Malory Eagles soar to home victories, sending a clear league message

The Malory Eagles men, hot off a thrilling five-set match against Newcastle Knights in Opening Weekend, were looking to claim back-to-back victories as they hosted the University of Nottingham, who had also won their first game of the season.

The Eagles started strongly, taking a commanding 25-17 first set, closing it out in 25 minutes.

However, Nottingham pushed the Londoners hard in the second set, which went down to a tiebreak, with UON claiming it 28-26. Nottingham’s MVP Rob Morgan was the catalyst for the men in green and gold, helping them snatch the second set.

The Eagles bounced back in the third set, looking to seal the game in four and claim maximum points. They dominated 25-18, with UON struggling with a high error rate in their offence.

The fourth set appeared to be theirs for the taking, but 13 errors allowed the Midlands side to force a decider and secure at least one point.

The final set was the closest of all. Malory showcased their offensive depth off the bench, with Sam Oshita hitting three from three in the middle and the ever-reliable MVP Benaya Kouame racking up five kills in the final set.

Malory ultimately won the match 17-15 in the final set, earning two points from a possible three.

After their London victory, UON travelled east to the Essex Sport Arena to face last year’s regular season champions, Essex Rebels.

Photo - Keeran Marquis 

Last year this matchup had been tight, but with significant departures from both teams and UON coming off an intense two-hour match against Malory, it was hard to predict a winner.

UON started fast, taking the hosts off guard with a dominant 25-17 opening set. Essex responded in the second set, winning 25-16.

Nottingham, hoping to avoid another five-set marathon, edged the third set 25-23. However, the Rebels’ offence proved strong again in the fourth set, taking it 25-21.

After playing ten sets of volleyball in just over 24 hours, exhaustion showed for UON in the final set. Essex claimed it 15-6, finishing the match with a decisive victory.

Also in the Men’s Super League, London Giants bounced back from their Opening Weekend defeat to the University of Nottingham with a 3-1 victory over Richmond Docklands.

Docklands, eager to make a statement after a narrow 3-2 loss to Durham at Opening Weekend, came out strong, narrowly winning the first set 25-23 against the defending champions. The Giants quickly found their rhythm, claiming the next three sets to secure the win.

Photo - @naksu_graphics

Ex IBB Polonia player Andrea Maggio showcased his league experience with a versatile performance, recording an ace, five kills with a hitting rate of 0.25, and a block, anchoring both the Giants’ offence and defence. Senegal international Amadou Laye Samb led the team in firepower with 17 kills, while Moroccan Hamza Ouyachi posed another major threat, hitting 0.60 with 14 kills from 20 attempts and just two errors.

For Richmond, new signing Artemii Solodukhov continued to shine, delivering 24 kills and eight aces, earning him the MVP of the weekend for Docklands.

In the MAAREE Women’s Super League, one of the games of the season took place in Week 2, as two of the top teams faced off.

Malory Eagles Women continued their strong start to the season with a hard-fought five-set victory over Team SideOut Polonia, maintaining their unbeaten record.

The Eagles came out firing in the opening set, establishing control early and taking it 25-18 with confident hitting and solid defensive organisation. Polonia responded in the second set, tightening their block and applying serving pressure to level the match at 1-1 with a 25-21 win.

Photo - Nat Macrae 

The third set saw Malory regain momentum, with Chloe Allen, who would go on to be named MVP, leading from the front with powerful swings and steady passing. The Eagles took the set 25-18.

Polonia refused to back down, driven by their own MVP Alexis Díaz-Infante, whose attacking consistency and smart shot selection pushed the match into a deciding fifth set after a 25-14 fourth set.

With everything on the line, Malory raised their intensity, showing superior composure and teamwork in the tiebreak. Allen’s leadership and key kills down the stretch sealed a 15-8 final set, earning the Eagles a 3-2 win and two valuable points in the Super League standings.

All fixtures, results and streams can be found here.

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