National Shield semi-finals review: SQUAD, Seahawks, Athena and Bears progress to Cup Finals Weekend

​The London Premier League had a weekend to remember as two of its member sides clinched coveted places in the men’s and women’s National Shield Competitions.

Both SQUAD (men) and London Bears (women) will now go forward to face Wigan Seahawks and Leicester Athena respectively at Cup Finals Weekend 2024 on Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st April at the National Volleyball Centre in Kettering. 

The National Shield – which features teams who lost out in the early rounds of the National Cup and does not feature any Super League teams – began with its first round in November. 

Now just two men’s and two women’s sides remain to fight it out for the winners’ trophies after a weekend where all but one of the ties were decided in straight sets. 

At Ernest Bevin College, SQUAD – top of their league in the capital – faced an Exeter Storm side who were in equally good form, having lost just one league match to head up NVL Division 2 South. 

It was the London side who proved to be the stronger on the day, cruising through the first set 25-9 and then finding it a little tougher but still prevailing in the next two, 25-20, 25-22.

 The other semi-final saw Berkshire League side Oxford travel to Wigan, but this time it was the NVL side, who play their Volleyball in Division 3 North West, who came out on top. 

The Seahawks took a two-set lead 25-20, 25-23, but the tightness of the second set, hinted at what may be to come. 

Oxford fought back to take the third by a commanding 25-12 scoreline before Wigan dug in to close out the match with a 25-22 success in the fourth.  

In the women’s competition, both matches were won by convincing 3-0 margins. 

In North Yorkshire, Leicester, the only NVL Division 1 side left in the competition brushed aside Division 3 North side York Falcons at the Joseph Rowntree School. 

They were always in control in progressing by a 25-18, 25-11, 25-13 scoreline. 

An all-London affair at the Harrow club, meanwhile, was won decisively by London League side London Bears. 

While opponents Onyx had been unbeaten in all 10 of their NVL Division Three North East matches, they proved to be no match for the Bears, who followed up victory over Division 1 Richmond in the previous round by triumphing 25-16, 25-13, 25-12. 

 The finals promise to be exciting contests... secure tickets to watch them live by clicking here.  

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