NVL review (4th and 5th October) - UON immediately up and running in promotion hunt 

Taking on another side relegated from the top flight at the end of last season, Cambridge, the visitors stormed to straight sets victory in Division 1 North in little over an hour. 

Freddie Fairbairn’s side eventually ran out 25-6, 25-11, 25-13 as Rachel Richardson led the way with four aces and 14 kills. 

The Green and Golds will now have the chance to establish themselves as early front runners when they host newly-promoted Northampton next week, who were involved in a five-set thriller in making their bow at this level. 

Welcoming Everton Belugas to Moulton College, the East Midlands side hit back after losing a very tight first set 26-24 to take the second 25-18. 

The third set was crucial and the Liverpudlians edged it 27-25, which paved the way for a more comfortable fourth set in their favour (25-14) to close out the match. 

There were also two matches in Division 1 South, where divisional newcomers Team South Wales took Essex Trinity to five sets before coming out on just the wrong side of the result despite an encouraging display from their point of view. 

The Welsh women were a set to the good and 2-1 down before forcing a tie breaker which saw the experienced Eastern region side prevail (19-25, 25-16, 25-23, 22-25, 15-11). 

The other fixture saw London Inter Crocs get their season off to a flying start with a four-set success at Bristol. 

The West Country side finished 24-25 strongly to clinch the Division 2 West title, but ultimately they had no answer to the capital club, despite fighting hard to take the third set (25-16, 26-24, 18-25, 25-19). 

In Division 2 East, two Home Counties side got their campaigns off to flying starts with victories. 

Dartford Chargers were relatively comfortable in their straight sets success over Norwich Spikers (25-15, 25-13, 25-21), while Herts (25-18, 25-19, 17-25, 25-18) were made to work a little harder for their four-set victory over Worthing. 

Wombourne went unbeaten throughout their Division 3 Central campaign last season but tasted defeat in their first match in Division 2 West, albeit only just, losing a five-set thriller at Oxford Eagles. 

In what was a close match throughout, the visitors led 2-1, but the Eagles took the vital fourth set by just two points and then used that momentum to take the tie break, too, for a 25-23, 20-25, 21-25, 26-24, 15-11 victory.   

Black Country began their season with an away success, crossing the border into Wales to beat Cardiff Falcons 25-17, 25-15, 25-21. 

In Division 2 North, Lincoln Cannons consolidated their promotion with a straight sets win over fellow newcomers Leeds Gorse 2 (25-21, 25-19, 25-20). 

Manchester Marvels Mystics enjoyed the best of a triangular in Division 3 North as they beat both York Falcons and NVL newcomers Everton Seadragons in three, before the Falcons swooped to take the point in the other fixture. 

Also winning both matches in their Division 3 Central triangular were Leicester Athena Nova, but neither game was easy against MK City (3-2) and newcomers Loughborough Students (3-1), the latter who are still finding their feet with the team still fusing at the start of the academic year. 

MK then won the third match 3-0 to kickstart their season. 

The unusual event of all teams winning one of their matches and losing the other happened in the triangular involving Cheltenham and Gloucester, Cambridge Rhinos and Ashfield Vipers, played at Bournside School. 

Farnborough Phoenix stamped their authority of the NVL by winning their opening two Division 3 South West matches in straight sets, with Portsmouth beating Weymouth 3-1 in the other clash of the triangular. 

In Bristol, meanwhile, both hosts Bedminster and Plymouth beat Plymouth Mayflower, while the Devonians won a five setter to enjoy a 100%-win day. 

 There were no matches in Division 3 South East. 

London Aces gave newly-promoted Wessex a baptism of fire in the only Division 1 South match as they secured a straight sets win by a 25-17, 25-19, 25-19 scoreline. 

Beaten in the Division 1 play-offs by Richmond at the end of last season, Black Country had the ideal start to life in Division 1 North with a hard-fought 25-20, 25-22, 25-23 triumph at Sheffield. 

Manchester Marvels also continued their strong form from last season, prevailing in straight sets against fellow divisional newcomers Coventry and Warwick Riga (25-12, 25-23, 25-17). 

Loughborough Students just missed out on promotion from Division 2 Central last season but they began their new campaign in the best way possible by overcoming Cambridge 25-18, 25-21, 25-16. 

Also victorious in their first match were Newmarket, who edged out Northampton in an entertaining five set thriller that swung first one way then the other (25-13, 24-26, 23-25, 25-17, 15-12). 

Men’s Division 2 North saw Lincoln Cannons, relegated from Division 1 last season, make a victorious start to the season with three points against Leeds Gorse 2 (25-21, 25-15, 25-21). 

Another side who went down from that same division, Hull Thunder, were also on form as they beat a Nottingham Rockets side who had come up to this level (25-18, 25-23, 25-22). 

Three matches were contested in Division 2 South, two of them five setters. 

Richmond Bucks were pushed all the way but eventually edged out Dartford Crossers (25-23, 25-23, 27-29, 16-25, 15-12), as did London Baks against Spelthorne Lions (28-26, 20-25, 25-16, 22-25, 20-18). 

Newly-promoted Reading Aces got the better of some tight sets to record a win in four against Wiltshire Mavericks (26-24, 25-22,21-25, 26-24). 

Essex Estonians recovered from their early National Shield exit to record back to back wins in their first Division 3 South East games, beating NVL newcomers London Lionhearts and Rhinos Cambridge 2 3-2 and 3-0 respectively. 

Lionhearts won the third match of the triangular, while elsewhere, Onyx got off to a flying start with a straight sets win over GNG Bedford. 

Weymouth showed they could be a force to be reckoned with in Division 3 South West as they posted dominant scorelines against City of Bristol and Spelthorne Tigers, while the latter won the third triangular match 3-1. 

Bristol 2 collected four points from two hard-earned wins over Urbond Portsmouth and Bedminster as the former won the other game 3-1. 

In Division 3 Central, Birmingham City bounced back from their opening defeat at Telford with double victory over Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 and Darkstar Derbyshire 2 without dropping a set. 

The West Midlanders beat East in the third match by a 3-2 margin. 

In a one-off match, Black Country 2 battled to a four-set win over neighbours Wombourne. 

Manchester Liberators celebrated their election to the NVL in style as they beat both Manchester Marvels Marauders (3-0) and Liverpool (3-1) in Division 3 North, while the Merseysiders won the third match of the triangular 3-1.

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