NVL preview (14th and 15th December) - Aces seeking to make up ground

The West Yorkshire club currently have a 13-point lead at the top, but second-placed Aces will hope to cut that to 10 with a game in hand when they take on fellow capital side London Baks on Saturday. 

Bristol, in fourth, could leapfrog Black Country, who are immediately above them, should they secure a weekend double as they visit near neighbours and familiar foes Exeter Storm and then at home to Lincoln Cannons. 

For their part, the East Midlands side will hope to improve on their seventh spot as they also take on another West Country side in Storm on Saturday. 

Elsewhere, Hull Thunder entertain Tamworth Spartans on Saturday while Cambridge ARU welcome Newcastle Staffs on Sunday.   

It’s a busy weekend for Wigan Seahawks in Division 2 North as they first make the trip to Stoke to play Newcastle Staffs 2 and then host unbeaten league leaders Manchester Marvels.

 

Second-placed Kings of Court will play third-placed Darkstar Derbyshire in what could prove to be a significant match in shaping the overall league table. 

Harrogate will look to get off the mark for their league season when they host Sheffield at the Rossett Sports Centre. 

Second-placed Newmarket will bid to slash Rhinos Volleyball Cambridge’s lead at the summit of Division 2 Central to four points with a gamer in hand when they take on Loughborough Students, who are in a rich vein of form. 

If the East Midlanders can win that Sunday match, and also their fixture at MK City on Saturday, they could also put themselves in the promotion-chasing picture. 

Norwich Spikers will also be looking to strengthen their standing when they visit bottom-of-the-table Cambridge. 

Southampton have played just twice in Division 2 South so far, but remain unbeaten, and will hope to continue that trend when they cross the border to take on Cardiff Panthers. 

Just a few miles apart, Hounslow and Spelthorne Lions will go head to head in a local derby, also on Sunday. 

There are no games in any of the four geographical sections of Division 3. 

An intriguing battle is in prospect in Women’s Division 1 where third-placed Everton Belugas and fourth-placed Essex Trinity face a Sunday showdown in Liverpool. 

Newcastle Knights can put themselves firmly in command at the top of the table with success in the capital against Richmond (Saturday) and London Inter Crocs (Sunday). 

Travelling the other way will be London Giants who have a date with Leicester Athena Phoenix looking to maintain their record of having lost only one game this season. 

It’s a top versus bottom clash tonight (Thursday) as Manchester Marvels Mayhem visit struggling Urmston Grammar, before the latter then go to Loughborough Students on Saturday. 

The students will be in action again on Sunday when second-placed The Miners Doncaster come calling. 

There are four matches in Division 2 East, two on Saturday and two on Sunday. 

On the first day of the weekend, top meet third as Cambridge host Norwich Spikers, while Richmond 2 welcome fellow London side Onyx. 

The latter two sides are then in action again the following day as Richmond travel to Dartford Chargers and Onyx are at home to second-placed Northampton. 

There is only one fixture in Division 2 West, but it is a significant one as unbeaten Team South Wales play Cardiff Falcons in a South Wales derby knowing that a convincing victory will move them up to second. 

A triangular fixture in Division 3 North pits two of the three Manchester sides in the Division – the Marvels Mystics and the Liberators – against each other, with Leeds Gorse 2 providing the other opposition. 

There are no other fixtures in the other Division 3 sections. 

Main image by Angela Grabowska.

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