NVL Newcomers part eight – Southampton (men)

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Year club was formed: 2018. 

Chair: Tim Nash. 

Coach: Luca Manelli. 

Social media handles: @southamptonvc (Instagram). 

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Entry into NVL Division 3 South West for a Southampton men’s second team represents the latest, significant step in the transformation of a club bidding to create a developmental ladder which allows players to go from absolute beginners to National League, supported by its experienced coaches. 

Formed in 2018, by merging Solent VC and Team Southampton, SVC is now the largest in the city and is keen cater for all levels of player in order to take advantage of an uptick in interest in the sport across the area. 

Southampton has a well-defined structure, with eight teams across both genders (now four NVL and four Academy teams), which helps the smooth development of players from total scratch to competitive athletes. 

As a large club, more than 120 players feature across the four teams, while pay-to-play sessions are opened up to everyone, including outdoor sessions on grass or the beach in the summer. 

The new NVL men’s second team, says coach Luca Manelli, is an ‘evolution of last season's SVC Academy Red team’, which won the Southampton Area Division league and also competed in the Hampshire League, with good results.  

The aim now is to establish the side in a national setting to increase competitive opportunities and allow players coming through the chance to showcase and further develop their skills. 

“I am very excited for the start of this new adventure,” said Luca. “Our trials have shown the incredible talent available in Southampton and all players appeared very keen and motivated for this new exciting opportunity. 

“We have players coming from many different clubs in our area, and for this reason I am excited at the idea of seeing a new group of individuals developing into a cohesive team.” 

“Southampton is a city rich in volleyball, and the ever-growing number of players attending our NVL trials every year is a clear sign of this growing interest. 

“We wanted to give all these talented players another chance to prove themselves in a competitive league such as the NVL.” 

In NVL Division 3 South West, the Southampton side will take on the likes of Bedminster, Bristol 2, City of Bristol, Coventry and Warwick Riga 2, Nuneaton Inferno, Oxford Bulls, Reading Aces and Weymouth. 

Luca is focused more on the team’s development rather than league position in their inaugural year. 

He added: “My main objective for this season is to develop the style of volleyball we want to achieve: a defense-focused, clean and consistent volleyball. 

“With most players at their first experience at NVL level, the other goal is to gain confidence and become a well-established NVL team, in which talented players can develop their skills further and gain important experience on this stage. 

“We will have a mixture of experienced players and young talent. I am expecting the most experienced to be our pillars in the early stages of our season, and our younger players to keep developing and surprise us all in the second half of the season.” 

Alongside their National League interests, the club continues to welcome new players via its SVC Academy, which introduces players to the sport who are at beginner and intermediate levels. 

Sessions are carefully designed to develop essential volleyball skills and create a stronger and more cohesive connection between the National League teams and the rest of the club, with academy squads frequently entered into local and regional competitions such as the SADVA and HVA leagues. 

Training takes place on Tuesdays from 8pm to 10pm at Woodlands Community College and places can be booked at those sessions by emailing southamptonvc@gmail.com