4 Mar 2024
Super League round 14 review : Changes at the top and bottom of both tables
The weekend started with Leeds Gorse boosting their chances of survival in the MAAREE Women’s Super League with a dramatic 3-2 victory over the University of Nottingham.
While other teams were competing in the National Cup last weekend Leeds Gorse claimed a 3-2 victory over Darkstar Derbyshire. They took this momentum into this weekend's match against mid-table University of Nottingham.
Leeds came out the gates fast snatching the first two sets 25-19, 25-14. They looked on course to take the match 3-0 however the students came back in the third and fourth 25-15, 25-20.
But it was Leeds who were able to clutch the game in a final set finishing 15-6.
Leeds Gorse Setter Molly Van Essen claimed MVP for the home side with Mar Vives getting the nod for UON
Durham went into the weekend as the only female team unbeaten, having only dropped seven sets all season.
They faced Team Sideout Polonia who knew that a victory would secure a place in the Final 4. When the two teams met in London it was a narrow victory for Durham with the game finishing 2-3 (25-23, 25-20, 20-25, 18-25, 12-15).
This game will be replicated at the National Cup Finals in April.
The first set looked as if the game was going to be another close affair with Sideout taking the first set 25-23,
Player of the Month, Maria Sviridova continued her outstanding performance this season claiming 13 kills, four blocks and one ace.
Sideout felt confident and this shone through with the second set being a dominant performance taking the second set 25-13.
Durham did try to mount a comeback but the deficit was too much with the London side taking the third set 25-16.
The Northwest team drop to third based on sets won with Sideout claiming the top spot going into their last four matches.
This was possible with Cambridge ARU grabbing a vital victory to keep their chances of survival in the Super League very high with a 3-2 victory in another thrilling match.
Hosting Essex Rebels, Cambridge hoped their week of recovery would benefit them. Essex were looking to bounce back from their Cup semi-final defeat to Durham last weekend.
Essex looked as if they had put the loss behind them diffing deep in the first set to take it 26-24. The second set however saw Cambridge fight back and grab a 25-21 advantage.
The game was cat and mouse with Essex snatching the third set 25-17 but just couldn’t keep the momentum going into the fourth with ARU taking it 25-18.
With Essex already secured in the Final 4 wins are still important for the team to gain an advantage in the seeding of the table. But, the Cambridgeshire side were able to snatch a momentous victory in a deciding fifth set 16-14.
Cambridge’s Middle Abby Huffman shone getting 12 kills which was only bettered by Opposite Mallory Porcher (13) and Outside Juliana Pallamin (14).
Pallamin also helped guide her team to victory with four aces with Porcher claiming the MVP acclaim.
This all but guarantees their place in the Super League next year as they are now ten points clear of the playoff spot and seventeen points clear of the automatic relegation places.
They will face Darkstar next weekend and a 3-0 victory will see them secure Super League action next year.
Darkstar, will be going into that match with a 3-0 win and loss this weekend. Their success came against Coventry and Warwick Riga on Saturday but Sunday saw the midlands teams lose 3-0 to Team Sideout Polonia.
The match against Riga was crucial for both teams and their likelihood of staying in the Super League for next season.
The east midlands side showed great character in the opening set with a convincing lead finishing 25-18.
Another setter who claimed an MVP award this weekend was Darkstar Derbyshire’s Viktoriya Glazewska. Lilla Whittaker, Riga’s middle took the award for the away team.
They knew a win this weekend would put them ten points clear of the automatic relegation spot so it was all hands on deck to keep.
The second set saw Riga come closer but just slightly outplayed by Darkstar with a 25-21 scoreline.
The third set proved decisive with it ending 25-20.
The match up against Sideout was always going to be tricky especially with them coming off the back of such a big win against Durham.
Sideout took control early and didn’t let it slip taking the match in straight sets 25-16, 25-18, 25-19.
London Lionhearts’ chance of survival was reduced after a 3-0 loss to last week’s Cup semi-finalist Malory Eagles.
The London Derby saw Malory Eagles look to recover from their 3-2 loss last week to Team Sideout Polonia in the National Cup.
The team currently ranked first in the league wasted no time in getting back up to speed. The straight sets victory 25-20, 25-18, 25-17 put Malory in a strong position to finish the regular season well.
With this victory the Eagles are at the top of the table but have played 16 games compared to rivals Sideout and Durham who have both played 14.
In the men's competition, IBB Polonia were the other team going into the weekend unbeaten in all of their 12 previous games.
They faced one of their toughest challenges, Durham Palatinates away at the Graham Sports Centre.
The five hour trip up to the university side could have been their opportunity to show their dominance in the league and extend their lead to 13 games unbeaten.
However, it seemed 13 was their unlucky number with Durham coming out the gates fast taking the first set 25-21.
Polonia had been in this position before dropping sets to Richmond and Stockport and had then gone on to win those matches.
The second set Durham gained momentum and after a 3-0 victory against Final 4 Rivals Essex Rebels, they wanted to build this going into the last few matches of the season.
Taking the second 25-15 Polonia had only been in this situation once all season! The capital side tried to bounce back but the power of Durham was just too much with the North West team taking the third set 25-16.
With this being a huge win for Durham it puts them second in the table just three points behind leaders Polonia.
Durham backed up this result with a confident 3-0 victory over Team Sunderland who now sit ninth in the league.
Player of the Month winner Donavon Todorov took the MVP award for the home team with Dahmane Bentiti taking it for Polonia.
Fellow American teammate Grant Maleski was on fire in the north-west clash taking MVP and Jonas Janiunas claimed it for the other university side.
Richmond Docklands slipped out of the Final 4 places this weekend with a 3-0 loss to the team Durham will face in the National Cup Final, Malory Eagles.
Richmond knew coming into this match that only a win would be good enough to keep their chances of Final 4 action open.
But Malory who are now only four points behind Polonia weren’t going to make it easy for them.
After a comfortable first set which Malory took 25-16, Richmond came back in the second to take it to a tie break point but Malory showcased their skill taking it 28-26.
This deflated Richmond with Malory taking the third set and the match 25-19.
Richmond need results to go in their favour for them to make it to the Final 4 and with Durham also claiming victory over Team Sunderland on Sunday afternoon their chances a playoff place is slowly slipping from their grasp.
Stockport were another team who were looking to keep their place in the Super League and with a 3-1 win over Essex Rebels they might have just done that.
Essex missed out on a place in the National Cup last weekend against Durham. This may have been still weighing on their shoulders as Stockport capitalised and took the first two sets 25-20, 25-22.
Essex did mount a comeback in the third set which finished 25-20 but Stockport were just able to return the favour in the fourth with the same scoreline of 25-20.
Haydn Lawson was dominant getting 21 kills from 39 attempts with setter Bartosz Baran having a 51% success rate on his assists.
The University of Nottingham had a strong victory over Leeds Gorse with the match finishing 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 28-26).
Although not mathematically safe for another year of Super League action at the moment they will only require one win or a couple of results to go their way to claim that spot for next year.
As it stands...
With the season coming to its climax, this is currently how the standing read.
In the MAAREE Women’s Super League, all the teams are now decided for the Final 4.
Durham have been replaced at the top of the table by Malory Eagles and if it stays how it is they would face fourth-place Essex Rebels in the semi-final.
Durham, now third would take on Sideout in the other Semi-final in Kettering on the 27th of April.
With their loss this weekend Lionhearts, need some strong performances in their last five games to keep their place in the top flight.
In the Men’s Super League, Durham have moved all the way up to second just three points behind leaders IBB Polonia. The London side still have two games in hand over the University squad.
Malory, despite their win drop to third and would play Durham in the playoffs, which would be a repeat of the National Cup Final. Essex would go head to head with Polonia in the other semi-final at Final 4.
Leeds Gorse, Team Sunderland and Newcastle Staffs are all at risk of relegation but with Staffs having played only 13 games the chances of them surviving is possible.
The games are getting more important and teams are putting everything on the line to keep their top flight status.
Keep up to date with the exciting last few weeks of the Super League via our social media channels. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
View the full results of the weekend on our website here.
Cover image - Lucy Chalmers
