28 Apr 2024
NVL Play-offs round-up
They were two of six winners over the weekend who contested some excellent and entertaining matches at the Ashcombe Volleyball Centre in Dorking.
The Lionhearts completed their great escape after winning two crunch MAAREE Women’s Super League games at the back end of their regular season by beating Division 1 Stockport in straight sets.
They took charge from the outset, winning the first set 25-7 and rounded out victory in confident fashion, taking the next two sets 25-14, 25-15.
Division 1 Giants also won 3-0, but were pushed harder by Super League Newcastle Staffs, with just two points separating the sides in two of the three sets.
The first set proved to be key and was a mammoth one, London eventually coming through to win it 30-28.
They followed up by clinching the second in a far more convincing manner, 25-15, before to the delight of their travelling supporters, edged the third 25-23 to start the celebrations.
Elsewhere on Saturday’s day one, there was delight for women’s teams Cambridge (Division 3 South East) and Newcastle Staffs (Division 3 Central), who both secured promotion to Division 2.
Cambridge were first on court against Urbond Portsmouth (Division 3 South West) and it turned out to be a titanic battle going to five sets.
But was the Eastern Counties who eventually emerged the victors, though, with their attacking strength just getting the better of Urbond’s obdurate defence (22-25, 25-12, 25-12, 21-25, 15-10.
The last match of the day to finish was another that went the distance with Staffs coming out on top against Hull Thunder (Division 3 North).
Both sides had their moments in the ascendency before Castle came through 25-21, 16-25, 24-26, 25-22, 17-15).
As the action moved to the second day, three men’s teams who finished second in their respective Division 2 regions were contesting two available slots in Division 1 in a round-robin triangular.
Exeter Storm were the first to claim their place after victory in both their matches against Hounslow first up and then Lincoln Cannons.
They beat the Londoners 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-19) and then followed up straight away with a slightly more hard-fought success over Lincoln by a 3-1 margin (25-20, 25-19, 18-25, 25-23) making their trip from the West Country well worthwhile.
That meant a winner takes all showdown between the Cannons and Hounslow, where the East Midlanders flew out of the blocks early to take a commanding lead and held on despite a fightback to edge the first set 25-23.
The Division 2 North side won the second 25-21
