the final match of the season.
That is after the former recorded a 3-1 victory over Northampton, meaning the top two meet at the St John Payne School after Easter with the title on the line.
Loughborough Students clinched a tough 3-2 victory over Northampton, which came down to just two points in the final set, which the East Midlanders took 16-14.
Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 battled hard against Oxford Eagles but just missed out 3-2 (25-19, 25-20, 23-25, 22-25, 15-12), which means the hosts are now set to finish fourth.
Richmond 2 rounded off their season on a high after beating the team in second place and immediately above them in the table, Team South Wales, by a 3-2 margin.
Champions London Giants remain unbeaten at the summit with just one game to play after a 3-0 triumph over Bedminster. Like Sunderland, they have only dropped one set ahead of their clash with Sussex Dolphins, who this week beat bottom side Ashcombe and Dorking 3-0.
Manchester Moss Side claimed a double victory in their triangular against Manchester Marvels Magic and Liverpool in Division 3 North, ensuring they will finish fifth.
Ashfield Vipers were unable to use home advantage in their matches against Womboune and Newcastle Staffs in Division 3 North Central, losing out both times 3-0.
Castle are now top of the table on 41 points but have finished their season and Black Country need just one win from two in their final triangular of the season to become champions.
The West Midlands club could already have claimed the title with two games to spare with maximum points wins against Nottingham Rockets and Lincoln Cannons but found the going much tougher than they have done all season, edging to 3-2 successes in both but dropping two points in the process.
Division Three South East champions Onyx finish their season unbeaten having only dropped three sets all season.
One of those was this weekend against runners-up Cambridge in a 3-1 victory, and they also defeated Richmond 3 in straight sets.
Plymouth hosted Portsmouth and City of Bristol in a Division 3 South West triangular which saw the home team battle hard but unable to claim a victory, coming close in a 3-2 defeat to City of Bristol.
Portsmouth finished the weekend with two victories after a 3-0 win over the hosts and a narrow 3-2 victory over Bristol, meaning they still have a chance of the title, albeit an outside one, with two games left to play.
For all the fixtures across the country, click here.
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Cover image - Aimee Hollingsworth
