NVL Preview (24th and 25th January) - Wessex women hope to upset leading pair as Division 3 teams gear up for big weekend

Women’s NVL 

Wessex have the chance to dent the promotion bids of Division 1 South’s two unbeaten sides, playing both over the weekend. 

First they take on Richmond, who have won four out of four on Saturday and then they extend their stay in the capital on Sunday to face leaders London Giants, who are undefeated in seven. 

It’s a tough assignment for a team second from bottom, but if they succeed in either case, it will certainly go some way to easing their relegation worries. 

Looking forward further, to Wednesday, a crunch fixture will see the two London big hitters go head to head at the Caius House Youth Centre. 

There is just one fixture in Division 1 North, but it is an important one for Manchester Marvels in their quest to keep the pressure on leaders University of Nottingham as they make the trip to Merseyside to play Everton Belugas. 

Leeds Gorse will look to climb the Division 2 North table as they have two weekend home fixtures. 

On Saturday, they host fellow Yorkshire side Sheffield and then on Sunday they entertain Lincoln Cannons. 

Further up the table, Manchester Liberators will hope to cut the gap to leaders Manchester Moss Side Jaguars as they take on Newcastle Staffs. 

Third-placed The Miners Doncaster will hope to keep the pressure on the two sides above them when they visit struggling Everton Narwhals. 

All eight teams are in action in Division 2 West, including the top three sides. 

Leaders Reading Aces have home court advantage when facing Tamworth Spartans, while Black Country, one point and one place behind welcome bottom club Cardiff Falcons. 

Despite being unbeaten, Oxford Eagles are third and will attempt to keep pace when they journey west to Wombourne. 

The division’s fixtures are completed with Southampton’s home match with Coventry and Warwick Riga. 

Worthing and Richmond 2 both have two games in 48 hours in Division 2 East – the former on the same day. 

They first play each other on the Saturday before the South Coast club follow up immediately with another home game against Herts. 

The Londoners, meanwhile, return home on Sunday to play their second match as they host Sussex Dolphins. 

The division’s match of the weekend, though, sees the top two face off at Kensington Aldridge Academy as leaders Cambridge 2 defend their advantage against second-placed hosts Onyx. 

Elsewhere, Norwich Spikers and Dartford Chargers meet at the University of East Anglia. 

There is another big game in Division 3 South East on Saturday where leaders Ashcombe face unbeaten second-placed side London Ravens as part of a triangular also involving Essex Ravens. 

Six more games across two triangulars are scheduled for Sunday, with third-placed Spelthorne Sharks hoping to make further progress against Dartford Warriors and Sussex Dolphins 2. 

At Maidstone Grammar School for Girls, winless Invicta will hope to get off the mark as they meet Richmond 3 and Tendring. 

There are two triangulars in Division 3 South West, the first of them on Saturday as unbeaten leaders Bristol 2 tackle Weymouth and Portsmouth on the South Coast. 

Sunday sees a Devon city derby between Plymouth and Plymouth Mayflower, with Bedminster 2 providing the other opposition. 

All nine teams are in action across three triangulars in Division 3 Central. 

On Saturday, table toppers Leicester Athena Nova, with just one defeat so far take on third-placed MK City and bottom club Loughborough Students 2. 

The day’s other games feature Rhinos Cambridge, who are handily placed, Darkstar Derbyshire 2 and Nottingham Rockets. 

Second-placed Cheltenham and Gloucester have to wait until Sunday for their round-robin clash as they journey north to play Ashfield Vipers and Coventry and Warwick Riga 2. 

It’s just as hectic in Division 3 North, where three more triangulars keep the teams busy, including the clash of the top two, with Manchester Marvels Mystics, who will be bidding to make it a perfect 10 league victories, meeting York Falcons along with Newcastle Staffs 2 on Sunday. 

Also in action are fourth-place Chester Amazons who travel to Humberside to face Hull Thunder and Everton Seadragons. 

Preceding that, on Saturday, Leeds Gorse 3, Urmston Grammar and the Isle of Man Falcons meet in West Yorkshire. 

Men’s NVL 

Newcastle Staffs will bid to maintain or extend their lead at the top of the Division 1 North table when they make the trip to Sheffield on Sunday. 

A couple of hours after, Manchester Marvels, in second, will look to bounce back from last weekend’s defeat when they visit fourth-placed Coventry and Warwick Riga. 

Saturday’s games will see a revitalised Stockport attempt to lift themselves off the bottom and make it three successive wins when they entertain Tamworth Spartans while third-placed Black Country welcome Rhinos Cambridge. 

It’s an important weekend on the road for Cambridge, who could go top of the Division 1 South table and open up a gap to the rest if they can double up against first Wessex and then Southampton. 

The other fixture is a West Country derby between familiar foes Exeter Storm and Bristol. 

MK City will be eager to push home their advantage at the top of Division 2 Central in their Sunday clash at Leicester. 

Before that, on Saturday, second-placed Loughborough Students will be favourites to take maximum points against bottom club Cambridge 2 while Newmarket will look to arrest a recent slump when they welcome Northampton to Suffolk. 

Oxford Bulls are still playing catch-up with their fixtures and will bid to make further progress up the table when they visit Norwich Spikers.  

Third-placed Kent Invicta are the highest ranked team in action in Division 2 South when they are at home to bottom side Cardiff Panthers on Saturday, while Spelthorne Lions, who inflicted a first defeat on Richmond Bucks last weekend, meet London Baks. 

All but three of the teams across Division 3’s four sections are in triangular action this weekend. 

An all-Manchester triumvirate of Intervolley Manchester, Manchester Liberators and Manchester Moss Side Jaguars will vie for supremacy at Moss Side Leisure Centre in Division 3 North on Sunday, with the former looking to make it 10 wins from 10 and stay top of the pile. 

Harrogate, Urmston Grammar and Hull Thunder 2 will also look to put points on the board. 

In Division 3 Central, leaders Telford will hope to stay unbeaten and leading the way when Tamworth Spartans 2 and Nuneaton Inferno provide the opposition on Saturday. 

Second and third promise an intriguing match on Sunday as Birmingham City and Black Country 2 do battle, with bottom club Wombourne also in action. 

In Derby, Darkstar Derbyshire 2 host as Chelmsford and Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 make the journey north. 

London Lionhearts lead the way in Division 3 South East and have two games with identical 3-5 records as they bid to continue to set the pace on Saturday. 

Second-placed Onyx face fourth-place London Wildcats while Worthing will also be in opposition. 

On Sunday, third placed Newmarket will tackle hosts GNG Bedford and Tendring. 

Team South Wales are currently five points clear at the top of Division 3 South West ahead of Saturday’s games with Southampton 2 and Guildford International, where they will hope to maintain a healthy advantage.  

Second-placed Weymouth journey north to meet City of Bristol and Urbond Portsmouth on Sunday, while third-placed Bristol 2 meet city rivals Bedminster and Spelthorne Tigers.

Full NVL fixtures and results can be found here.

Keep up to date with everything Volleyball England via the Volleyball England socials.