NVL review (11th and 12th October) - Marvels, Aces set early Men's Division 1 pace

Men’s NVL 

Although the 2025-26 season is still young, Manchester Marvels could not have hoped for a better opening to their Division 1 North campaign after the first two weekends of matches. 

They made it two 3-0 wins from two after coming up from Division 2 last season, this time defeating Stockport, who were relegated from Super League at the end of last season (25-18, 25-12, 25-20). 

Hot on their heels are a side in Black Country who are used to fighting it out for a place in the Super League. 

The West Midlanders inflicted a second straight defeat on Coventry and Warwick Riga, winning in four (25-18, 22-25, 30-28, 25-17) at the Alan Higgs Centre. 

Tamworth Spartans got their season started with a victory, albeit they were pushed very hard by Sheffield before coming through in five sets (32-20, 22-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-10). 

Fellow West Midlanders Newcastle Staffs also opened up with three points, being fairly comfortable, aside from dropping a close third set (25-18, 25-19, 23-25, 25-18). 

London Aces are the pacesetters in Division 1 South after maintaining their 100% start to make it six points from six with a 3-0 win over Exeter Storm (25-17, 25-19, 25-19). 

There were also successes for two teams relegated from Super League – albeit in contrasting circumstances. 

Essex Blaze were 3-0 victors at newly-promoted Southampton, edging a tight second set to ensure there was to be no South Coast side comeback (25-15, 26-24, 25-22). 

IBB Polonia, meanwhile, found life much tougher against a Bristol team who finished third in Division 1 last season, needing the full five sets to register a hard-fought triumph. 

They took the first set but then trailed 2-1 before coming through by just two points in a tense finale (25-16,19-25, 23-25, 28-26, 20-18) in a match which could not have been tighter in the final three sets. 

Loughborough Students may have narrowly missed out on promotion from Division 2 Central last season, but they have made the ideal start to 2025-26.  

They won the all-Leicestershire battle against Leicester 25-21, 25-21, 14-25, 25-18 to sit pretty at the top of the pile. 

Just a point behind them are Newmarket, who recorded their second success of the season in beating near-neighbours Cambridge (25-17, 20-25, 25-23, 25-16). 

MK City were 3-1 winners over an Oxford Bulls side who had remained unbeaten in clinching promotion last season (25-19, 23-25, 25-19, 25-21), while Norwich Spikers went the distance before reverse sweeping Northampton, winning the deciding tie breaker by just two points (27-29, 28-30, 25-23, 25-20, 15-13) in an epic contest. 

Every team has now played at least once in Division 2 South – and six of the eight of them have registered victory. 

Reading Aces went top of the table with their second win of the season, at Spelthorne Lions on Saturday (25-23, 25-19, 19-25, 25-21), only to be handed their first defeat on Sunday as Kent Invicta, playing their first match at the higher level, came to Kendrick School and conquered in five sets (22-25, 25-23, 25-15, 21-25, 15-12). 

Elsewhere, Dartford Crossers, who had lost their first match, defeated London Baks, who had won theirs (21-25, 25-21, 25-8, 25-19), while Wiltshire Mavericks also bounced back from an opening defeat to see off Cardiff Panthers (25-20, 23-25, 25-16, 25-16). 

Sheffield Springers maintained their strong early-season momentum with a confident straight sets victory over Newcastle Staffs 2 in Division 2 North (26-24, 25-16, 25-20), where clinching a tight first set proved pivotal. 

They are the only team with two wins to their credit so far as Lincoln Cannons lost at home in five to Darkstar Derbyshire, who were getting their season underway (25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 17-25, 15-13). 

Hull Thunder also prevailed first up but on this occasion were edged out by fellow Yorkshiremen Leeds Gorse 2 (25-21, 25-22, 29-27). 

Everton Dugongs were successful in the battle of the promoted sides, overcoming Nottingham Rockets 3-1 despite dropping the first set (22-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-13). 

In Division 3 South East, NVL newcomers Newmarket 2 have joined Onyx London and Essex Estonians in remaining unbeaten in their opening two matches. 

But the Suffolk club have moved top of the table thanks to securing their two triumphs in straight sets against London Wildcats and Worthing in Saturday’s triangular, with the former beating the latter of those opponents in the other match. 

Another team new to the NVL, Team South Wales, were also double winners, proving too strong for Guildford International 3-0 and Southampton 2 3-1 to slot into second in the Division 3 South West table. 

It was Guildford who hit back to claim the third match in the series, taking it 3-1. 

There were no matches in Division 3 Central, but in Division 3 North, Harrogate showed they have suffered no hangover from relegation last season, defeating both Urmston Grammar and Hull Thunder 2 in four sets. 

The Humberside club then went on to edge out the students in five in the other fixture in the triangular. 

Women’s NVL 

London Giants started as they will mean to go on Division 1 South as they saw off London rivals Inter Orcas with a degree of comfort (25-22, 25-16, 25-20). 

The capital club just missed out on promotion last season and will be doubly determined to join their men in the top flight come the end of this campaign. 

But it was a chastening weekend for another team who might hope to be in the title hunt, Essex Trinity, as they lost in five to league newcomers Bedminster, last year’s National Shield finalists (22-25, 25-18, 25-21, 20-25, 15-11). 

The University of Nottingham underlined their impressive start in Division 1 North as they swept aside Northampton in dominant fashion (25-6, 25-11, 25-17). 

The Green and Golds’ first game victims, Cambridge, bounced back with a 3-1 success at Loughborough Students (25-14, 23-25, 29-27, 25-17) at Parkin Sports Centre. 

There was just one match in Division 2 East, but it was enough for Dartford Chargers to make it two from two and go top of the pile, with a 25-21, 25-22, 24-26, 25-21 success at Sussex Dolphins. 

A busier programme in Division 2 West saw three matches, including second victories of the season for both Black Country and Oxford Eagles, who are both still undefeated. 

The West Midlanders lead the way, courtesy of a second 3-0 triumph, this time at Coventry and Warwick Riga (25-12, 25-18, 25-22). 

The Eagles came through 3-1 at Southampton and are second on set quotient (28-30, 26-24, 27-25, 25-13). 

Tamworth Spartans also got underway and were relatively untroubled against Cardiff Falcons (25-9, 25-11, 25-10). 

All three sides won and lost one of their triangular matches in Division 3 North. Urmston Grammar lost in five to Leeds Gorse 3 but beat Isle of Man Falcons in straight sets, who edged out the Yorkshire club 3-2. 

A one-off match in Division 3 Central pitched Darkstar Derbyshire 2 against MK City and it was the former who emerged victorious 3-2. 

London Ravens beat Ashcombe Dorking 3-1 in Division 3 South East, while there were no matches in Division 3 South West.

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