Super League 2024-25 round 2 review – Eagles women flying high after bright start

After beating Wessex prior to Opening Weekend and then University of Nottingham in the curtain raiser at the National Volleyball Centre, the Londoners completed their third straight sets victory in a row against Cambridge ARU (25-12, 25-11, 25-18). 

Three wins from three with no sets dropped represents a great start for the team co-coached by Jefferson Williams, Carol Gordon and Ian Legrand, but they will be well aware that there will be tougher tests to come. 

On this occasion, playing at home, they encountered few problems in the first two sets before ARU made things a little more difficult in the third. 

 

Grace Lazard was Most Valuable Player for the Eagles, with Krystalynn Leomiti taking the honours for Cambridge. 

Second in the table are Essex Rebels, but they suffered a mixed double header weekend. 

Firstly, on Saturday, they travelled into the capital to face Lionhearts Vinarius, who had been defeated by Cambridge at Opening Weekend. 

Things started well for Essex as they stormed into a two sets lead at the Shoreditch Mulberry Academy, winning them 25-14, 25-22. 

But Lionhearts did not give up and battled back to first level the match and then take the fifth set decider to complete a reverse sweep (25-19, 25-18, 25-11). 

Vinarius’ MVP was Elena Visliean, who served four aces, made two blocks and completed nine kills and seven digs. 

She was well supported by Maria Sviridova (two aces, 19 kills, 10 digs), Maggie Steward (12 kills, two block assists, nine digs) and Lyubomira Atanasova (40 assists and 14 digs). 

Julia Haynie got the nomination for the visitors (one ace, 15 kills, four block assists and six digs) while Lea Borovec (four aces, 15 kills and 12 digs) offered able support. 

Essex, however, hit back strongly on Sunday as they ran out comfortable straight sets winners against Darkstar Derbyshire (25-18, 25-19, 25-15). 

American Chelsea Simmons led the way with an MVP performance that saw her record 36 assists from 72 attempts, as well as three aces and four digs, while Alexis Diaz-Infante notched a game-high 11 kills. 

Viktoria Glazewska was named MVP for the East Midlanders, having completed 15 assists from 51 attempts, along with six digs. 

The other women’s match saw University of Nottingham do it the hard way as they came from two sets down to beat Wessex 3-2 (22-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 15-8). 

For much of the match it looked as if the South Coast club would pick up their first victory since being promoted to the top flight. 

However, the Green and Golds powered their way back in the match to consign their opponents to a third straight defeat. 

In the DYNAMIK Men’s Super League, Richmond Docklands have taken early leadership of the table after making it back-to-to-back wins to start their campaign by winning 3-1 at Essex Blaze. 

The first set at St John Payne School proved to be pivotal and it was the visitors who came through to edge it 29-27. 

The Blaze hit back to take the next 25-17 to level the match before Richmond just did enough to take the next two 25-23, 25-21, leaving the hosts to take plenty of encouragement from their performance. 

Nathan French was MVP for the Blaze, while Joao Alves got the nod for the away side. 

Having lost their Opening Weekend match in five sets to Newcastle Knights, Malory Eagles bounced back in fine style in their first home match of the new campaign, beating reigning champions Durham Palatinates. 

The teams exchanged sets before the Eagles took control to win 25-19, 22-25, 25-14, 25-21) and bolster their confidence after a disappointing first week. 

Dalton Bunde took the MVP award for the home side, with Alexei Walisser selected for Durham.

Image by Nathaniel Macrae

---