9 Apr 2024
NVL review (6th and 7th April) - Wessex wrap up Super League spot
Travelling north as the league leaders, the South Coast club knew that a win over their second-placed hosts and nearest challengers would see them seal the deal, ahead of their final game at Everton Belugas on Sunday.
The visitors knew it would be a tough game and it was confirmed as so when Stockport came out swinging.
At 11-3 down in the first set, Wessex were in trouble, but they showed why they have led the way at the top for much of the season as they gradually reeled Stockport in.
As Cheshire club took their turn to show the nerves, the Whites produced a terrific fightback to snatch the opening set 25-23, momentum which they took into the second set, flying into an 8-0 lead.
At 23-13, Wessex looked home and dry as a bonus point would be enough to secure the title, but Stockport had other ideas as they won eight consecutive points.
However, Wessex eventually found some composure as they took the set 25-21 and, in the process, sealed the Championship.
Celebrating a title mid-match was a little strange and, perhaps understandably, the visitors lost the third set 25-21.
But they were soon back on it and closed out the match in the fourth, winning it 25-23, after which the celebrations could really start.
The importance of Wessex getting the job done at the first attempt was underlined in the game at Everton, where the Merseysiders were 3-1 victors to finish the season third in the table.
That 25-21, 20-25, 25-21, 26-24 success suggests they could be a side to watch next season, having also defeated Shield finalists Leicester Athena 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-12) on Saturday.
The division’s other match saw Southampton move up to sixth and demote Athena down to seventh with a 3-1 triumph over already-relegated Bristol.
They edged the opener 26-24 and dropped the second set, going down 25-21, before rallying to take the third and fourth, 25-21, 25-12.
More title winners were crowned in Division 2 Central, where leaders Essex Trinity beat second-placed Herts to seal top spot and promotion.
Their 25-17, 25-20, 25-11 success saw them finish with a four-point gap to their nearest challengers and follows on from their male counterparts' Division 1 title win.
At the other end of the table, the fight was on to avoid the drop and, in the end, it was Norwich Spikers who achieved that goal, despite losing out 3-2 (22-25, 25-215, 25-15, 18-25, 15-9) at third-placed Northampton.
That was after second-from-bottom Rhinos Cambridge were beaten 3-1 by Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 (25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 25-11).
The final game of the Division 2 South season saw London Giants, as expected, complete an unbeaten season after seeing off visitors Sussex Dolphins in straight sets (25-14, 25-22, 25-23).
Next season they will line up against another side to secure a 100 per cent record for the campaign, Division 2 North champions Team Sunderland, who rounded off 2023-24 with two weekend wins.
First, on Saturday, they were 25-19, 25-16, 25-16 victors at Urmston Grammar and then they travelled across the Pennines to face Leeds Gorse 2 on Sunday and again won in straight sets (25-7, 25-10, 25-12), relegating their hosts in the process.
In a busy weekend of three matches for Urmston – pulling in fixtures at the end of the season – they also competed in a double header on Sunday against Manchester Marvels Mystics and Manchester Marvels Mayhem.
They edged to a five-set triumph against bottom side Mystics but were beaten by the same scoreline by Marvels, who finish in fourth place.
On Saturday, Sheffield secured second spot in the table with one game still to play as they overcame Everton Narwhals on the road, winning 15-5 in the decisive fifth set.
Black Country took the Division 3 Central title by making it 16 wins from 16 after being pushed hard by Newcastle Staffs, who will have to settle for a play-off berth.
They came through comfortably against Ashfield Vipers (25-13, 25-12, 25-16) and Leicester Athena (25-13, 25-22, 25-15) to spark the celebrations.
The other match in the triangular fixture was closer, with Athena battling to a 25-19, 25-17, 25-19 success to finish seventh in the table.
Another team to end the season as champions are Cheltenham and Gloucester, who won their last two triangular fixture matches to make sure.
Facing the bottom two sides, the results were rarely in doubt as they proved too strong for Plymouth Mayflower (25-21, 25-23, 25-16) and Plymouth (25-3, 25-17, 25-13).
What was more in doubt going into the weekend, was who would clinch the play-off spot behind them – and it proved to be Portsmouth.
They leapfrogged Plymouth UTV, who had been sitting second, by beating them 3-0, along with Southampton 2, also in straight sets.
In the other games in those two triangulars, UTV beat Southampton 2 in a five setter, while Mayflower beat their city rivals Plymouth 3-0.
In Division 3 North, the play-off spot was still up for grabs going into the final matches of the campaign, and it was Hull Thunder who kept their nerve to secure it.
Critically, they beat close rivals York Falcons 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 20-25, 25-20) and then also edged out Chester Amazons 3-1, rendering York’s win in the third match of the series as academic.
In the men’s competition, Black Country set up a last-game showdown with London Giants for the right to contest the Super League play-off against Newcastle Staffs.
They were made to work hard in the first set against fellow West Midlanders Tamworth before coming through 26-24, but things then got easier as they followed up with 25-16, 25-22, scorelines in the second and third sets.
With the title already wrapped up, there was no pressure on Essex Blaze’s final game of the season at London Aces and that was perhaps a factor in their 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 26-24) defeat.
Cambridge ARU rounded off their own season with a hard-fought victory over Coventry and Warwick Riga, where all three sets were won by just the two points (26-24, 25-23, 25-23).
The climax to the Division 2 North title race was a fascinating one and it eventually saw Hull Thunder pip Lincoln Cannons after prevailing in a five-set thriller between the two teams.
It was the Humberside visitors who made the better start, taking the first set 25-20, but Lincoln raced through the second 25-13 to level at 1-1.
Hull went back in front by clinching the third 25-19, but the Cannons were anything but fodder in determinedly squaring the match again by taking the fourth 28-26.
In a tense finale, it was Thunder who kept themselves together to notch a 15-11 tie break success and, with it, finish as champions.
Just as frenetic was the battle to stay in Division 2 Central, with Wombourne and MK City going head to head for that right.
The Buckinghamshire visitors twice went a set in front, but each time they were pegged back before eventually coming through by two points in a tie break (25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 22-25, 19-17).
Much less was riding on the division’s other game, but there was a morale-boosting, five-set victory for Dartford Crossers over Cambridge (22-25, 25-21, 18-25, 25-18, 15-13).
In Division 2 South, all the major issues were already settled, as Wiltshire Mavericks beat Wessex 3-0 but then lost 3-1 to third-placed Spelthorne Lions.
Richmond Bucks also completed their season with a win, dropping only 28 points in their straight sets success over City of Bristol.
It was a disappointing weekend for Leeds Gorse 2 in Division 3 North as they missed out on promotion and instead had to be content for a play-off spot.
Going into their triangular fixture, they knew two wins would see them overhaul leaders Kings of Court Boston.
However, a 3-2 win over Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 and 3-2 defeat to Black Country 2 meant they finished level on points with their Lincolnshire rivals, but lost out on set quotient.
In a thrilling day’s volleyball, Riga beat Black Country 3-2 to keep all present thoroughly entertained.
Elsewhere, bottom club Darkstar Derbyshire 2 clinched only a second win of the season as they won a topsy-turvy game 15-10 in the decider against Sheffield 2.
Newcastle Staffs 2 added the gloss to their Division 3 North West championship-winning season with two more victories to finish.
They were pushed hard before edging out Urmston Grammar 3-2 and also defeated Manchester Marvels Marauders 3-1.
Urmston could draw some consolation from their 3-0 win over the Marauders to end sixth with a 7-9 record.
One placed above them have finished Intervolley Manchester, who beat bottom two Liverpool U18 3-1 and Manchester Marvels Mavericks 3-0.
Liverpool also did the business against the Mavericks, winning in straight sets to leave the Mancunians with just one point from the season.
Cardiff Panthers look well set for a play-off spot behind champions Southampton in Division 3 South West after back-to-back weekend wins.
They beat both Reading Aces and second-placed Worthing 3-1, meaning they can now overtake the South Coast club with two matches still to come.
Worthing did at least edge out Reading 3-2 to keep their outside hopes alive.
Division 2 South East saw Rhinos Cambridge celebrate their title success in style with two more triumphs.
They defeated London Wildcats 3-1 and Onyx 3-0 to show just why they have finished top of the pile over the course of the season.
The division’s other fixtures saw GNG Bedford host Essex Etonians and run out 3-0 victors.
Wessex v Stockport pictures courtesy of www.chrisfosterphotgraphy.com and @polutka
For all the NVL fixtures heading into the final weekend of the season, click here.
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