26 Apr 2024
Men’s NVL play-offs preview: old hands Staffs and new kids on the block Giants vie for Super League place
For both Newcastle Staffs and London Giants, tomorrow’s NVL Super League play-off game at Ashcombe Volleyball Centre (scheduled start 2.30pm) is simply huge.
Castle have been around as a club for a long time. Formed in 1980, they have been a prolific producer of talented Junior players that have helped them win a plethora of national titles at several age groups over many years.
Although less successful at Senior level, Staffs have nevertheless been regular competitors at the top end of the volleyball pyramid, and a number of their players have gone on to play internationally and professionally overseas, with Zakk Hadgett (ASV) one of the latest successful exports.
The focus has not just been on indoor volleyball either, and confirmation that the club was chosen as one of Volleyball England’s new Beach Volleyball Development Centres (BVDC) means they will, no doubt, now push on in attracting new people to that version of the sport too.
Overall, it has been a good season for the club at national level. The men’s second team have earned promotion from Division 3 North West, while the women’s side are in the Division 3 North play-off, against Hull Thunder, which starts at the same time as the men’s play-off fixture.
The U18 Boys’ side also had a very successful run in the Junior Volleyball Grand Prix Series, reaching the final before losing to Richmond last weekend.
But retaining Super League status – having already beaten Leeds Gorse in their final game of the regular season to climb off the bottom and set up this escape route – would arguably usurp those achievements and, with it, bring a satisfying conclusion to what has been an up and down season for the senior men.
Setter Cameron Rhodes (pictured top) knows exactly what the game means to Staffs, having played for the club since the age of 11, aside from a stint turning out for the University of Essex while away studying.
He is hopeful the club can do the business and then use the opportunity to rebuild a side that has been hard-hit by injuries and unavailability for much of the campaign, including his own medium-term absence.
“It’s an absolutely massive game for us,” he said. “We have a proud and rich history in Senior and Junior volleyball and we’ve been relegated before and got back into the top league, but this time we don’t want to let that happen.
“For quite a number of us who are now in our mid to late 20s, we have grown up playing together and we want to stay in the top division playing against the best.
“A few of us are also involved in the England set-up and we want to continue for that to be the case and the best way for us to be doing that is by playing in the top league every week.
“It’s tough for us compared to some of the other teams. We don’t have the same pull as the university teams and London sides, so it’s been a bit of a struggle at times, but hopefully it (the season) can still have a positive outcome for us.
“We did the job against Leeds under pressure where there was no margin for error – we needed to get the win in four sets or less and we did it. It was good to finish the season with a win rather than having come into this match on a losing streak.”
Cameron has recently made a gradual return to action after suffering Anterior Talo-Fibular Ligament (ATFL) damage and bone bruising in January, shortly following England’s successful Novotel Cup campaign.
The training injury has left him a frustrated spectator for most of the second half of the season, though he hopes to play a full part – if called upon – against the Giants.
He added: “It was my first scrimmage back after having a week off on my return from Luxembourg. I went up for a block and I went over on my ankle and was in a lot of pain.
“I had a boot on it from the hospital and I was trying to reduce the swelling for the first couple of weeks and then eventually I’ve been able to build things back up.
“It came at a point when we were just looking to kick on in the season, so it has been hard not playing, especially as I had previously gone a long time without missing games, probably not since I hurt my thumb and then ankle at uni.
“I played most of the game against the University of Nottingham (the team’s penultimate regular season game) and it went OK and I’m now at a point where even though my jumping is not quite back to where I want it to be, I’m ready to go, if picked.
“We would be foolish not to pay any attention to London because they are a good side and that’s why they have finished where they have in the Division 1 table.
“Games are often won on the service line and in service reception, so if we can get those areas of our game right, then it is going to put us in a good position.”
In contrast to their opponents, the Giants are a much younger club, but what they lack in age, they more than make up for in ambition and drive to become the best.
Formed as recently as 2016, the club only entered the NVL for the first time in 2019-20 season, but their progress has been impressive and swift.
In addition to their men’s side being on the cusp of claiming a place in the Super League, their women’s side have already claimed this season's Division 2 South title in emphatic fashion, winning all 14 matches to finish 13 points clear of their nearest challengers.
Off the field, the club have made great strides too, attracting sponsorship and creating waves with their marketing and social media where they have a significant presence, including almost 12,000 followers on TikTok.
It has helped them develop a growing army of fans who offer passionate support during their home games at the Cauis House Youth Centre, just south of the River Thames.
“The team is pretty happy with what we have accomplished in finishing second in our first season at this level of the NVL and the amount of growth we have seen from the younger players is amazing,” said Italian captain Vincenzo Agrillo (pictured above).
“The make-up of the squad is that there are a talented group of young players and some more experienced heads who are trying to bring those younger players through – and it has worked pretty well.
“It’s as much about teaching the younger players how to approach the game as teaching them skills, which they already have. It's about how you cope when things get difficulties and there are challenges.
“We have been competing in the London Premier League (which the club won) alongside the NVL, and that has been really helpful in keeping us ready, but we have all known that the main goal has been the NVL and trying to get into the Super League.”
Vincenzo joined the Giants in January, having previously played for Spikers Powerball in the London Premier League and was instantly impressed by the togetherness and determination to excel by all at the club.
When he first moved to the UK, he had no intention of playing volleyball, having not played for around eight years after being involved from a young age.
But a chance knockabout on Clapham Common Park reinvigorated his love of the game and he has returned with a new sense of enthusiasm.
Vincenzio said: “When I had a go on the park, I realised that even after quite a few years I still had the skills to play and I enjoyed it, and so I went along to a training session and picked it up from there.
“I think the club here deserves success because of how much people behind the scenes are giving to the club to help it improve. Hopefully we can take another step forward this weekend.”
Vincenzo is hoping he can help his side stay focused on the task in hand against Newcastle Staffs who he knows will pose a “challenge”.
“We are fired up after the London Premier win, and we know we will have to be mentally ready, as well as physically for what we are going to come up against,” he said.
“We just need to keep the game linear and do what we know, play to our strengths. If we can stay on top of our emotions and show our skills, then that will give us the best chance.”
The other men’s play-off games all take place on Sunday courtesy of a round-robin between the three runners-up in their respective Division 2 areas, Lincoln Cannons (North), Hounslow (Central) and Exeter Storm (South).
With two more places available in Division 1 next season following the withdrawal of Weymouth Beach and the expansion to 10 teams, the two sides with the best records will earn promotion.
Lincoln were only just edged out of automatic promotion in the final round of matches by Hull Thunder, who won a five-set thriller to take top spot by two points.
Other than that, the Cannons lost only two other games during their league campaign to finish with an 11-3 record and just ahead of Sheffield and Darkstar Derbyshire.
Hounslow looked well placed to claim the Central title until a late London Baks surge denied them by just one point.
They finished with a 10-4 record, which was enough to keep Norwich Spikers and Newmarket at bay in the race for second.
Exeter were perhaps the most unlucky of the Division 2 sides, registering 12 wins from 14 games but still missing out.
Their only two defeats came to champions Bristol, with whom they also have a close rivalry regionally, and in most years their record would have been good enough to go straight up.
It will be interesting to see who comes out on top when the three teams face off on Sunday, with only one team set to go home disappointed.
Women’s play-offs preview
Missed the preview for Saturday's women's play-off matches? View it by clicking here.
NVL play-offs streaming
Don't forget the NVL play-offs will be streamed live from the Ashcombe Volleyball Centre, with four matches on Saturday and three on Sunday.
Click here to access via the Volleyball England YouTube Channel.
Find out more and follow the action
View fixtures, results and tables for the NVL by clicking here and follow across social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
