Super League Review round 13: fight to stay in top flight intensifies

At the 13th attempt, London Lionhearts finally clinched their first MAAREE Women’s Super League win of the campaign following promotion last season, meaning all 20 teams across the two genders have tasted success. 

Their 3-1 triumph over Leeds Gorse (23-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-17) has threatened to pull their opponents into relegation trouble after recent struggles have followed a bright start to the season. 

It had started well for the visitors at Ernest Bevin College, as they sneaked a very tight first set 25-23. 

Undeterred, the Lionhearts showed their pride to come roaring back and take the next three 25-20, 25-19, 25-17. 

Maggie Steward was MVP for the winners and Michaela Kalinova for Leeds. 

Another team to give themselves a much-needed shot in the arm was Darkstar Derbyshire, who notched a 3-1 triumph over cross-border rivals the University of Nottingham. 

Back in December, it was the Green and Golds who had been 3-1 winners, but the scoreline was turned on its head this time as the hosts got their revenge. 

Like Lionhearts, Darkstar lost the opening set, 22-25, but then rallied to register the next three, 25-21, 25-23, 25-18. 

Chantal Zahrndt was MVP for Darkstar and Sandra Korusiewicz for UON. 

The result sets them up for a huge game against Leeds in Derby this weekend, where the victors will take a big stride towards top-flight safety. Leeds are currently five points ahead but have played two more games than their rivals. 

Coventry and Warwick Riga’s home game against Cambridge ARU was a third important match for both sides in their respective bids to avoid the bottom places. 

And it was the visitors who kept themselves out of reach with a result that could turn out to guarantee their Super League safety. 

Cambridge were narrow winners of their first set 26-24, but then were pegged back as Riga edged the second set 26-24. 

But that was where the fightback ended as ARU eased through the third and fourth sets 25-14, 25-21. 

While the result was a hammer blow for Riga, they can still pull themselves away from ninth place – which would see them play-off against the second-placed team in NVL Division 1, although they will need to find some wins soon if they are to do so. 

Marta Pietrunko was MVP for Riga, while Abby Huffman was picked out for ARU. 

The final game in the women’s competition was at the other end of the table where Essex Rebels, in second, took on Malory Eagles in third. 

By the end of the match, the two clubs’ positions had switched as the visitors nicked the first set 25-23 and then won the second and third with increasing ease (25-17, 25-14) to record their fourth straight sets success in a row and their sixth victory in seven games. 

It also saw them complete the double over Essex, having edged their pre-Christmas clash 3-2. 

Grace Lazard was MVP for the victors, with Madoka Weldon selected for the Rebels. 

Regardless of the result, both teams are now guaranteed a place in the Final Four competition on 27th and 28th April following UON’s defeat to Darkstar. 

In the men’s competition, Newcastle Staffs secured an important, albeit tight, 3-2 win over the University of Nottingham in their quest for survival. 

They surged into an early lead, taking the first set 25-14, but their visitors quickly levelled with a 25-23 second set win. 

Staffs went back in front with the third set going their way 25-22, but again UON fought back to level the match at 2-2 as they claimed the fourth set 25-18. 

The fifth set tie breaker was tense and hard-fought before a jubilant Newcastle side came through 15-13 to register a fourth victory of the season. 

While that defeat would have been hard to take for the University of Nottingham, they quickly bounced back in their Sunday match to ease their own relegation worries and heighten those of opponents, Team Sunderland. 

They powered to a 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-15, 25-22) to put a three-point gap between them in seventh and Staffs in eighth, with Sunderland in ninth on the same points as the latter. 

Rob Morgan – a Commonwealth Youth Games Beach Volleyball silver medallist last summer – was Nottingham’s MVP, with fellow Englishman Oliver Tuck getting the nod for the hosts. 

Having recorded a second win of the season in round 12, bottom club Leeds Gorse could not repeat the trick at Richmond Docklands, though they did put up an almighty fight. 

They won the opening set 25-21 and the fourth set 25-23 and, in between, the home side prevailed 25-9, 25-21 to set up a fifth set decider. 

And it was Docklands who took the win 15-12 to keep alive their Final Four hopes, sitting in fifth spot, a point behind the Durham Palatinates but having played a game more. 

Home MVP Benaya Kouame served no less than seven aces, successfully returned served on 29 occasions from 31 attempts, completed 11 kills, one block and five digs as he continued his comeback from recent injury. 

Setter Richard Uhlir assisted on 47 points from 10 attempts and also served two aces and made one block and seven digs, while Ugnius Marganavicius completed 19 kills, served one ace, successfully made all 25 service returns, and added two blocks and six digs. 

For Leeds, Nelson Murangwa kept up his strong form with 19 kills, three aces one block and 11 digs, while MVP was Adam Kupka. 

At the top of the table, IBB Polonia continued their perfect 2023-24 league record as they travelled to Stockport and emerged with a 3-1 success. 

After each side won a set by the scoreline on 25-22 to leave the match delicately poised at 1-1, it was the visitors who used all their experience to earn the points by taking the third and fourth sets 25-18, 25-23. 

Polonia's success was built around the hitting of Dahmane Bentiti (19 kills), who was voted MVP, captain Andrea Maggio (15 kills) and Tai Yat Chau (11 kills) and the setting of Diego Taburini (38 assists from 77 attempts), with the latter also contributing to the defensive cause with 14 digs. 

For Stockport, their MVP, Haydn Lawson, completed 18 kills and 13 digs. 

The other match was the Essex Rebels v Malory Eagles women's match in reverse in that Malory, who were second going in, lost to Essex, in third, to mean the home side leapfrogged above their opponents. 

Rebels’ 3-1 triumph (17-25, 25-21, 35-15, 25-12) means they are two points clear of their rivals but have played a game more. 

MVP for Essex was Thomas Shatimehin, while Nathan Fullerton took the honours for Malory. 

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  Image: JuicyVolleyball