Super League review (8th and 9th November) - Rebels women move to summit

They now head up the table by virtue of a superior set quotient ahead of last year’s champions, Malory Eagles, who beat them in the gold medal match at Final 4 in April. 

Alex Chinery’s side went into Saturday’s match having expectedly beaten a young Leeds Gorse team at Opening Weekend with a degree of comfort, but their second clash at Darkstar Derbyshire was always likely to be a stiffer test. 

The East Midlands club put together a terrific run to stay up at the back end of last season and looked to have improved their squad while retaining key performers from last year. 

So the fact that the Rebels were able to take maximum points after going a set down on the road was a real show of strength. 

Darkstar started well at Landau Forte College to take the opener 25-18, but Essex responded with three unanswered sets, 25-17, 25-23, 25-16, with a closely-matched third set proving to be pivotal.  

MVP for the victors was Haley Gilfillan, who served one ace, made 11 kills hitting .500 off 20 attempts and contributed four blocks and two digs in a fine all-round game. 

Savannah Spitzer also racked up an impressive tally, hitting .429 and claiming six blocks. 

Captain Alice Brand took the honours for the home side after serving two aces, hitting five kills and making eight digs. 

The Rebels’ strong performance was underlined yesterday (Sunday) when Darkstar rebounded with victory in their second clash of the weekend against Lionhearts Vinarius. 

Both sides had been reverse swept at Opening Weekend – the hosts by Durham and the Londoners by Team SideOut Polonia – so had a point to prove. 

But it was Maria Bertelli and Audrey Cooper’s side who won the battle of the all-female coaches against Lulama Musti de Gennaro, coming trough in four sets.

 Things started well for the visitors as they took the first set 25-16, with little sign of what was to come. 

But Darkstar cut down the error count thereafter and nicked a pivotal second set, 25-23, in which they lead early before holding off a Lionhearts fightback. 

From then on, the East Midlands club were largely in control, aided by some strong blocking from their middles, to secure the next two sets 25-19, 25-18.  

The hosts’ setter, Viktoriya Glazewska, was rewarded for an influential performance with the MVP award, while Diane Ewane was picked out for Vinarius. 

In the men’s competition, the University of Nottingham took advantage of having played more games than any other side to go top of the DYNAMIK Men’s Super League table. 

They have a two-point lead at the summit after defeating Richmond Docklands 3-1 at the Jubilee Campus Sports Centre and, while they now have a 2-2 record, they have taken points from both of their defeats, both tough road trips. 

On Saturday, they close out the first set at a canter, 25-14, but then were pegged back by a determined Docklands, who secured the second 25-20. 

The third set was always going to be crucial in shaping the match and after the Green and Golds took it 25-23, they were able to seal the fourth set by a 25-19 margin.

Kana'i Akana enjoyed an excellent game for the hosts, posting one ace, 15 kills, two blocks and nine digs.  

Artemii Solodukhov, who hit no less than 24 kills, along with making 20 successful returns of serve from 21 attempts and one block and completing six digs, got the MVP nod for Richmond. 

While last year’s champions, London Giants, lost to Nottingham at Opening Weekend, they have won their two matches since and now sit second in the table. 

Their latest success came over Essex Rebels at Brixton Recreation Centre and lifts them a point ahead of their beaten opponents, wtih both teams having played three games so far. 

The Giants cruised to the Opening set 25-11 and never looked back after that, following up with 25-22, 25-15 scorelines, to the delight of the watching home crowd. 

Setter Griffin Fieseler was the hosts’ MVP with two kills, three digs and 35 assists from 64 attempts. 

Hassan Farhat was nominated for Essex after successfully returning serve on 16 of 17 attempts, completing eight kills from 21 attempts and making one block and two digs. 

This weekend promises a bumper crop of matches, with no less than six women’s and five men’s matches scheduled. 

Two of those fixtures, Essex Rebels versus Durham Palatinates (women and men) will be the first Super League Live matches of the regular season, following on from Opening Weekend. 

The women’s match is first at 2pm and the men’s match will follow at 4pm, and both can be watched on Volleyball England’s YouTube Channel, with coverage starting at approximately 1.30pm. 

Images by Nathaniel Macrae Photography Amal K Sudheer.