13 Oct 2023
Opening Weekend: Bell striving to hit the heights at Team Sunderland
The 18-year-old has recently left behind his Manchester home to start his journey as a university student, including playing for the University of Newcastle in the BUCS League.
In a couple of weeks’ time, the Outside Hitter will fly out to Rovaniemi, Finland to represent the Three Lions of England at the U19 NEVZA Tournament, with a place at next year’s European Championships at stake.
And in between, this weekend, Bell is preparing for the first ever Volleyball England Super League Opening Weekend in Kettering, where he will represent the Team Sunderland side he joined this summer following his academically-inspired move north.
It’s hardly surprising that the Electrical Engineering student is hugely excited by what lies in store.
“I’m so, so excited about these next few weeks... I can’t explain how much,” said Bell, who has just started a foundation year at university before he moves onto a degree course. “When you finish the previous season, it seems a long, long time before the next one starts!
“But it is not long at all now and I can’t wait to get started. It will be my first time in Super League, but I am looking forward to the challenge of stepping up to that level.
“A lot of our side is drawn from the Uni of Newcastle and Northumbria teams, so there is potentially a bit of rivalry there in the future if we can get promoted and get to be in the same BUCS league as them next season!
“But neither uni has an NVL team, so we are all in it together when we play for Sunderland and we have been training hard for a month or two now – and I think we have clicked.”
Bell first tasted Volleyball at school where courts were set up every Friday for recreational sessions and he was encouraged to have a go.
Having played basketball prior to that, the change of sport came just at the right time, and he insists there are a number of transferrable skills that have helped him in his transition.
He said: “Towards the end of Year 11, I was looking for a new sport, I gave it a try after finishing playing Basketball and I was hooked pretty much straight away.
“I liked the idea of jumping and hitting and it was something I could use my jumping and hand-eye coordination to good effect.
“That's when I went along to train with the Manchester Marvels team. At that point, it was outdoor session because of Covid-19, but when we moved back indoors, it opened up a whole new world. Volleyball has been an ideal fit for me.”
As a relatively new player to the national and international junior scene, Bell is relishing the opportunity to showcase his skills at the NEVZA tournament later in the month.
He hopes some strong performances will help strengthen his standing in his long-term ambition to play professionally in Europe.
“It’s fantastic to have the chance to play against some strong countries in NEVZA and while we might not be fancied to finish top, I think we can definitely challenge for a top three place and be a match for any team on our day,” said Bell.
“I know some of the players from Sunderland and we have a good balance to the team, so hopefully we can surprise a few people.
“Personally, my ambition is to go abroad to play and for the four years I am studying I just want to get as much game time as learn as much as I can, so I’m looking to put in some good performances.”
Bell hopes his development will be aided by Sam Shenton, who he has already worked with in the England set-up.
The Team Sunderland Coach has already been an influential mentor for the young player as he makes his way in the game.
“I only started playing in 2020 and it feels like I have come a long way in a short space of time,” said Bell, “but I also know there is a heck of a lot of stuff still to learn.
“I have seen players who I have played with and against who I can take things from and use in my own game.
“I see myself as coachable – if the coach shows me, I can do it – so hopefully I have that in my favour.
“Sam has come from a similar playing background as myself, in that he started as a Middle Blocker and moved to Opposite, so he knows what I need to work on.
“He taught himself to pass and says he can help me in that respect and already I have made some improvements.”
Settling well into university life, Bell has started to get to grips with life as a student and high- performance athlete, balancing reading books with spiking volleyballs.
But, as a Manchester City fan (he hails from the Rusholme/ Moss Side area of the city, the site of the Blues’ former ground, Maine Road), and now living a stone’s throw from St James’ Park, home of Newcastle United, he has found it hard not to be sucked into the omnipresent football culture on the banks of the Tyne.
“I don’t get much time for life outside of studying, which I do in the mornings and afternoons, and training, which I do in the evenings, but you can’t really escape the football thing here,” said Bell.
“Literally everyone supports Newcastle, and when the team are playing at home and score, you can hear it echoes right across the city!
“I’m staying quiet about Man City’s title chances after the last two games, but you live in hope...”
For the moment, though, Bell’s focus remains firmly fixed on the Opening weekend, where the North East side are first on court against Richmond Docklands.
While the team only remained in Super League by winning a play-off at the end of last season, he believes a stronger showing is likely this time around.
Bell said: “Richmond are a strong side who finished fourth last season and have a history of success, so how we perform against them this weekend is going to show where we are at as a team.
“But we feel we have what it takes to do well. Everyone communicates well, both after errors and with the positives, and that helps to build the right mental attitude.
“If that is wrong, if you are not there mentally and not feeling it, then you are not going to perform, but I think we have that and we can challenge at the top end and finish a lot higher than last season.”
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Tickets for the two Opening Weekend days are now available by clicking here.
Click here for the spectator guide and follow the weekend across our social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
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It's also a busy weekend of action outside the Super League across the rest of the NVL's divisions, with Men's Division 1, 2 and 3 and Women's Division 1 action scheduled.
In Men's Division 1, early leaders Essex Blaze, who have two wins in the bank, are not in action, leaving three of the four teams yet to play to get their campaigns underway.
Two of them, Weymouth Beach and Manchester Marvels, meet at the Redlands Community Sports Hub, while the other, Cambridge ARU, visit Coventry and Warwick Riga.
London Aces will hope to build on their opening win over Riga as they travel to Black Country, who were beaten 3-1 by the Blaze in their season opener.
Both Black Country and Manchester will be out playing again on Sunday as they clash at the Cleobury Mortimer Sports Centre.
Richmond and Everton Belugas both have double headers in Women's Division 1, first playing each other on Saturday before the former take on Stockport and the latter go to Dartford Chargers.
Bristol and MK City start their league seasons as they meet in the South West, while Wessex also set the ball rolling on their 2023-24 with a trip to Leicester Athena.
In Men's Division 2, an all-Merseyside clash between Liverpool and Everton Dugongs will see the two teams vie for city bragging rights in the North Section.
Norwich Spikers will hope to capitalise on their opening win in the Central section as they visit Hounslow, while while Exeter Storm make the relatively short journey to face the Wiltshire Mavericks.
All four section of Men's Division Three will see games contested. Early North West pacesetters Chester host Wigan Seahawks and in the North Central, while North Central's Kings of Court Boston, who also have two wins from two, are at home to Darkstar Derbyshire II.
No matches have yet been played in either the South East or South West sections, but Invicta vs Northampton and Urbond Portsmouth vs Reading Aces are just two of the matches taking place this weekend.
To view all the weekend's fixtures, click here.
