NVL: Game Week 1 round-up

Darkstar Derbyshire 2, Nottingham Rockets and Leeds Gorse 2 all met on Sunday (1st October) in Nottingham for a men’s triple header.  

Leeds began the day with a 3-0 victory over Darkstar (25-20, 25-18, 25-14) and this first success gave them the momentum to secure another win over Nottingham Rockets by a 3-1 scoreline (25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 25-22).  

These two victories would have put Leeds top of Men's Division 3 North Central table were it not for Kings of Court Boston pipping them to it by virtue of not dropping a set in victories in their first two games against Bradford Eagles and Black Country Men.  

Nottingham Rockets bounced back from their loss against Leeds, and a third set fight back from Darkstar Derbyshire, to take that match 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 22-25, 25-16). 

In the Men’s Division 2 South, Bristol Men came from 2-1 down to win their match 3-2 against Guildford International (25-19, 21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-10).  

Essex Blaze top the table in the Men’s Division 1 after playing two away matches over the weekend against Black Country Men and Tamworth Spartans (winning both 3-1). 

The Eastern club are unbeaten in both their games with half the division still to play their first game.  

Another stunning five-setter in Division 2 South was played out between Spelthorne Lions and City of Bristol. 

The teams were neck and neck into the third set with Spelthorne Lions taking the first set 25-23 before Bristol hit back to take the second 25-21. 

This momentum helped the visitors take the third set 25-17, but Spelthorne weren’t beaten yet and took the fourth set to a tie-breaker before edging it 26-24.  

In the all-important final set, it was Spelthorne who held their collective nerve amid the rising tension to clinch it 16-14. 

There was no less excitement in the Women’s NVL Divisions, where a host of teams got their league campaigns underway.  

In Division One, Everton Belugas and London Inter Crocs faced off against each other on Saturday (30th September), kicking the weekend off with epic first and second sets. 

Both went to tie breaks, with Everton taking the first 28-26 and Inter Crocs taking the second 29-27. 

The Belugas forged ahead with ahead with a 27-15 third set victory, but it was the visitors who finished the stronger, following a 25-23 fourth set win with a 15-10 success in the fifth. 

The weekend saw several other five-setters with Sheffield 1’s trimuph, narrowly edging out Manchester Marvels Mayhem (25-23, 20-25, 25-13, 21-25, 15-13) among them. 

Leicester Athena W2 hosted three games on Sunday with Black Country and Darkstar travelling to New College Leicester. 

The home team started off on a good note with a strong performance over Black Country, Women winning in three sets (25-12, 25-14, 25-14).  

Black Country were unable to bounce from this defeat in their second game against Darkstar, which went the way of the Derbyshire team 3-0 (25-11, 25-6, 25-19).  

After both won their first game it was set to be a great battle between Darkstar and Leicester Athena in the final match. 

Darkstar were fast out the blocks taking the first and second sets 25-14, 25-23. 

Despite this, Athena took the third set by the narrowest of margins, 26-24 and carried it into the fourth, claiming it 25-20. 

After some very closely-fought sets, Darkstar were able to take control in the fifth, prevailing 15-9 to put them top of a very early Women's Division 3 Central table, with six of the teams yet to play.    

Richmond sit top of the Women’s Division 1 table after they opened up with a 3-1 victory over Dartford Chargers (26-28, 25-19, 25-16, 25,17)  

For all the results from the first weekend of the NVL please click here.  

Thanks to Jeremy Harris for the photos of Bristol VC against Cardiff.