Opening Weekend: University of Nottingham aiming high for the season

Volleyball England caught up with the joint captains of the University of Nottingham women's first team ahead of the new season starting next weekend.

After finishing ninth in Super League last year, the University of Nottingham Women feel they have every chance on improving on that in 2023-24. 

Izzy Brown is hoping “new and exciting players” joining the club will help them progress this year and “prove [they] are a dominant team.” 

Fellow captain and libero Mar Vives also has high hopes for the new season, saying she hopes to be “more vocal and commanding on the court” now she is in her fourth year at university.  

After making it to the quarter-finals last year of the National Cup but missing out on a place in the semi-finals after being knocked out by the resulting winners of the Cup Durham Palatanites, the UoN team is also striving for that next step in the cup, and even making it to the final. 

In preparation for the new Super League season, The University of Nottingham faced some strong opposition in their first game of the BUCS Volleyball League when both their men’s and women’s teams travelled to Northumbria University.  

Both the men’s and women’s team got their BUCS season off to a great start, with the men winning 3-1 and the women taking their match in straight sets, 3-0.  

Those results have put them in a strong frame of mind ahead of the Super League Opening Weekend in Kettering on Saturday 14th October (men’s) and Sunday 15th October (women’s). 

The men’s opener is against another university team, Essex Rebels. The Eastern region side will aim to improve on a seventh-place finish last year, while Nottingham are also aiming to drive up the table missing out on fourth place last year by just one point.  

The women’s team also face Essex Rebels, with their game being the penultimate one of the weekend, only followed by the newly-promoted London Lionhearts who will take on Darkstar Derbyshire.  

Brown, part of the scholarship programme at Nottingham and in her second year at the university, says she has received fantastic support in her player development. 

“It’s such a great sports system, (at Nottingham) with so many people here to help and support us,” she said.  

Vives has noted how it is a great way to socialise and meet new people at university who all have similar interests. 

She added: “When you’ve been sitting in the library all day it’s great to have that bit of exercise!”  

Brown speaking about studying while playing the highest level of English volleyball.  

The whole interview can be viewed here.  

Buy your Opening Weekend tickets 

You can come along and support the University of Nottingham and the other 19 teams attending next weekend's Super League Opening Weekend at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering.  

Tickets are now available to buy in either tiered or floor seating.   

Tiered seating prices are £15 for an adult day ticket (aged 15 to 64), £45 for a family day ticket (two adults, two children), £7.50 for a concession day ticket (U15 or 65 and over), £25 for a general weekend ticket and £12.50 for a weekend concession ticket.   

Floored seating prices are £12 for a general day ticket (aged 15 to 64), £36 for a family day ticket (two adults, two children), £6 for a concession day ticket (U15 or 65 and over), £18 for a general weekend ticket and £9 for a weekend concession ticket.   

Tickets entitle the bearer to watch all five matches for the day purchased.   

To purchase tickets for Saturday’s matches, click here. 

To purchase tickets for Sunday’s matches, click here.