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National Cup and Shield Last 16 review (10th and 11th January) - Blaze put out Super League Leeds
Without their talismanic opposite, Nelson Murangwa, it was always going to be a tough trip to Chelmsford for the West Yorkshire side, given that Blaze were in the top flight last season and are in the hunt to return to that level come the end of the season.
And so it proved as Essex took the first two sets with a degree of comfort led by their MVP Ashley Toomey.
A young Leeds side, with just seven players in their squad, fought back strongly to take the third set, but Blaze nicked a tight fourth to close out the match (25-17, 25-15, 21-25, 25-23).
Emmanuel Oretoye was named as MVP for Gorse.
Essex’s reward for their success is a quarter-final tie with Richmond Docklands, who were given a fright by London Giants 2 before they eventually came through in a five-set thriller.
All appeared to be going to plan for the Super League side as they went two sets to the good, but their London League opponents fought back strongly to square the match at 2-2.
Docklands, however, were able to regather themselves to seal the crucial tie break and clinch their passage through (25-21, 26-24, 18-25, 19-25, 15-12).
Indeed, all four Last 8 ties will see a Super League team take on one from Division 1. One of the underdogs in those matches will be Wessex, who came through their Last 8 game at fellow Division 1 South Bristol in four sets.
Last year’s National Shield winners set the tone by clinching the first set and, though, they dropped the second, they regained focus and momentum to take the next two and run out 25-20, 24-26, 25-18, 25-15 at Avanti Gardens.
Next up, the South Coast club will have the chance to test themselves against reigning Super League champions, London Giants.
The side who are also sitting top of the DYNAMIK Men’s Super League ran out comfortable 25-11, 25-17, 25-13 winners against London League side Onyx.
The battle of the Division 1 leaders saw Newcastle Staffs (North) defeat IBB Polonia (South) in four sets.
The visitors, fielding a weakened squad, took the second set but otherwise had no answer at the Stanley Matthews Sports Centre (25-16, 20-25, 25-19, 27-25).
Staffs’ reward for victory is a trip to the capital to face last year’s beaten finalists, Malory Eagles UEL, who cruised through against London League’s London Lionhearts 25-19, 25-14, 25-19.
Coventry and Warwick Riga got the better of Division 1 North and Midlands rivals Black Country, despite dropping the first set at the Alan Higgs Centre.
Last season’s beaten National Shield finalists stormed back to secure a 19-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-18 triumph and set up a meeting with Essex Rebels.
The current National Cup holders did not have it all their own way against Division 1 South’s London Aces, who battled hard to win the third set.
However, the hosts did eventually progress in four to keep their hopes of a repeat success alive (25-23, 25-19, 25-27, 25-20).
Men's quarter-finals
Wessex v London Giants.
Malory Eagles UEL v Newcastle Staffs.
Essex Blaze v Richmond Docklands.
Essex Rebels v Coventry and Warwick Riga.
Division 1 South side London Giants shocked MAAREE Super League Lionhearts Vinarius to claim a deserved place in the Last 8 of the National Cup.
The top-flight hopefuls, unbeaten in their league campaign, showed they have the appetite and skill to compete with the best teams in the country, emerging victorious in three sets (26-24, 25-16, 25-19.
Next on their National Cup agenda will be an even tougher assignment when they will host unbeaten Super League leaders Durham Palatinates.
For their part, the North East side got the better of Division 1 South Bedminster, who gave their all but were outgunned (25-14, 25-11, 25-6).
A mouth-watering quarter-final awaits as both Essex Rebels (third in Super League) and Team SideOut Polonia (fourth) took care of Last 16 business.
Alex Chinery’s Rebels cruised through against Division 1 North strugglers Stockport by a 25-15, 25-11, 25-18 scoreline.
Polonia also progressed with few alarms as they beat London Bears, of the London League, also in three sets (25-17, 25-15, 25-16).
But there was success for two other London League sides, including Waterloo Thunder, who beat Division 1 North’s Northampton in four despite dropping the opening set (25-27, 25- 21, 25-14, 25-14).
Super League’s Darkstar Derbyshire will provide their next opposition after they were pushed hard but eventually came through against Everton Belugas at Litherland School (25-22, 25-21, 25-20).
The other London League winners were Onyx, who inflicted a first competitive defeat of the season on Division 1 South Richmond, registering a 25-22, 25-20, 27-25 success.
They will now go up against fellow capital side Malory Eagles UEL, currently second in Super League, who eased to a routine win over Division 1 South’s Team South Wales (25-15, 25-16, 25-12).
Women's quarter-finals
Essex Rebels v Team SideOut Polonia.
Darkstar Derbyshire v Waterloo Thunder.
Onyx London v Malory Eagles UEL.
London Giants v Durham Palatinates.
No less than four non-NVL sides have reached the quarter-finals of the Men’s National Shield – half the number of teams left in.
At least one of them will reach the semi-finals, with Brazukas and Watford set to go head to head in the Last 8 after both clinched victories over the weekend.
London League Brazukas proved too strong for NVL Division 3 South East’s Newmarket, winning a competitive match 25-20, 25-17, 25-22.
Hertforshire League’s Watford, meanwhile faced another side from outside the NVL, Deep Dish Crystal Palace, who had already battled their way through from the South East area prelims.
They had to go the distance and come from 1-0 and 2-1 down in sets to eventually prevail by a 21-25, 25-18, 20-25, 27-25, 15-12 scoreline.
Non-NVL's The Army will feature in the quarter-finals for the second successive year after they bounced back from dropping the opening set to Division 2 South’s Spelthorne Lions to win out 15-25, 27-25, 25-15, 25-19.
Having lost in five to Coventry and Warwick Riga last year, they will hope to advance further this time when they take on Liverpool, who beat North West rivals and fellow Division 3 North side Manchester Moss Side Jaguars in four sets (17-25, 25-17, 25-21, 25-22).
The only all-NVL tie of the Last 8 will feature two Division 2 teams who were straight sets victors to book their places.
Unbeaten Division 2 North leaders Darkstar Derbyshire overcame their divisional rivals Lincoln Cannons (25-14, 25-18, 25-20) and will have home advantage against Division 2 Central’s Oxford Bulls, who defeated a game Division 3 South West Weymouth (25-17, 25-23, 25-20).
Legends Volleyball Oldham completed the quartet of non-NVL sides to advance with a show of strength against Division 2 North’s Nottingham Rockets.
Their 25-12, 25-19, 25-18 triumph sets up a fixture against another team from the same division, Leeds Gorse 2, who went to five to see off Everton Dugongs.
In an incredibly close match, four of the five sets were won by just two points before the Yorkshire side took command in the decisive tie break (26-24, 25-23, 26-28, 29-31, 15-11).
Men's quarter-finals
Brazukas v Watford
Liverpool v The Army
Darkstar Derbyshire v Oxford Bulls.
Leeds Gorse 2 v Legends Volleyball Oldham.
West Midlands and Division 2 West rivals Tamworth Spartans and Coventry and Warwick Riga can look forward to a quarter-final meeting in the Women’s National Shield as both recorded excellent Last 16 results.
Neither are currently enjoying hugely successful league campaigns, but both raised their games to breathe fresh life into their respective 2025-26 seasons.
Spartans faced a tricky trip to unbeaten Division 3 North leaders Manchester Marvels Mystics, but were able to hit back from losing the opener to advance (21-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-19).
Riga also had to do things the hard way as they, too, dropped the first set at home to Everton Narwhals, of Division 2 North, before turning things around (18-25, 25-23, 25-15, 25-15).
Division 2 East leaders Cambridge followed up their strong league form by outclassing non-NVL side University of Bristol, cantering to a quickfire 25-8, 25-9, 25-20 success.
Lincoln Cannons, of Division 2 North, will provide their next opponents, beating divisional rivals Sheffield in four (25-18, 23-25, 25-20, 25-23).
Dartford Chargers, of Division 2 East, inflicted a first competitive defeat of the season on Division 2 West’s Oxford Eagles when they won a tight match 25-22, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22.
Their next opposition is more familiar in the shape of divisional rivals and leaders Reading Aces, who had too much on the day for Division 3 South East’s Essex Ravens 25-11, 25-9, 25-13.
Farnborough Phoenix’s maiden NVL season continues to be a successful one, with their latest tick in the box coming via a straight sets triumph over Division3 Central's Rhinos Cambridge (25-19, 25-17, 25-18).
Their opponents have yet to be decided after the match between Hull Thunder (Division 3 North) and Wombourne (Division 2 West) was postponed because of the weather.
Women's quarter-finals
Farnborough Phoenix v Hull Thunder or Wombourne.
Cambridge v Lincoln Cannons.
Tamworth Spartans v Coventry and Warwick Riga.
Reading Aces v Dartford Chargers.
National Cup and Shield quarter-final matches will be played on the weekend of 14th and 15th February.
Images by Jon Cornish, Sanne Hoffman, Matt Halfpenny and Leanne Lee.
