Rebels Secure 2024/25 DYNAMIK Men’s Super League Regular Season Title
On Tuesday, 11 March, the Essex Rebels Men’s Volleyball team secured the top seed in the Dynamik Men’s Super League regular season, after defeating the Essex Blaze in three sets. This achievement has never been accomplished by a team from Essex or the Eastern Region in the Super League. With one more game left in the regular season for the Essex Rebels, the men became the champions with a 15-2 record and only 18 sets conceded.
Leading the offensive charge for the Rebels is Daven Pascal, the best attacker in the MSL (Men’s Super League) with an efficiency of 49.7%, played amajor role in the Rebels securing the top finish. In 47 sets, with 179 attempts, Daven racked up an impressive 105 kills. Thomas Jefferson and Jacob Kern also sit in the top 5 for best attackers in the league, with Jefferson having an offensive efficiency of 38.3% and Kern having an offensive efficiency of 36%. Pascal and Jefferson additionally sit in the top 5 for best blockers in the league, with Pascal leading the league with 1.2 blocks per set, and Jefferson sitting at 0.7 blocks per set. With a 51% success rate, Cam Kern, the Rebels setter, leads the league as the best setter. Defensively the Rebels men have also been very sound, with Lefteris Ioannou leading the league with a receiver rating of 2.44. Jacob Kern and Thomas Shatimehin also sit in the top 10 with a 2.34 and 2.31 receiver rating respectively. In addition to leading the league in receiving, Ioannou also sits in the top 10 for digging with 1.84 digs per set. With the Rebels having top players in pretty much every major stat, and additional top-class players like October’s player of the month, Euan Fraser, the Rebels have managed to put on a championship winning season.
Following their win, Coach Alex Porter had some words on what it means to win the regular season title:
“This team has made history, the first Essex Rebels squad to win a Super League Title! Winning the Super League Regular Season title is a testament to their resilience, overcoming adversity to succeed across an entire season. Success like this doesn’t happen overnight; these athletes have dedicated countless hours in the gym, weight room, and film room to honing their craft. I couldn’t be prouder of their commitment and achievement.”
The Rebels men will next have their eyes on winning the Final 4 Weekend in Crystal Palace on 5-6 April, where the top four teams in the league qualify to compete one last time for the Men’s Super League Title. Last year Durham beat IBB Polonia in the final and became the Super League Champions, with the Rebels beating Malory and finishing in third place. This year both Durham and Polonia did not qualify for the Final 4 Weekend, with The Rebels and Malory being the only returners to the tournament. Joining them are the third placed London Giants and the fourth placed Newcastle Knights. With this season already being a historic one, the Rebels men will look at coming home with the Super League Title and cementing the 2024/25 season in the Rebels history books.
Picture Credits: Sanne Hoffman
