National Cup and Shield last 16 previews - lower division sides eye upsets

London Giants, high-flying in Women’s Division 1 with just one defeat in seven games, tackle last year’s beaten finalists Durham Palatinates knowing will have their work cut out to make the last 8. 

That said, the hosts will have seen a chink in the armour of the Palatinates – league champions for the last three seasons – who have an unfamiliar 5-5 record in 2024-25 and face a long trip south. 

Another side going well in Division 1, Essex Trinity, have a tough assignment as they travel to meet Team SideOut Polonia, winners of the National Cup last year and currently sitting top of the MAAREE Women’s Super League. 

The challengers to be champions have lost only twice this season and both of those were in five-set thrillers, underlining the difficulty of the task for the visitors. 

It will also be a tricky test for Leicester Athena Phoenix if they are to emulate their heroics of reaching last season’s National Shield final. 

The East Midlanders go to Essex Rebels, who have won six of their nine Super League matches in the campaign so far. 

Perhaps the most challenging ask of all is for Newcastle Knights, who have been drawn against still-unbeaten Super League high flyers Malory Eagles UEL, with the match being staged in Nottingham. 

It will, in fact, be the battle of two sides undefeated in the league so far this season as the North East Club are top of Division 1 with a 100 per cent record. 

But they will have to step up another level if they are to stun an experienced Eagles team who have their eyes on the prize on two fronts. 

Super League strugglers Darkstar Derbyshire will be watching their step when Stockport come calling. 

While the mid-table Division 1 side have not enjoyed the same success as last season when they finished second to reach the play-offs, they have shown they can be a forced to be reckoned with on their day. 

Two non-NVL side will be considered massive underdogs as they prepare to go up against Super League opposition. 

The University of Bristol, who have qualified for the Student Cup Finals on the weekend of 8th and 9th February, will pit their wits against sixth-placed top flight side Cambridge ARU. 

Waterloo Thunder, meanwhile, meet the side one place higher in the Super league table when they play Leeds Gorse at the Ruth Gorse Academy. 

There are two non-NVL sides left in the men’s draw, with West Midlands side Telford travelling to unbeaten Division 3 North Central leader Nottingham Rockets and The Army visiting Division 3 South West side Reading Aces. 

The only match not involving a Super League side sees Division1 Coventry and Warwick Riga paired with London League team London Bears. 

The capital club won the National Shield last year at the National Volleyball Centre and will believe they can reach the Cup quarters this time around against opponents who have struggled following relegation from Super League at the end of last season. 

While all the women’s Super League teams have been kept apart, the same cannot be said in the Men’s National Cup, with three all-Super League encounters. 

Two of those involve the top four sides in the DYNAMIK Men’s Super League, meaning there are going to be some high-profiel casualties, whatever transpires. 

Current leaders Malory Eagles UEL meet Newcastle Knights in the middle of the country for an eagerly-awaited clash in Nottingham. 

Both sides have become accustomed to winning in 2024-25, having lost just three of the 15 matches they have so far played between them. 

It’s second versus third in Colchester as Essex Rebels meet Durham Palatinates to vie for a last eight spot. 

The third match between two top flight clubs is at Clapham Leisure Centre where London Giants entertain an Essex Blaze side just one place and two points below them in the table. 

Both sides were promoted from Division 1 last season, so are familiar foes, and will be keen to get their 2025 off to a strong start. 

Elsewhere, two teams in contention for promotion from Division 1 will travel to sides at the bottom end of the Super League and will be keen to see how they measure up. 

Black Country, who beat then-Super League Newcastle Staffs in last season’s Cup travel to IBB Polonia, who will be looking to make it three wins in a row following their recent resurgence. 

London Aces, who are second in the second tier travel north to face a Stockport side who are bottom of the Super League and still without a victory. 

On Humberside, Hull Thunder will hope home advantage can help them overcome a sngnificant gap in the number of places in the ladder between them and Richmond Docklands as they two sides meet. 

There are two all-Division 1 clashes, with Lincoln Cannons, the highest-ranked of those sides in terms of league placing hosting Exeter Storm, while Tamworth Spartans welcome Exeter Storm.

 

Two of the highest-ranked teams come together in the Women’s Shield as Cambridge, top of Division 2 East play Bristol, who have only lost one match so far in Division 2 West. 

Another side in prime form, Bedminster, who head up Division 2 West, travel to Division 2 East’s MK City, who are sixth in Division 2 East. 

Two more all-Division 2 clashes see Northampton (East) visit Cardiff Falcons (West), while North rivals Loughborough Students and Manchester Marvels Mayhem, who are top, face off. 

The only non-NVL side, Newcastle Panthers, hosts a Manchester Liberators side going well in Division 3 North. 

Reading Aces, unbeaten and top of Division 3 South, take on Portsmouth of Division 3 South West. 

York Falcons of Division 3 North will hope to bridge the gap when Division 2 North Sheffield make the relatively short trip north promotion as Division 3 Central rivals Darkstar Derbyshire 2 and Lincoln Cannons prepare to do battle in Derby. 

In the Men’s Shield, non-NVL side Telford will be keen to test their credentials against unbeaten Division 3 North Central leaders Nottingham Rockets at the David Ross Sports Village.

 

The other non-NVL side, The Army, will travel to face a Reading Aces team from Division 3 South West who have lost only once this season. 

Division 2 North teams Manchester Marvels (top) and Darkstar Derbyshire (fourth) will do battle, while another team in that division Loughborough Students, go to Division 3 North West’s Everton Dugongs. 

Division 3 South West’s Weymouth will cross the border to try to upset Division 2 South Cardiff Panthers as Spelthorne Lions of Division 2 South hosts Coventry and Warwick Riga of Division 2 Central. 

Northampton have forfeited the remaining fixture, meaning Wessex progress to the last eight.

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