NVL review: South edges North in thrilling Women's Division 1 five setters

There were two fantastic five-set matches in Women’s Division One of the National Volleyball League – underlining that this weekend has not just been about the launch of the 2023-24 Super League season.

In two spellbinding North versus South thrillers, it was the latter clubs who held the upper hand – just – on this occasion. 

The closest of tussles between Richmond and Stockport saw the hosts take a two-set lead, 25-29, 26-24. 

But the visitors fought back hard and nicked the third and fourth sets 27-25, 25-23 to tee up a decider. 

Stockport may have thought the momentum was with them at that point, but Richmond had other ideas and, in another nail-biting set, edged it 18-16. 

It meant the North West side’s women were unable to quite match the exploits of their men, who had sprung a surprise to win their first ever Super League game by beating the Malory Eagles in Kettering. 

Another brilliant game took place at Dartford Technology College where Dartford Chargers got the better of Everton Belugas. 

In a similar pattern to the Richmond-Stockport encounter, the Kent side claimed a two-set advantage (25-21, 26-24) only for the Belugas to square things up at 2-2 (winning their sets 25-18, 25-17). 

However, the Chargers were not to be denied and came up with the goods with the match at stake, winning 15-12 in the fifth. 

Elsewhere, Bristol got their campaign off to a winning start by defeating MK City, also playing their first match, 25-16, 25-17, 25-21. 

In Women’s Division 2 North, Team Sunderland and Sheffield kept their respective NVL winning starts going with 3-0 victories over Manchester Mayhem (25-21, 25-8, 25-11) and Tamworth Spartans respectively (25-19, 25-19, 25-21). 

Division 2 Central’s Rhinos Volleyball Cambridge dug deep to beat Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 3-2 after trailing two sets before winning the decider (25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 23-25, 15-10). 

It was an excellent weekend in Division 2 South for Cardiff Falcons as they were 3-0  winners at home to Ashcombe Dorking). 

In Men’s Division 1, Coventry and Warwick Riga and Cambridge battled out an intense five-setter at the Alan Higgs Centre. 

As seemed to be the weekend trend in several games, the hosts let a two-set lead slip before clinching the fifth set for an overall score of 25-23, 25-21, 17-25, 24-26, 15-10.  

In the West Midlands, Black Country Men (pictured above) edged out Manchester Marvels 25-17, 25-22, 24-26, 25-17 at the Cleobury Mortimer Sports Centre. 

Everton Dugongs won a Merseyside Derby in Division 2 North as they won at neighbours Liverpool by a 3-1 margin. 

Hull Thunder, meanwhile, opened their account with a 25-20, 17-25, 25-21, 25-22 triumph over Lincoln Cannons, who had previously won their first game. 

Norwich Spikers went top of the early Division 2 Central table by clocking up their second win of the campaign at Hounslow, taking it 25-20, 15-25, 25-22, 25-23. 

Bristol enjoyed two victories in as many days to head the Division 2 South table and maintain their 100 per cent record after three games. 

They first beat Richmond Bucks 25-8, 22-25, 27-25, 25-20 on Saturday and followed it up with a 3-1 win at Wiltshire Mavericks on Sunday. 

Their city counterparts, City of Bristol, also enjoyed success, winning a five setter against Richmond Bucks, 15-12 in the fifth. 

The battle of the Manchester Marvels teams in Division 3 North West saw the Marauders drop the first set but then hit back to beat the Mavericks 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-20). 

York Vikings made in two from two in Division 3 North as they beat the Nottingham Rockets 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-17), while in Division 3 South East, GNG Bedford  (pictured top)were 3-1 winners at Leicester (25-19, 16-25, 25-19, 25-12). 

The triangular series in Division Three South saw Southampton come out on top, winning both their matches against Bedminster (25-18, 25-14, 25-19) and Worthing (25-15, 23-25, 25-15, 25-16). 

In the other match, Worthing got the better of Bedminster after another five-set thriller, coming through 25-23, 25-27, 25-15, 20-25, 15-12). 

View all the NVL results, fixtures and tables by clicking here. 

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