NVL review (29th and 30th March) - Black Country edge out Bristol for play-off spot on set quotient 

Going into the final two days of the campaign, the West Country side had two games left to play and their West Country rivals just one. 

Saturday’s matches saw BC clinch victory as they came back from a set down to beat a London Baks side 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 32-30, 25-22) who were desperate for the points themselves in their quest for relegation. 

Bristol, meanwhile, travelled to Newcastle Staffs and, though they did register a success, the fact they were taken to five sets (25-19, 23-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-12) meant they dropped a vital point. 

The result meant a win of any kind for Black Country in their own match against Castle on Sunday would be sufficient for them to claim the runners-up spot. 

A 3-0 or 3-1 victory would see them finish one point above Bristol, while a 3-2 triumph would be enough thanks to their superior set quotient. Defeat, however, would hand Bristol second spot. 

It proved to be a tense showdown between the two clubs with BC twice going in front, only to be pegged back each time, leaving the score at 2-2. 

An extended deciding set could not have been much closer, but the hosts eventually got the job done to win by two points (25-19, 26-28, 25-17, 21-25, 19-17), meaning they now go forward to face Richmond Docklands in Cambridge on 12th April, with the play-off winners earning a DYNAMIK Men’s Super League place for next season.  

It was just as nail-biting at the bottom end of the tabel where several clubs were still fighting to avoid the driop. 

After their Saturday defeat, the match between Tamworth Spartans and Baks effectively became a winner-takes-all encounter, with the victors staying up and the losers going down. 

That was after Lincoln Cannons' relegation had been confirmed on Saturday when they took the first set but were eventually defeated 3-1 by London Aces (23-25, 25-18, 25-14, 25-23). 

The first two sets at the Wilnecote Leisure Centre were close, but went the way of the hosts and though they lost the third set, they held their nerve to win in four and pull off a great escape (25-22, 25-23, 12-25, 25-19). 

The other two matches on Saturday did not affect any relegation or promotion issues as champions Leeds Gorse took the opportunity to field a number of members from the squad yet still eked out a 3-2 victory over already-relegated Hull Thunder (25-22, 24-26, 25-11, 22-25, 15-11). 

In the clash between two sides in the bottom half of the table but already safe, Cambridge ended on a high to leapfrog opponents Exeter Storm and finish in sixth with a 25-21, 25-15, 22-25, 25-15. 

In Division 2 North, both of the top two teams could still have won the title going into the final weekend, but it was the leaders going into it who made sure of finishing on top. 

Second-placed Sheffield put the pressure on by winning their Saturday game 25-23, 18-25, 25-20, 25-19 against Darkstar Derbyshire. 

But it mattered not in the end as Manchester Marvels kept their cool to prevail 25-18, 25-29, 25-28 at Kings of Court, rendering the South Yorkshire’s side second success of the weekend, 25-22, 25-22, 25-13 at home to Wigan Seahawks, immaterial. 

Elsewhere, Newcastle Staffs 2 hit back to round off their campaign with a four-set victory over Harrogate (23-25, 25-21, 25-13, 25-21). 

Loughborough Students had looked favourites to claim second placed in Division 2 Central, but their final day defeat at Northampton by the narrowest of margins in a five-set thriller (25-23, 27-25, 22-25, 24-26, 15-13) handed that positions to Coventry and Warwick Riga. 

That was after the West Midlanders – who the previous weekend had clinched a place in the National Shield Final – did their part with a 25-13, 25-22, 25-16) triumph over MK City. 

Southampton did not make the same mistake in Division 2 South as they did clinch second place behind champions Wessex after a 3-1 success over Wiltshire Mavericks (25-21, 15-25, 25-23, 25-16). 

Richmond Bucks were left to consider what might have been as they came up just one point short with their own 3-1 win over Cardiff Panthers (20-25, 25-23, 25-18, 26-24), which relegated the Welsh team.  

Wessex underlined their dominance of the division with a 10th victory from 12 matches as they got the better of Spelthorne Lions in three sets (26-24, 25-15, 25-19). 

Nottingham Rockets completed a 100% record in Division 3 North, but they were made to work harder than expected for it in a Sunday triangular. 

They beat Wombourne 3-0, but were pushed all the way by Wombourne 2 before eventually taking it in a fifth set. 

In the battle of the two club sides, Wombourne were victorious in straight sets with a degree of comfort. 

Saturday had seen Leicester clinch second place ahead of Chester at Downes Sports Hall after the former secured a 3-1 success. 

They also beat GNG Bedford in straight sets, who Chester defeated by the same margin. 

Everton Dugongs completed their remarkable journey from bottom of the table to league champions after double victory in their final triangular of the season. 

Having crucially beaten city rivals Liverpool on Friday night, they returned to action on Sunday to see off York Falcons and Intervolley Manchester in straight sets. 

It means that after losing their first two games of the season, they have won 14 on the spin to pip Sheffield Springers to top spot. Intervolley won the other fixture in straight sets. 

Kent Invicta had already wrapped up the title in Division 3 South East, meaning their 3-0 defeat to Worthing meant little in the final reckoning. 

They did, however, get the better of London Wildcats (3-0) in their Saturday triangular, as did Worthing (3-2). 

Below them, Onyx earned straight sets victories in their final two matches to finish up in third spot, while Tendring stayed sixth and Guildford International fifth despite the former winning 3-1 in the triangular’s other game. 

All nine Division 3 South West teams were in action on the final weekend, with Reading Aces ensuring themselves of a second placed finish by winning a five-set thriller against Bristol 2 and beating Nuneaton Inferno 3-0. Bristol 2 won the other fixture to claim fourth spot. 

Weymouth took third spot despite a mixed bag, beating Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 in three, but losing to Southampton 2 in five. 

In that rare triangular occurrence, the West Midlands side took the third match 3-0, as each side claimed one win each.  

Oxford Bulls concluded their campaign with yet two more straight sets wins – this time against City of Bristol and Bedminster – meaning they have dropped only four sets throughout the season. 

Bedminster claimed a 3-1 victory against their city rivals City of Bristol. 

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In Women’s Division 1, Newcastle Knights, already crowned champions, went to 50 points for the season and ensured they won by a three –point margin, rather than set quotient, by winning in straight sets at Coventry and Warwick Riga (25-18, 25-22, 25-13). 

Second place London Giants will go into their play-off with Super League Darkstar Derbyshire in good heart having eased to victory in their final regular season match at Southampton, coming through 25-19, 23-25, 25-12, 25-23.  

A strong last weekend to the season has seen Essex Trinity clinch third place. 

On Saturday, they were 3-1 winners at Leicester Athena Phoenix (22-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-16), who finished fifth, and on Sunday followed it up by returning home to secure a crucial 3-2 victory over Everton Belugas (25-15, 23-25, 25-15, 19-25, 15-12), who finished fourth.  

It was not a very successful trip south for the Merseyside team, who had also been defeated 3-0 by Richmond on Saturday (25-15, 25-16, 25-13). 

London Inter Crocs also ended on a high as they were 3-1 winners at Stockport (19-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-22), but the Greater Manchester side were still one point clear in the final table. 

In Sunday’s battle of the already-decided top two in Division 2 North, second-placed Loughborough Students made full use of home court advantage to beat champions Manchester Marvels, which weas only a second defeat of the season for them. 

The visitors looked on course for victory leading 2-0, but the students had other ideas, completing a reverse sweep, clinching the last by just two points (17-25, 23-25, 26-24, 25-16, 16-14). 

Newcastle Staffs edged themselves up a place to sixth on set quotient, above Everton Narwhals, by taking maximum points from their final match of the season against Urmston Grammar (25-11, 25-19, 25-12). 

Three matches rounded out Division 2 East, with title winners Cambridge maintaining their eventual winning margin to six points by beating Onyx 3-1 on Saturday (22-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-20). 

That was after second-placed Richmond 2 were also victorious in comfortable fashion at MK City whose 3-0 defeat (25-22, 25-20, 25-21) means they are relegated by the narrowest of margins on set quotient. 

On Sunday, third-placed Northampton were taken the distance before registering a five-set success against visitors Norwich Spikers (25-21, 21-25, 25-27, 25-20, 15-11). 

Bristol have followed up making the National Shield final by clinching the Division 2 West title on the last day. 

With two games to play over the weekend, the West Country side set up their opportunity by beating Black Country on Saturday in four sets at Redhill School (25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 25-22), putting pressure on long-term leaders Team South Wales. 

And as the Cardiff-based side fluffed their lines on Sunday – Bristol being done a favour by city rivals and National Shield Final opponents Bedminster (25-17, 25-19, 25-18) – they were able to capitalise by overcoming Oxford Eagles at home 3-1 (25-18, 25-17, 23-25, 25-23) to go to the summit when it mattered. 

Team South Wales finish second and Bedminster third, while at the other end of the table, Cheltenham and Gloucester were relegated back to Division 3 after they lost to Black Country (25-20, 25-16, 28-26) when a win would have seen them leapfrog Cardiff Falcons to safety. 

Manchester Liberators inflicted a first defeat of the season on Manchester Moss Side Jaguars on Sunday and, in doing so, clinched second place in the final table. 

They edged a titanic five-setter that swung one way and then also beat Leeds Gorse 2 in straight sets. Both teams beat Leeds Gorse 2 in straight sets.

Leeds Gorse 3, meanwhile cemented their third place finish with double victory in their triangular against Hull Thunder and Newcastle Staffs 2, with the latter beating the former by the same margin in the other match. 

On Saturday, Manchester Marvels Mystics had rounded off their campaign in style by seeing off the challenge of York Falcons and Chester Amazons, both by a 3-1 scoreline. 

York bounced back to defeat Chester in straight sets in the other fixture of the triangular. 

There was just one triangular fixture left in Division 3 Central and it saw Wombourne, as expected, complete their all-conquering season by making it 16 wins from 16. 

They finished 11 points clear of the rest after a 3-1 success over Rhinos Cambridge and 3-0 triumph over Ashfield Vipers, who were beaten by the same score by the Rhinos, who ended up fourth in the table. 

A bumper final weekend of fixtures in Division 3 South East saw all nine teams in action. 

Sussex Dolphins encountered a mixed bag in their Sunday triangular, beating Dartford Warriors 3-1 but coming unstuck in as five-setter against Ashcombe Dorking. 

Worthing have finished second after winning their crunch clash against Tendring 3-1, consigning the latter to third place. 

Both sides beat Essex Ravens by 3-1 and 3-0 margins respectively. 

Although Richmond 3 were already guaranteed to finish bottom of the division, they at least ended on the high of back-to-back victories over Spelthorne Sharks (3-2) and Invicta (3-0). 

In the third match of the triangular, invicta came up trumps, edging out Spelthorne in five sets.

Six teams were in action in Division 3 South West’s final weekend, where Reading Aces rounded off a remarkable season with yet two more straight sets successes, this time over Plymouth UTV and City of Bristol. 

The Berkshire side have swept all before them in 2024-25 and have lost just two sets all season – a terrific achievement. 

UTV beat CoB 3-0 to leapfrog them and take sixth spot in the table. 

In the other triangular, Southampton 2 made sure of second spot with two convincing 3-0 wins over Plymouth and Bedminster 2, with the latter winning the third clash of the series 3-1.

Action image by Veva (@vevawbu)