The Bears – who play in the London League – demonstrated their capabilities last season as they won the National Shield at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Bu although at home, they will go in as heavy underdogs against Polonia, who are top of the MAAREE Women’s Super League this season having won 14 of their 16 matches so far to qualify for the Final 4.
Even so, Polonia will give the match their full attention, says Kontopoulos, as they continue to target a league and cup double – something they were denied by Durham Palatinates in last season’s Final 4 gold medal match.
“We are looking forward to the match, it will be a little bit different in that it’s a non-NVL team an it’s a nice opportunity to keep testing our depth and ramping up for the later stages of the season,” he told the That Volleyball Guy Super League Time Out Podcast.
“They have lost a lot of players this season but they have still had a great run to make the quarters (beating Coventry and Warwick Riga in the Last 16).
“We’ve got to approach the game with caution, obviously, we’re not assuming anything going int it, but on the current form we are in I think we can be fairly come away with a good result.
“But never assume anything, never under-estimate anyone and we will do our homework and approach it with the same seriousness as any other game.
“It will be an extra special game because my Assistant Coach Krys (Kovalsky) was their coach last season in the London League and Danna Cheung played for them last season, so that’s going to be a nice reunion for them.”
All the other National Cup matches on the women’s side are all-Super League affairs.
With their chances of reaching Final 4 looking slim, the cup could be the most likely source of success for reigning MAAREE Women’s Super League champions Durham Palatinates.
They will go into their fixture against Darkstar Derbyshire with a degree of confidence having overcome the East Midlanders in straight sets, also at home, last weekend.
It could be an exciting tie in West Yorkshire, where Leeds Gorse, fifth in Super League, take on Essex Rebels, who are third.
The teams’ last meeting was at Super League Opening Weekend, where Alex Chinery’s side prevailed in straight sets, as a pivotal second set went their way 29-27.
Malory Eagles will be favorites to advance from their tie at Cambridge ARU, who have struggled for player numbers and form in recent weeks.
The Eagles won their last meeting 25-12, 25-11, 25-18 and will be looking for a similar outcome after, like Team SideOut, sealibng their Final 4 berth last weekend.
An eye-catching face off in the Men’s National Cup pairs IBB Polonia and Essex Rebels for the third time in a row.
Last season, Alex Porter’s men – currently top of the DYNAMIK Super League and the first men’s side to guarantee their Final 4 spot – triumphed in a five-set thriller between the sides.
They also got the upper hand in the semi-final meeting betwen the two sides by a four-set margin.
This time, Essex will go in as the favourites, but IBB are not a side to ever right off, particuarly after recruitng recent reinforcements from Poland.
The other all-top flight game is a capital clash between Richmond Docklands and one of the league’s form sides, London Giants.
While Richmond have struggled in recent weeks, they were victorious in their last home match against Essex Blaze. They did also beat their opponents 3-1 in league action before Christmas.
The Giants, meanwhile, need no further encouragement than six wins in their last seven outings.
NVL Division 1 side Lincoln Cannons will have nothing to lose when they travel South to face Malory, Eagles, currently second in the Super League and last season’s losing finalists.
The same can be said of Cambridge ARU, who are just one place above the Cannons in the league table on set quotient, as they host Super League’s bottom club Stockport hoping to pull off a shock.
The last surviving non-NVL team, Newcastle Panthers, have pulled a home draw in the Women's National Shield and will entertain Division 2 North mid-table side Loughborough Students, who will see this competition as a way to ignite their season.
Promotion-chasing Bristol, second in Division 2 West go head to head with Sheffield, who are sixth in Division 2 North.
First time National Shield entrants Bedminster, of Division 2 West will go in favourites against Darkstar Derbyshire 2 of Division 3 Central.
Division 2 East promotion chasers Northampton will also be tipped to win at Division 3 South West side Reading Aces, but they will have to be on their game against a side unbeaten in league action this season.
The Men’s National Shield provides non-NVL team The Army with another opportunity to show their strength, having already put out MK City and Reading Aces.
They have been handed a third away tie for their quarter-final and it is likely to be their toughest test yet as they visit Division 2 Central promotion hopefuls Coventry and Warwick Riga.
An East Midlands derby between Division 2 Central Loughborough Students and Division 3 North Central Nottingham Rockets should be one to watch.
Both sides are well placed in their divisions, having respectively lost twice and not at all in league acton this season.
Unbeaten Division 2 North leaders Manchester Marvels will face a Division 2 South Wessex side who are also in decent form, having lost only once this campaign.
Division 2 North Sheffield have moved up to second in their table after some goof recent results and will head into Wales to take on Division 2 South Cardiff Panthers with their tails up.
Men’s matches will be played on Saturday (15th February) and women’s matches on Sunday (16th February).
