NVL Review (19th and 20th October) - Gorse make it five from five to set early promotion pace

The latest victories for the team wearing purple and orange came first on the road on Saturday and then back in West Yorkshire on Sunday. 

Things initially did not go according to plan at Black Country, where the hosts wrapped up the first set 25-20 to underline their threat to last season’s Super League side. 

But from then on, Leeds were able to reel off three consecutive sets, 25-20, 25-21, 25-18, to register an overall 3-1 success, despite the West Midlanders battling to the last. 

At home to Cambridge ARU – who had won 3-1 at Hull Thunder in their other weekend match (25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 25-15) – Gorse were always in control and triumphed in straight sets 25-22, 25-21, 25-13. 

Their nearest challengers in the early reckoning are Bristol (pictured above), who made it three wins out of three - albeit without taking maximum points – after a hard-fought thriller went their way when they welcomed London Aces. 

Bristol took the first two sets by just two points – 25-23 on each occasion – before the visitors turned the tide to take the next to 25-19, 27-25. 

Given the close nature of the match throughout, it was no surprise that the final set also went to the wire before the newly-promoted hosts clinched it 15-13 for an overall 3-2 victory. 

London could at least take some solace from the fact that their long trip to the West Country had not left them entirely empty handed after they had seen off Exeter Storm 3-1 the previous day. 

They fought back from dropping the first set to come through 21-25, 25-14, 25-18, 25-18. 

For their part, Black Country bounced back from the Leeds defeat by winning a West Midlands derby at nearby Tamworth 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-19). 

In Division 2 South, Richmond Bucks (pictured top) are sitting pretty at the top with four wins in as many matches, including their latest weekend double. 

First they secured a tight 3-2 victory at Wessex, who had themselves won their first match, winning the extended final set tie breaker after coming back from 2-1 down in sets 15-25, 25-19, 15-25, 25-22, 19-17). 

Then, returning home, they were able to back it up with a 3-0 triumph over Cardiff Panthers, where a tight first two sets preceded a more comfortable match-clinching one (25-23, 25-22, 25-14). 

Wessex responded by overcoming Hounslow 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-14, 25-17) in their own Sunday home match and are second having played two more games than third-placed Southampton. 

Loughborough Students got their season up and running in Division 2 Central as they recorded their first win following two early defeats by beating Cambridge 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-18). 

But it is Coventry and Warwick Riga who remain top of the pile after they edged out Rhinos Volley Cambridge in an epic match at the Allan Higgs Centre. 

Riga led 1-0 and Rhinos 2-1 in sets as the match swung one way then the other before the hosts eventually settled the issue by taking the fourth and fifth sets for an overall 3-2 success (25-20, 20-25, 18-25, 26-24, 15-9). 

Behind them, Newmarket, who beat Northampton 3-1 (21-25, 25-22, 25-14, 25-23), and Norwich Spikers, 3-0 victors over MK City (25-18, 25-23, 25-23), retained their own unbeaten records to sit second and third in the table respectively. 

Manchester Marvels underlined their bright start in Division 2 North, beating Darkstar Derbyshire 3-1 (18-25, 26-24, 25-19, 25-18) to make it two victories from two while newly-promoted Wigan Seahawks won their first league match of the campaign 3-2 against Harrogate (22-25, 25-14, 25-11, 23-25, 15-10). 

Another Greater Manchester side to encounter success was Manchester Moss Side, who won both matches in their triangular with Liverpool and Manchester Marvels Marauders in Division 3 North West. 

They won 3-2 and 3-1 in those respective matches while Liverpool beat the Marauders 3-1 in the other match, despite losing the second set 40-38. 

There were no game in Division 3 North Central or Division 3 South West, but in Division 3 South East, six fixtures were staged in two triangulars. 

Most significantly, Kent Invicta (pictured below) recorded two victories in their two matches against Essex Etonians (3-1) and second-placed Dartford Crossers (3-2) to lead the way. 

Onyx London have also put themselves in the early running, going third with victories over London Wildcats (3-1) and Urbond Portsmouth (3-0). 

Dartford edged out Essex 3-2 and Wildcats defeated Urbond 3-0 in the other two matches. 

In the women’s section, Leicester Athena Phoenix are the early pacesetters in Division 1 after making it two victories from two matches by beating Richmond 3-1 at home on Saturday. 

Despite conceding the first set narrowly, they eventually ran out 23-25, 25-13, 25-13, 25-21 winners. 

It was a disappointing weekend for the Dark Blues, who were also defeated on Sunday at a Coventry and Warwick Riga side notching their first win in three attempts, clinching a tight match 3-1 (26-24, 24-26, 25-17, 25-20). 

Riga had lost on Saturday to London Giants, who won their first match 3-0 (25-16, 25-18, 25-22) after winning Division 2 South with an unbeaten record in 2023-24. 

Everton Belugas recorded a fine start as they made the mammoth journey and won 3-0 (25-21, 25-12, 25-21) at a Southampton side also playing their first match of the season. 

The same could be said of newly-promoted Essex Trinity (pictured above) who made their bow with a hard-earned 3-2 triumph at London Inter Crocs, where they gave up a 2-1 lead before edging the decider (20-25, 26-24, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12). 

Urmston Grammar played three Division 2 North matches in a weekend but were unfortunately unable to win any of them. 

They lost 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-20) to The Miners Doncaster (pictured below), who remained unbeaten in securing promotion last season and then 3-1 (25-15, 22-25, 25-22, 25-15) to Sheffield, also at home, on the Saturday. 

Things did not get any better on the Sunday as they took on Manchester Marvels and suffered a 3-0 reverse (25-14, 25-13, 25-18). 

Loughborough Students and Everton Narwhals both picked up their first victories of the season after losing their openers as the respectively beat Newcastle Staffs 3-1 (25-20, 25-19, 24-26, 27-25) and Tamworth Spartans 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 22-25, 26-24, 15-11). 

In Division 2 East, Norwich Spikers played two five setters over the weekend, one going in their favour and one against them. 

First they closed out victory at home to MK City (20-25, 25-22, 18-25, 25-9, 15-12) as they came back from 2-1 down and then they gave up a 2-1 lead to go down in the tightest of finishes at Herts (25-22, 16-25, 18-25,26-24, 15-13). 

The divisions other two matches both took place on Sunday and the first of them saw Cambridge beat previously unbeaten Northampton 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 21-25, 25-18) to leapfrog them and go top of the table.  

The other saw Richmond 2 (pictured above) beat Onyx London 3-2 (25-23, 29-27, 18-25, 25-27, 15-10) in a contest notable for it being fiercely contested throughout. 

Two matches in Division 2 West saw success for the two Welsh teams. 

Cardiff Falcons inflicted a season’s first defeat on Oxford Eagles by edging a 3-2 success (24-26, 25-14, 18-25, 25-13, 15-10), while Team South Wales  (pictured below) won by the same overall scoreline (16-25, 25-14, 25-15, 22-25, 15-11) at Bristol. 

Division Three South West was the only other to see action in the shape of a triangular fixture at Coombe Dean School. 

That saw NVL newcomers Bedminster 2 enjoy the best of matches contested as they defeated Weymouth 3-1 and Plymouth UTV 3-2. Plymouth (pictured below) then got the better of Weymouth, securing a 3-0 win. 

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