NVL Play-offs review - Lionhearts and Richmond stay up as seven teams earn promotion

Lionhearts have suffered a disappointing season after finishing in Final 4 last season, with Italian Head Coach Lulama Musti De Gennaro having left and been replaced by previous incumbent Davide Tiberti.

And the returning former coach - who had moved upstairs last summer - helped to galvanise his side to beat the drop, just as they did at the end of the 2023-24 season by beating Division 1 Stockport in another play-offs.

Opponents Darkstar Derbyshire, who themselves survived in the play-offs last year by beating London Giants before a change in format for this season, had finished the table as the higher-ranked team in sixth compared to their opponents' seventh.

But it counted for little when the sides came face to face as the Londoners began brightly by taking the first set 25-22.

It was critical for Darkstar that they hit back and they did - levelling before nicking a close third set 29-27 to put them in the ascendency.

However, the Lions dug deep and, after squaring the match by winning the fourth 15-12, they used that momentum to take the all important deciding fifth too, by a 15-12 scoreline, preserving their MAAREE Women's Super League place in the process.

In contrast to Vinarius' delight, it is a disappointing end for Darkstar, whose men team have just been promoted, meaning they will both be playing at Division 1 level next season.

It proved to be a much simpler task for Richmond, who were always in charge of their match with Leeds Gorse.

The Yorkshire side had overcome Durham Palatinates in their last game of the regular season to send the North East side down and give themselves a fighting chance, but this was, in the end, a bridge too far.

Docklands always had the superior firepower, led by Russian Artemii Solodukhov and Portuguese Joao Alves, and got the job done 25-17, 25-15, 25-19.

It means Richmond have survived via the play-offs for a second successive year, having defeated Division 1 Black Country last season.

For Leeds, it is an immediate return back down to the second tier after clinching promotion ahead of the current campaign.

In the battle to earn a Division 1 place, MK City (men) and Oxford Eagles (women) were the two successful teams.

Division 2 Central MK sealed part one of their quest for promotion in their first round-robin match against Division 2 North's Lincoln Cannons with a degree of comfort.

They set out their stall early and were always in control thanks to their firepower and strength at the net, running out 25-18, 25-12, 25-11 victors. 

Division 2 South's Richmond Bucks then got the better of the Cannons in what was a tight match throughout when, after edging the first and second sets by just two points, they dropped the third to the determined East Midlanders.

However, the London side regained their composure in the fourth to close out a 27-25, 27-23, 25-27, 25-18 win.

That set up a deciding match between City and Bucks that saw the former clinch a nerve-jangling five-set win.

The Buckinghamshire side looked to be in cruise control as they forged two sets in front, but might have reckoned without a determined Bucks comeback that saw the match finely poised at 2-2 and a reverse sweep a possibility.

But, just when they needed it, MK found a second wind to run out 25-20, 25-17, 16-25, 23-25, 15-9 victors. 

Oxford, meanwhile, completed a double club promotion after the Eagles matched their men's Bulls team, who have already gone up automatically as champions.

The Division 2 West side, who had finished runners-up to Reading Aces, were pushed hard by Division 2 North's The Miners Doncaster, but ultimately had just too much for their opponents to run out 25-19, 25-27, 25-19, 25-19 winners.

Leicester Athena women were the first team of the day to be promoted after the Division 3 Central runners-up beat Division 3 North's York Falcons 3-1.

The Midlands side edged a tight first set, but looked to be on easy street after running away with the second.

However, the Falcons hit back hard to reduce their defecit and looked capable of pushing it to a fifth, until a run of points later in fourth proved decisive in Athena securing a 25-23, 25-14, 19-25, 25-19 success.

Manchester Liberators were one of the most animated victors of the day after winning a thrilling five setter against Division 3 Central's Birmingham City.

The Division 3 North West side were trailing 2-1 in sets and looked to be struggling, but suddenly rediscovered their mojo and, after levelling the match, powered through the tie break set with the help of some brilliant blocks to come through by a 25-22, 20-25, 17-25, 25-17, 15-8 margin.

In the second set of matches on court two, both encounters to decide who would take a place in Division 2 ended in 3-1 scorelines for South East clubs.

Capital side Onyx men, of Division 3 South East, bounced back from dropping the first set to reel off the next three against Division 3 South West's Team South Wales.

Their 20-25, 25-17, 25-14, 25-17 victory sparked some impromptu on-court dance celebrations after the 'Promoted' picture, where even break dancing wasn't ruled out!

Just as delighted were Ashcombe Dorking women, of Division 3 South East, who also dropped the first set to Division 3 South West's Farnborough Phoenix, but then powered back to triumph 11-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-19.

Struggling on serve receive in the first set as Phoenix served a clutch of aces, the Surrey side gradually found their rhythm to eventually run out worthy winners.

Phoenix, and other earlier losers, York, had another chance to claim Division 2 in the last match of the day and it proved to be a tense and closely-matched affair, typified by a second set score of 30-28 to Phoenix, who had trailed by set points. 

With the venue to themselves, the Falcons edged out Farnborough in a see-saw battle, emerging 25-17, 18-25, 28-30, 25-22, 15-10 victors.

Images by Jon Cornish

More pictures will be published on the Volleyball England Flickr account on Wednesday.

Volleyball England would like to thank all officials, coaches, volunteers, supporters and players for making the play-off day a success.