NVL Review (21st and 22nd Feb) - Staffs, Giants and Jaguars are champions 

Women’s NVL 

After winning all their previous 11 matches and dropping just one set in the process, London Giants did not even have to take to the court against Essex Trinity to complete the job as their opponents forfeited Sunday’s fixture. 

Sitting on 36 points in Division 1 South, the maximum second-placed Richmond can achieve is that same figure if they win all remaining four matches, but they have a set quotient deficit that they cannot overcome. 

It means those in red and black have achieved their aim of reaching the Super League less than 12 months on from missing out in the play-offs. 

Elsewhere, in the division, Richmond strengthened their grip on second spot by wrapping up a straight sets win over Bristol that was hard fought in the second and third sets (25-13, 25-25, 25-23). 

Team South Wales hauled themselves off the bottom on set quotient as they crossed the Severn Estuary to good effect, winning 25-20, 25-10, 25-20 at Bedminster. 

Replacing them at the bottom are Wessex, who went down 25-19, 25-21, 25-14 to a London Inter Crocs side now up to third as a result. 

In Division 1 North, The University of Nottingham are now just one point away from matching Giants and securing top spot in their league by beating their closest challengers, Manchester Marvels. 

The East Midlanders won the first meeting of the two sides this season in straight sets at the Dean Ardwick Trust (25-15, 25-17, 25-17) and are now nine points clear of their rivals having won all nine matches so far. 

They need just a point now to be mathematically sure, though even three defeats in their remaining fixtures, unlikely as that prospect is, may still not matter in their bid to finish at the summit. 

Loughborough Students continued their recent resurgence to lift themselves up another place to fifth by winning a third match in a row – and completing the double over bottom club Stockport in the process – coming out on top by a 3-1 (25-27, 25-23, 25-20, 25-18) margin. 

Cambridge leapfrogged above opponents Northampton into third with a 25-17, 25-14, 25-17 Saturday success. 

The celebrations have begun in earnest for Manchester Moss Side Jaguars as they beat third-placed Manchester Liberators to seal their second championship running. 

Their 25-19, 25-22, 25-19 triumph over their city rivals at Fairfield High School means they cannot be caught with one game of their season left to play. 

The Miners Doncaster consolidated third spot with a five straight victories, this time getting the better of Lincoln Cannons, despite dropping the first set (22-25, 25-16, 25-15, 25-13). 

Sheffield secured a vital success in their battle to avoid the drop as they defeated Leeds Gorse 2 3-1 (24-26, 25-19, 25-23, 25-14), while Everton Narwhals remain bottom after going down at Newcastle Staffs (25-20, 25-23, 25-19).

Reading Aces took another sizeable step towards the Division 2 West title as they were 3-0 winners at Southampton (25-19, 25-22, 25-13). 

Someone had to drop ground in the bid between Black Country (in third) and Oxford Eagles (in second) to keep pace and it was the visitors who leapfrogged their opponents in inflicting a first defeat on them (25-19, 25-23, 25-21). 

Coventry and Warwick Riga registered a key victory in the battle of the basement clubs, beating Cardiff Falcons in straight sets (25-18, 25-20, 25-16) to maintain a four-point gap. 

Onyx London increased their lead at the top of Division 2 East to eight points, but were made to work hard for it – and dropped one point – in a 3-2 success at Norwich Spikers, where they had to battle back from 2-1 down in sets (25-20, 21-25, 16-25, 25-16, 15-8). 

Second-placed Cambridge 2 were without a game but Richmond 2, in third, were comfortable victors at Herts (25-17, 25-18, 25-23). 

Dartford Chargers maintained their mid-table berth by overcoming winless Worthing (25-13, 25-9, 25-14) in convincing fashion. 

There was a rare occurrence in Division 3 Central where each team were victorious in a triangular. 

Promotion-chasing Cheltenham and Gloucester beat Loughborough Students 2 3-0, but then came unstuck 3-2 against Nottingham Rockets, who were beaten in straight sets by the university team. 

MK City also stuttered, despite going top of the table on set quotient above Leicester Athena Nova, defeating Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 3-1, but losing 3-2 to Rhinos Cambridge. 

The top two in Division 3 South East both enjoyed a successful weekend, with table toppers London Ravens winning 3-0 at Richmond 3. 

Ashcombe Dorking, meanwhile, clinched a triangular double against Spelthorne Sharks and Tendring in straight sets, with the former beating the latter 3-1 in the other match. 

Farnborough Phoenix are the new leaders of Division 3 South West after a 3-0 success over Weymouth and 3-1 triumph over Bedminster 2 but may not be there for too long as unbeaten leaders Bristol 2 have two games in hand. 

Bedminster completed the 3-1 pattern in recording victory over Weymouth. 

City of Bristol put daylight between themselves and bottom side Plymouth Mayflower with a 3-1 success, though they did lose in straight sets to Portsmouth, who also beat the Devon side by the same scoreline. 

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Men’s NVL 

Long-time front runners Newcastle Staffs are the confirmed front runners in Division 1 North after a hard-fought victory over Manchester Marvels. 

The Potteries side completed the double over their rivals, who were second going into the match, by winning 23-25, 25-18, 26-24, 27-25. 

As a result, they are nine points clear with just two games left and are home and hosed in the race to be champions. 

Second is still up for grabs, though, and Black Country moved up to that spot, above Marvels, as they edged past Stockport after a five-set thriller in which they fought off a strong fightback (25-19, 25-19, 19-25, 23-25, 15-11). 

In a congested mid-table, Rhinos Cambridge got the better of Coventry and Warwick Riga, notching an impressive road trip win (25-15, 25-20, 25-16). 

Two teams at the top end of Division 1 South, Essex Blaze and IBB Polonia, both lost their respective matches, missing an opportunity to make up ground on leaders Cambridge, who were without a game. 

Blaze suffered a 3-0 setback at London Aces (25-18, 25-22, 25-20), with the latter moving up to third spot at the expense of Polonia, who were beaten in straight sets at Southampton (25-20, 25-21, 25-23). 

Wessex notched their fourth success of the season after getting the better of already-relegated Exeter Storm in three (25-15, 25-16, 25-19). 

Richmond Bucks returned to the top of Division 2 South with a maximum points haul at Cardiff Falcons (25-23, 25-20, 25-22). 

Dartford Crossers kept up the pressure in second with a 3-1 win over Reading Aces (29-27, 20-25, 25-13, 25-20) 

Kent Invicta, 3-1 victors at London Baks (25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 26-24), are two points and one place further back.

The top two both kept their momentum going at the top of Division 2 Central with victories as Oxford Bulls beat Loughborough Students 25-23, 25-17, 25-15 while MK City overcame Northampton 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 25-22, 25-23). 

Newmarket are up to third after taking advantage of Loughborough’s setback by winning 3-1 at Norwich Spikers (25-18, 25-20, 26-28, 25-20). 

Darkstar Derbyshire still lead the pack in Division 2 North, but suffered their second defeat in as many weeks after being previously undefeated, this time going down at Hull Thunder (25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 24-26, 15-9) as a rousing fightback fell short. 

Their advantage has been cut to two points, but it could have been just one had second-placed Lincoln Cannons not also lost out in five, against Sheffield Springers, after a rip-roaring match (25-27, 25-23, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12). 

A third five-setter of the round saw Newcastle Staffs 2 edge out Everton Dugongs (25-21, 22-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-12), while Leeds Gorse 2 are up to third after victory at Nottingham Rockets (25-23, 25-16, 29-31, 25-20). 

City of Bristol savoured that winning feeling for the first time this season as they edged out fellow strugglers Spelthorne Tigers 3-2 as both were beaten by mid-table Guildford International. 

Rhinos Cambridge 2 enjoyed morale-boosting successes against the two sides immediately above them in Division 3 South East, Newmarket 2 and London Wildcats, with the Londoners winning the third match. All three matches finished 3-1. 

Telford moved three points clear at the lead of Division 2 Central with a 3-0 victory over Chelmsford, who were also beaten 3-1 by Wombourne at the Alan Higgs Centre.  

A topsy-turvy triangular saw Black Country 2 beat Darkstar Derbyshire 3-2, only for them to lose 3-1 to Tamworth Spartans who, in turn, were beaten 3-2 by Darkstar. 

Manchester Liberators assumed leadership of Division 3 North with a triangular straight sets double against Harrogate and Manchester Marvels Marauders. 

Harrogate defeated Marauders 3-1 to move up to third, albeit having played two more games than fourth-placed Liverpool. 

Manchester Moss Side Jaguars won the mid-table battle with Urmston Grammar, coming out on top in a five-set tussle. 

Action images by Simon Clarke (@simondclarke1)

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Full NVL fixtures and results can be found here. 

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