NVL Newcomers 26-27 part five - Wiltshire Mavericks

Club formed: 1980s 

Social media handles: @mavericksnvl_ladies (Instagram)

Facebook Group: Click here. 

The women’s promotion to the NVL means the Mavericks now field both men and women’s sides in the league, showing a clear pathway to focus on development for both teams to climb the ranks.

The Mavericks, formed in 1997, had their name inspired by the Nestle “Maverick” chocolate bar released in the same year. 

However, while the team may be newcomers in their current form, this is not the first time Mavericks Women have competed in the NVL. 

The team first got onto the rungs of the ladder in the 2011-2012 season, before steadily climbing the ranks with consistent performances to reach Division 1 in 2015-16, where they would finish seventh overall with 7 wins to 11 losses.

The team have since been competing at regional level, winning the South West Division 1 league last season with an impressive 13 wins in 14 matches.

The Mavericks have proved to be a consistent team, and team captain Rachel Draper seems to be a driving force for not just their consistency, but their “team first” mentality.

Unlike other teams, Rachel did not identify key players who will find success for the Mavericks, but rather believes “we are one team, and together only as strong as each other, so no one player is more influential than the other.

“It will be exciting to see the team grow together and see the development of individual players throughout the season,” said Rachel.

Their ambitions are more similar to other teams, however  - the Mavericks have their eyes set on repeating history and climbing the ranks of the NVL.

“As a club we look to keep improving year on year developing players. If we can do that and climb the divisions, that would be great. 

“I want our players to have ambition within our club to progress.”

Rachel made clear the two things which inspired their return to the NVL: “To provide ladies in Wiltshire the opportunity to play in a higher level of competition…and to promote volleyball in the region.”

Outside of the NVL, the Mavericks keep a strong connection to regional leagues and offer a clear pathway for local league players to further develop.

“Lots of our players are from local league clubs, and we also have a pathway from our regional South West League team.

“Our coach (Matt Stevens) is involved in a local club that has provided a good number of England junior players over the years (for the size of the club) and we are thankful to have him onboard.”

Wiltshire Mavericks will face off against Portsmouth Ladies on 4th October 2026, before taking on Plymouth to begin their NVL journey once again.