30 Oct 2023
Super League Review Round 3 - 28th and 29th October
In their MAAREE Women’s Super League encounter with the nearby London Lionhearts, The Rebels were pushed hard, but always retained control of the match.
They clinched the first set 25-20 and followed up with the second by exactly the same scoreline.
London pushed their hosts hard in the third set, but Essex – featuring two professionals on their roster this year – used all their experience to close out the match 25-23, meaning they have still yet to drop a set.
The Rebels men were also victorious on home turf, but they were made to work harder against Richmond Docklands for a 3-1 success.
They edged a tight first set 25-23, but the visitors came roaring back to level at 1-1 with a 25-20 second set win.
But there was to be no momentum shift as Essex gathered themselves to secure the third set 25-17 and then ease to the fourth set as well by a 25-13 margin.
Elsewhere in the women’s section, Malory Eagles bounced back strongly from their four-set defeat to the Durham Palatinates last time out by overcoming Darkstar Derbyshire.
Their 3-0 victory on the road at Derby University Sports Centre was set up by a solid first set win by a 25-18 margin.
The match got progressively easier for the Eagles from there as they clinched the next two sets 25-17, 25-13, despite a spirited effort from Darkstar.
It was a frustrating week for newly-promoted Coventry and Warwick Riga in their home double header as defeats in both leaves them winless in their four games so far.
On Saturday, they welcomed the University of Nottingham to the Alan Higgs Centre for what proved to be a closely-matched game.
UoN took the opening set 25-17, but Riga held their nerve to square things up, edging to a 25-23 second set success.
The third set was another tight one, but this time the visitors took it 25-22 and followed that up by taking the fourth 25-18 and, with it, the match.
On Sunday, Riga hosted Leeds Gorse, but were not able to sustain the same level of competitiveness.
Although the first set was relatively close at 25-20 to the away team, the second and third sets were claimed 25-17, 25-11 to give Leeds a 3-0 triumph and send them back up the M1 happy.
In the men’s competition, Durham Palatinates were twice in action over the weekend as they travelled down South – with mixed fortunes in terms of the outcomes.
Last season’s champions first recorded a narrow 3-2 victory over Richmond Docklands on Saturday.
In a ding-dong match, the hosts struck the first blow by taking the opening set 25-22, but the Palatinates struck back with the second, winning it 25-20.
Docklands reasserted themselves by confidently taking the third 25-15 to seemingly be in control.
But Durham dug deep and took things to a decider after a 25-19 fourth set win and then also did the business in the tie-breaker, 15-9.
But the North East side, perhaps physically and mentally tired from their previous day’s exertions, were unable to keep things going against a strong IBB Polonia side on Sunday.
Polonia forged in front at Northolt High School by taking the first set 25-18, but Durham ensured the London club would not have it all their own way, taking the second 25-22.
The set score was reversed in the third set as Polonia took it 25-22 and then they put more daylight between them and Durham in the fourth, claiming it 25-17 for an overall 3-1 success and make it two wins from two at the start of the new season.
At the David Ross Sports Village, University of Nottingham inflicted a first defeat on Stockport following their promotion to Super League.
Having beaten the Malory Eagles at Opening Weekend, the Greater Manchester side would have hoped to carry that form into the match in the East Midlands.
But it was UoN who made the most of edging an extremely close first set 29-27, gaining in confidence as the match went on to wrap up the second and third sets 25-18, 25-19, for a comfortable overall 3-0 victory.
Full results of this weekend’s action can be viewed by clicking here.
Pic courtesy of Essex Rebels.
