After finishing 2nd in Division 2 we won our play off fixtures against Lincoln Cannons and London Hounslow and secured back-to-back promotions. The season was new territory for everyone involved but we were ready.
The season opened with a tough fixture against demoted Super League side Leeds Gorse. We travelled away in style thanks to our Days Rental minibus but couldn’t deliver a shock result in game 1. We lost 3-0 (25:18, 25:16, 25:15) and went away knowing there was lots to improve on. Unfortunately, we had no time to reflect as we travelled directly to Hull for a delightful back-to-back fixture. Hull Thunder, another promoted side, offered a different challenge and though the score was much closer it was another 3-nil loss, things could have been very different if we won the nail bitter of a third set which finished 28:30 and ended our hopes of an opening weekend win.
Next up were London Aces at home, who we saw off in the National Sheild the previous year, so we knew we could compete at this level. We started off strong taking the first set 25:21 but Division 1 displayed what it’s all about as London Aces stepped it up and comfortably won the next three sets to 14, 18 and 18. Progress was still made as we had our first set on the board.
It was another away game as we travelled to the East Midlands again to face the other prompted side Lincoln Cannons, who we beat in the 2023/24 play-offs. Lincoln took the first, but we kept going and levelled the score in the second. The third went the way of the home team and once again we levelled it up to take it to a fifth set which after a really tight match so far it more straight forward as we took the set 15:7 and with it our first NVL Division 1 win!
Back home for the next fixture we met Black Country, an ever present in Division 1. We took the first two sets before the away team woke up but they were unable to take the fourth which meant a 3:1 win and more points of the board.
After two wins on the bounce it was two loses to follow as we faced Leeds Gorse at home, losing 3:0. There was clear improvement from our opening fixture however as we pushed them all the way to 25:27 in the third. It was Newcastle Staffs who inflicted another lose on us as we to five sets at the Sir Stanley Matthews Sports Centre in Stoke. The fifth set could have gone either way but ended 14:16 in favour of the home team.
After facing two top half of table teams it was time to face some teams towards the bottom of the table as four home games were ahead of us. First up it was another five-setter vs Cambridge which we came out on top before Lincoln Cannons inflicted a disappointing defeat on is in a topsy turvey fixture 16:26, 19:25, 25:13, 19:25. We then faced local southwest rivals Bristol who were competing for promotion and thoroughly showed why as the dispatched us drama free. Our second meeting against Hull Thunder was next, losing 3:0 on the opening weekend was still hanging over us but we were still unable to overturn them as once again we went to five sets, this time coming from two sets down.
Next up over back-to-back weekends was London BAKS and two wins. Firstly, a really high velocity fixture away in London as we took the first two sets before being pegged back to 2:2 but fifth setters was becoming our speciality and managed to see off the nerves and take an important win. The reverse fixture was more straightforward as BAKS travelled to us and were only able to take a set as we secured a 3:1 victory.
We were now over halfway, and our aim was to secure our place in Division 1 for 2025/26 and the following two games really set us in good stead. We travelled away to London to face Aces. What a game! We took the opening set 27:25, Aces took the next 26:28 it was then followed by two more tight sets of 25:23 in favour of Exeter Storm! We really did put ourselves through the ringer as the next game, away to Black Country, was another closely fought affair and another five set fixture finishing 15:17 to Storm!
Volleyball can be a cruel game as the highs quickly became lows as we fell short against Bristol VC (1:3) and Tamworth Spartans (2:3) but the bonus point was vital to our survival hopes. Our easiest fixture of the season was to follow, as unfortunately Newcastle Staffs came shorthanded due to player commitments, a 3:0 victory (25:11, 25:19, 25:21) and with that our Division 1 status for next year was secured.
We ended the season with two disappointing away loses, firstly a 3:0 lose to Tamworth Spartans. The final game of the season, versus Cambridge, was all about 6th and 7th place. Our six travelling players were able to take a set but wasn’t to be enough as we lost 3:1.
Overall it was a positive season. We had excellent results as we beat Black Country twice, who finished runners up as well as wins against London Aces, Newcastle Staffs and Cambridge who finished 4th, 5th and 6th respectively. Being unable to take any victories against Tamworth who finished in 8th or bottom placed Hull Thunder showed how close the league really was. These wins could have really turned the season, but it come the end of the season we finished 7th, winning 8 from 20 games. Also well done to Leeds Gorse secured promotion back to Super League.
The 2025-2026 season will see us return in a reformatted Division 1 North and Division 1 South against London Aces, Wessex, IBB Poloni, Bristol, Southampton, Essex Blaze and Cambridge.