NVL Preview 24th and 25th February

A reduced number of teams are playing in the NVL this weekend due to the National Cup and National Sheild semi-finals this weekend, but there are nevertheless still important games taking place across the country.

There are two matches in Women’s Division 1, including a mid-table clash between Leicester Athena and Southampton, with both teams looking to put a cushion between them and London Inter Crocs.   

Athena, fifth, and Southampton, sixth, may be out of the title race, but they have the chance to take a giant step towards securing their place in Division 1 for next year with games to spare should they clinch victory.  

When the two teams met back in November, it was a thrilling 3-2 victory for Southampton, so Leicester will be looking for revenge this weekend.  

The other fixture in Division 1 sees top of the table Wessex travel to Dartford Technolgy College to face Dartford Chargers.  

Wessex reclaimed their top spot in the league last weekend with a 3-0 victory over Inter Crocs.  

They will now look to put some daylight between themselves and Stockport who are joint on points.  

However, the Kent club will certainly down without a fight and will be buoyed by their 3-1 victory over high-flying Richmond last weekend. 

The two teams are yet to face each other this season, so both are stepping into the unknown.  

Division 2 North features a triangular match between Manchester Mystics, Manchester Mayhem and Urmston Grammar all go head-to-head on Sunday.  

Mystics are still looking for their first victory of the year and, with Urmston only one place above them in the league, they will hope this will be the match they can break their duck.  

The other Mancunian team, meanwhile, will look to put pressure on second place Sheffield, who are only three points ahead of them.  

A busy weekend for Norwich Spikers will see them contest two games on Saturday. 

They host Loughborough Students, who are coming off the back of a 3-1 defeat to Northampton last weekend, and also Coventry and Warwick Riga 2, who suffered a 3-0 defeat last time out to Essex Trinity.  

Team South Wales will look to carry the momentum from their win last week against Bristol with a home fixture against Richmond 2.  

With both teams hot on the heels of first place London Giants, this weekend could see the Welsh side take back top spot, albeit having played three more games than their capital rivals.  

This will also depend on how London Giants get on when they travel to Bedminster.  

This is the first time the sides are meeting this season, and while the Bristol side have been struggling for form with no wins in the least three games, Giants are looking to go 10 games unbeaten having only dropped one set all season.  

Bedminster also have the opportunity to get some more points on the board with a trip to Cardiff Falcons on Sunday, a team they beat in their last meeting. 

Sussex Dolphins are hosting Richmond 2 on Sunday with the South Coast side looking to jump to fifth in the table and boost their chances of survival.  

In Division 3 North, a triangular between fourth-placed (Manchester Liberators), sixth-placed (Chester Amazons) and ninth-placed (Leeds Gorse 3) will take place at Fairfield High School.  

Black Country and Black Country 2 will host Leicester Athena 2 in Division 3 Central on Saturday, with the West Midlanders’ first team looking to make it 11 games unbeaten in their bid to record a 100% record across the campaign. 

Men’s Division 1 has only one fixture, but a siginificant one in the title race as London Aces host Cambridge ARU. 

The hosts have the chance to claim second spot as they use one of their two games in hand over capital rivals London Giants.   

Aces are unbeaten in their last seven games, but it hasn’t been without its challenges, with two of those games going to five sets.  

In Division 2 North, Liverpool host Sheffield with the South Yorkshire side looking to put the pressure on second place Hull Thunder.  

Sixth-placed Wombourne, meanwhile, travel to fourth place Newmarket in Division 2 Central.  

Wessex look for double delight this weekend with two fixtures, against Richmond Bucks on Saturday before travelling to Spelthorne Lions on Sunday. 

If that transpires, they will move up to third place in Division 2 South, but would still leave an eight-point gap to top two Exeter Strom and Bristol, who both have 27 points.  

There is just one match being contested in the MAAREE Women’s Super League, which could prove critical at the bottom end of the table.

Darkstar Derbyshire, victorious last time out against the University of Nottingham, will host Leeds Gorse, who are one place and five points above them.

Should the hosts win they would be five points clear of the bottom two, while a victory for the Yorkshire club would see them almost certainly secure their top flight status for 2024-25.

For all the fixtures across the country click here.

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