Super League round 12 review: Gorse boost survival hopes as UON shock Polonia

The West Yorkshire club had not tasted success since beating Newcastle Staffs 3-1 on 5th November and had not won at all on the road ahead of their trip to the North West. 

But things came good for the team in purple and orange as they made the most of taking two tight sets 25-23 to fight off a Sunderland comeback in the third (25-17) and close it out in the fourth (25-20). 

They are now level on eight points with Newcastle Staffs, while University of Nottingham have nine and Team Sunderland 10. 

Nelson Murangwa served one ace, made 23 kills and two blocks and completed four digs en route to his side’s MVP award. 

He was ably assisted by Dan Thompson’s 11 kills, 38 successful returns of serve from 39 attempts, one block and four digs and Jose Dayco, who assisted 45 times from 97 attempts. 

For the hosts, Noah Sykes was chosen as MVP as he successfully set of 40 attempts and completed five digs. 

A frustrating weekend for Sunderland also saw them beating by IBB Polonia, who continued their seemingly inexorable march towards finishing top of the table during the regular season and, with it, sealing Final 4 qualification. 

The London side were 3-0 victors on Wearside on Sunday in three closely-contested sets, 25-23, 25-21, 25-22. 

Libero George Ivanov was nominated as their MVP with nine digs and successfully completed nine out of 10 service returns. 

Setter Diego Tamburini assisted with 23 points from 53 attempts, while Dahmane Bentiti claimed 13 kills and two blocks and Andrea Maggio nine kills and two blocks. 

Polonia had already completed victory by the same straight sets margin at the University of Nottingham a day previously. 

They ran out 25-18, 25-21, 25-22 victors at the David Ross Sports Village where captain Maggio led from the front with an MVP performance that saw him make 10 kills, two blocks, four digs and successfully return service from all 18 attempts. 

Tai Yat Chau served one ace, claimed nine kills and made one block and 10 digs, while Bentiti served one ace and completed eight kills and 10 digs.  

For the hosts, Oliver Quick threw himself around to complete 25 of 26 return of serve attempts, eight digs and two of six assist attempts. 

Their two weekend wins means IBB have now opened up a four-point lead at the top of the table with 11 wins from 11 matches. 

Second-placed Malory Eagles claimed their expected victory at Newcastle Staffs, but their 3-1 success was not straightforward. 

There was not more than three points between the two sides in each of the first three sets before the Eagles pulled away in what proved to be the fourth and final set to round off a 25-22, 27-25, 24-26, 25-18 success. 

Cameron Carrington was named MVP for the visitors while setter Matt Smith got the nod for Staffs. 

A point further back in third spot in the table, albeit having played a game more, are Essex Rebels who enjoyed a 3-0 win at Richmond Docklands. 

Their 25-18, 25-20, 25-15 triumph was powered by an MVP performance from Lefteris Ioannou, while captain Vitor Oliveira took the honours for the hosts. 

That defeat for Docklands opened the door for Durham Platinates to climb back into fourth spot as they proved too strong for Stockport at Life Leisure Brinnington Park. 

The North Easterners took the sets 25-11, 25-20, 25-18 to move to a 9-4 record and could go third should they win their game in hand. 

Grant Maleski secured 15 kills with only two errors, along with two aces and six digs, to be MVP for the visitors, helped by setter Conor Dunn, who assisted on 25 points from 45 attempts. 

MVP for Stockport was middle Matthew Jackson.

 In the women’s competition, the result of the round came from University of Nottingham who won a five-set thriller against a Team SideOut Polonia, whose only previous league defeat this season had come to runaway leaders Durham. 

There was little sign of things to come when the visitors rattled off the first two sets with few problems, taking them 25-20, 25-18. 

But Nottingham took the third 25-19 and held their nerve to level in the fourth with a tense 26-24 success. 

That set up a nerve-jangling finale and it was the university side who passed the exam with flying colours to edge the tie break 15-13 and spark the celebrations. 

Sandra Korusiewicz was, not surprisingly, named as MVP for UON after accounting for 31 kills, and she backed that up with an ace, 24 of 27 successful service returns, one block, one assist and 15 digs. 

She was assisted in the defensive side of the game by smart performances from Mar Vives (31 of 32 successful serve returns and 29 digs) and Adele Sotgiu (25 of 26 successful serve returns and 13 digs). 

MVP for Polonia was Anna Tsoumi, who notched 24 successful service returns out of 26, seven out of 17 assist attempts and 23 digs. 

Durham Palatinates became the first of all 20 Super League teams to qualify for the Final 4 as they made it 13 wins from 13 with victory at Coventry and Warwick Riga. 

Their points total of 37 means that they are now guaranteed to finish in the top four and have booked a place at the play-off showdown in Kettering on 27th and 28th April. 

Emily Haber was MVP in this latest 25-16, 25-21, 25-9 win as she completed a game-high 11 digs and all 10 of her service return attempts. 

On the attacking front, Alice Brand served one ace and made 11 kills, in addition to completing seven out of seven service return attempts and seven digs, while Sydney Stevens and Taylor Litteken each completed seven kills. 

Nine digs and six successful serve return attempts from eight saw Michelle Magdales voted the home side’s MVP. 

In what was a tough weekend for Riga, they also hosted a Sideout side smarting from defeat in Nottingham the previous day. 

Coventry fought hard and managed to take a terrific second set 27-25 to level the match at 1-1 after Polonia had taken the opener 25-20. 

However, the London club took their record to 10-2 by winning the next two sets 25-10, 25-19 to close out the match. 

Jana Parmova’s match leading 15 kills saw her picked out as MVP, and she also contributed one ace, 24 out of 24 successful serve returns, one block, one assists and five digs in an all-action performance. 

Also in the thick of it were Maria Sviridova (13), Alice Jagielska (11) and Sydney Busa (11) who all contributed double-figure  kills, while the latter player also completed no less than 17 digs. 

For Riga, Katarina Knezevic took the MVP for her 21 out of 22 successful service returns, 10 kills, one block, one assist and 10 digs. 

Essex Rebels stay second in the MAAREE Women’s Super League table after they completed a comfortable 25-14, 25-23, 25-17 triumph over a game London Lionhearts side. 

Lea Borovec led the hitting for the winning visitors as she completed 11 kills, also serving an ace and making 18 of out 19 successful service returns and nine digs. 

Chelsea Simmons (11 assists from 32 attempts) and Ellen Floyd (16 assists from 42 attempts) shared the setting duties. 

Lionhearts’ Anu Munkhtur successfully completed 14 out of 15 service returns and made 16 digs. 

Just a point behind the Rebels with a game in hand are the Malory Eagles, who took their wins for the season into double figures from 14 matches with a 3-0 victory at Cambridge ARU. 

Chloe Allen was MVP for the visitors in their 25-20, 25-21, 25-16 triumph after a fine all-round showing that saw her serve two aces, successfully complete all 21 of her service returns and make 14 kills, one block and eight digs. 

Grace Lazard (nine kills, seven digs) and Eileen Shi (six kills and six digs) provided the support. 

For ARU, Juliana Pallamin was selected as MVP for her three aces, 22 successful service returns from 23, nine kills, one block, one assists and five digs. 

Pics by @stephen_sportphotos (men's) @_.elizabethphotography (women's)

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