Coach Barnett’s pride as Northampton Volleyball Club secure promotion to second tier
Northampton Volleyball Club head coach Lee Barnett has hailed his team's 'amazing season' after they clinched promotion to the Women's National League Division One.
The Moulton College-backed and based team secured their place in the second tier of English volleyball with a play-off success at the University of Cambridge Sports Centre.
Northampton had finished third in the NVL Division Two East standings after an exceptional league campaign, and that handed them the chance to win promotion via the play-offs, which they managed in some style.
It is a remarkable achievement for a team which was only promoted to division two three years ago.
Their first game in the play-offs was against the third-placed team from Division Two North, the Doncaster Miners, and the town side shrugged off a sluggish start to fight their way to a 3-0 victory, winning 25-17, 25-21, 25-21.
That win all but secured promotion, but they still needed to play a final game against Division Two West hopefuls Bedminster and they won that one 3-1 (25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 25-20), easing 2-0 ahead before sealing the deal in the fourth set.
The results saw Northampton sit top of the play-off standings and seal promotion, alongside Bedminster, and the achievement was the reward for a superb campaign that started way back at the beginning of October with a 3-0 win at Dartford Chargers.
"It has been an amazing season," said Barnett. "We have played 21 games in all competitions, winning 17 of them and only losing four.
"Our home venue Moulton College has become a fortress for us, only losing once in the league, and then the semi-final.
"This group of players are amazing, we have worked so hard at training, and improved in all areas of our game.
"We have strengthened our squad with a couple of senior players this season, as well as a couple of young regional players.
"This team has bonded and has become a very tight unit."
The new season will see Northampton competing at National League Division One level for the first time, with the next step up being the top flight and the Super League.
"We are now ready for our next adventure, which is going to be tough, of course our aim is to win as many games as possible," said Barnett.
"But our ultimate goal will be to avoid relegation and acclimatise to another step up in level."
The league season had seen the Northampton squad get off to a flyer as they won six of their first eight matches - with their only two defeats coming at the hands of eventual champions Cambridge.
Another defeat to Richmond, who would eventually finish runners-up and claim the second automatic slot, was a setback for Northampton, but they responded brilliantly to win their final four league games and claim third place and a spot in the play-offs.
As well as the league success, Northampton also enjoyed a good run in the Women's National Shield, before eventually bowing out at the semi-final stage.
They cruised to big 3-0 wins in the first three rounds against Worthing, Dartford and Cardiff, before travelling to Reading in the quarter-finals and once again winning 3-0.
That set up a first national semi-final for Northampton, and they were drawn at home against South West Division Two champions Bristol.
The visitors started strongly and took a 2-0 lead with two 25-17 set victories, before Northampton took the third 25-19.
It proved to be a mere consolation though as Bristol immediately responded to claim the fourth set 25-17 and move into the final.
Northampton squad: Francesca Cardilli (captain), Tracy Newton, Mandy Yip, Natalia Gruszczynska, Kasia Jeziorska, Aleisha Pritchard, Dominika Stachyra, Viktoria Ziedelyte, Oge Anabaraonye, Indrew Stankeviciute, Nanci Martins, Natalie Short. Coach: Lee Barnett. Assistant/S&C coach: Trystan Barnett