NVL review (30th November and 1st December) - Gorse eyeing swift top-flight return

Their latest victims were bottom-of-the-table Hull Thunder, who, like most in the division, were unable to find the answers against the West Yorkshire side, who completed a straight sets (25-17, 25-21, 25-19) victory at the Steve Prescott Sports Centre. 

With 35 points already to their name – and a 13 point lead over their nearest challengers – it is already hard to bet against the Purple and Oranges clinching the title, even though the season has only just entered December. 

Second-placed London Aces (pictured above) did, at least, ensured that lead was not extended any further as they completed their own convincing away success – 25-19, 25-17, 25-20 at Lincoln Cannons. 

It got better for the Cannons as the weekend went on as they hit back on Sunday with their own win in three – overcoming in-form fellow Midlands side Tamworth. 

They were 25-18, 25-20, 25-18 victors to end the Spartans’ four-match winning streak. 

The only team to so far beat Leeds – Bristol – moved up to fourth in the table with a double home success, both by 3-1 margins. 

First, on Saturday, they came back from a set down to defeat Newcastle Staffs (23-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-23) and then, on Sunday, they overcame struggling Cambridge ARU, again after dropping the first (17-25, 25-20, 25-18, 26-24). 

Black Country are well placed in third after completing their fifth victory from eight matches this season triumphing in straight sets at London Baks (25-17, 25-23, 25-21). 

And Exeter Storm also picked up a welcome win, although they were made to work extremely hard for a five-set Saturday success over Cambridge (21-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 15-12). 

Southampton made a successful return to action after a long break by showing they mean business in Division 2 South’s only match of the weekend. 

The Hampshire side had only played one game this season prior to their meeting with league leaders Richmond Bucks. 

But they showed no signs of rustiness in making it two wins from two by securing a 26-24, 25-15, 25-19 success over their London opponents. 

The clash at the top end of Division 2 Central produced a cracker of a match, where Newmarket eventually came through to defeat Coventry and Warwick Riga in a five-set thriller. 

The Jockeys took a commanding two-set lead, only for their visitors to peg it back to 2-2 before the decider went down to the wire, which the hosts eventually clinched by two points (25-18, 25-23, 19-25, 19-25, 15-13). 

Newmarket remain second in the table behind Rhinos Volleyball Cambridge, who beat their city rivals Cambridge in four sets at the Stephen Perse Foundation (22-25, 25-13, 25-16, 25-18). 

The division’s other fixture was another early Christmas cracker as MK City recorded their first win of the season, beating completing a reverse sweep to beat Northampton in five in an incredibly close match (28-30, 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, 15-12). 

It is now five wins from five for Division 2 North leaders Manchester Marvels, who proved to be too strong for Harrogate, emerging as 25-15, 25-14, 25-20 victors. 

Darkstar Derbyshire are up to third after they beat Newcastle Staffs 2 by a 3-1 margin (25-19, 25-18, 25-27, 25-19. 

Reading Aces underlined they could be rivals to current leaders Oxford Bulls in Division 3 South West as they moved to a 5-1 record with a double win in their triangular with Weymouth (25-13, 25-15, 27-25) and Nuneaton Inferno (25-15, 25-23, 25-16). 

In the other match in the fixture, the South Coast side beat the Midlanders in straight sets (25-18, 25-14, 25-18). 

Onyx are on the charge and moved top of Division 3 South East with weekend triangular victories over Essex Estonians and London Wildcats. 

While Essex were brushed aside in straight sets (25-19, 25-23, 25-18), they had to win a decider after being twice in the lead to get the better of the Wildcats (25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 21-25, 15-12. 

Estonians were comfortable 3-0 victors (25-12, 25-20, 25-13) in the other game. 

Wombourne suffered a first defeat of the season as they gave up a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 to Chester (23-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-16, 16-14). 

Both teams defeated Darkstar Derbyshire 2 in straight sets in their other matches. 

In Division 3 North West, Manchester Moss Side drew level on points at the top with Liverpool after two triumphs against Sheffield 2 (25-21, 26-24, 25-14) and Urmston Grammar (25-23, 25-20, 25-14), the latter then winning the other fixture. 

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Althugh Stockport have put themselves at the top of Women’s Division 1, it was a frustrating weekend for them as they were able to win only one of their two matches. 

They suffered an unexpected 3-2 home defeat to Leicester Athena Phoenix on Saturday where they led 2-1, only to lose out agonisingly in the deciding tie breaker (25-17, 21-25, 23-25, 25-19, 16-14), 

However, the Greater Manchester team bounced back in their Sunday game, winning 3-0 at Coventry and Warwick Riga (27-25, 25-19, 25-16). 

It means they are one point clear of Essex Trinity, who are second after beating London Inter Crocs (25-18, 25-14, 25-22) and have played a game less than their rivals, with Newcastle Knights in third having played just four games but winning all of them. 

Neither Southampton nor visitors Richmond had won in the league all season, so someone had to break the duck, and it was the Londoners who did so in four (25-16, 25-21, 21-25, 25-16). 

Manchester Marvels Mayhem were able to put some daylight between themselves and their two closest rivals in Division 2 North after both Tamworth Spartans and The Miners, Doncaster dropped points. 

Mayhem beat Tamworth 3-1 (25-11, 24-17, 23-25, 25-23) while The Miners lost 3-1 at Newcastle Staffs (18-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-20) on Saturday before then bouncing back with a 3-0 success over Everton Narwhals (25-23, 25-17, 25-23). 

Bedminster stay at the summit of Division 2 West after their 3-0 victory at Black Country (25-21, 25-17, 25-13) but Team South Wales are hot on their heels just a point behind. 

The Welsh side have now won all four of their matches and are third, just behind Bristol, after a 25-14, 25-21, 25-17 success. 

Elsewhere, Cheltenham and Gloucester were close to a first win of the season, but were denied in a decider by Cardiff Falcons (24-26, 25-14, 25-18, 20-25, 15-11). 

There was a surprise result in Division 2 East where previously winless Onyx secured a confidence-boosting win over leaders Cambridge (25-22, 25-21, 19025, 25-23). 

Northampton took full advantage to close the gap at the top to four points with two games in hand as they came from a set down to see off MK City (23-25, 25-23, 25-17, 25-23). 

In Division 3 Central, Leicester Athena Nova gave their season a welcome lift as they beat both Ashfield Vipers and Black Country in the three sides’ triangular. 

The Vipers then claimed the pivotal third set of their match with the West Midlanders 29-27 en route to a four-set win. 

Invicta moved to a 4-4 record in Division 3 South East after hard-fought triangular successes over Dartford Warriors (3-2) and Richmond 3 (3-1), with Dartford winning the other encounter 3-0. 

Bedminster 2 are third in Division 3 South West – albeit having played more games than some of their rivals after double success over Plymouth (3-1) and City of Bristol (3-0). 

A mammoth five-setter between Bristol and Plymouth saw the former prevail 17-25, 30-28, 25-22, 25-27, 15-13. 

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