A stellar performance from Olympic champion opposite Ekaterina Antropova propelled Savino Del Bene Scandicci to secure a critical victory in the 2024-2025 Lega Volley Femminile Serie A1 Tigotà as they topped Numia Vero Volley Milano on Sunday to move up to second place.

The highly-anticipated battle between the teams, which entered the weekend tied in points, certainly lived up to the expectations, gifting the 3,500 fans at the Palazzo Wanny, in Firenze, with five intense sets before Scandicci emerged victorious 3-2 (20-25, 25-21, 22-25, 25-20, 15-12).

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With the victory, Scandicci, who were behind Milano in the tie-breakers before the start of the 12^th leg, passed their rivals, moving up to second place with 29 points (ten wins, two losses). Milano are now third, with 28 (ten wins, three losses).

The only Scandicci player to score more than ten points, the 21-year-old Antropova carried the team to victory with an extraordinary 34-point performance, built with 26 kills, five aces and three blocks. Serbian star setter Maja Ognjenović was recognized as the best player on the court.

“This victory shows that our team is very cohesive,” said Scandicci’s head coach Marco Gaspari. “We knew that today there was going to be a big difference on offense when it came to being physical because Kate (Antropova) is our only player capable of matching their power. But we still played as a team, remaining patient and waiting for the opportunities. I’m proud of the entire team and hope we can keep working the way we are.”

Milano had Olympic champion opposite Paola Egonu as their leading scorer with 21 points (20 kills, one block), followed by outside hitters Miriam Sylla and Nika Daalderop, who produced 17 each.

“It was a very intense match and, looking at our side, I thought we played much better than in the last matches,” said middle blocker Anna Danesi. “We were able to raise our level, but it wasn’t enough. I thought we had a good chance in the fourth set, but unfortunately, we didn’t take it.”

Fourth-placed Igor Gorgonzola Novara took advantage of the duel between Scandicci and Milano to close the gap to the Italian League top three. Playing on the road on Saturday, the team benefited from an outstanding 36-point performance from Russia opposite Tatiana Tolok to beat Megabox Ondulati Savio Vallefoglia 3-2 (27-29, 25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 19-17) and get to 25 points (nine wins, three losses).

Conegliano complete first round with perfect record

Also on Saturday, defending champions Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano completed their first-round schedule with a flawless campaign of 13 victories, two sets lost and 39 points collected. Their last opponents in the first half of the season were Il Bisonte Firenze, who didn’t offer much resistance in the Panthers’ 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-13) victory.

With some key starters rested, such as Isabelle Haak, Zhu Ting and Sarah Fahr, Conegliano saw young opposite Merit Adigwe and American outside hitter Khalia Lanier lead the team’s offense, with 16 and 14 points, respectively.

“It was a great match from us, especially in the first and third sets, when we were able to remain aggressive and didn’t make many errors,” Brazilian outside hitter Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimarães said. “Our level dropped a bit in the second set and that’s something we need to work on for the upcoming Italian League matches and the Club World Championship. Ending the first round of the regular season with another win was great, but we know there’s a lot yet to happen and we need to keep working.”

On Sunday, fifth-placed Eurotek Uyba Busto Arsizio continued in great form, getting a 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-23) win over 13th-placed SMI Roma Volley. Ranked sixth, Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri ’76 also triumphed, topping ninth-placed Wash4Green Pinerolo 3-0 (25-6, 25-21, 25-23).

Lega Volley Femmnilie – Match Schedule & Results

Bergamo, ranked seventh, had no trouble overcoming 14^th-placed Honda Olivero Cuneo 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-23). In the final match of the weekend, Bartoccini-MC Restauri Perugia defeated 12^th-placed Cda Volley Talmassons Fvg 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-20) on the road to move up to tenth place.

On Wednesday, at 19:00 local time (18:00 GMT), Cuneo and Firenze will meet in a postponed match of the seventh leg of the regular season. The 13^th leg will be held over the weekend, with one match on Saturday and four on Sunday.

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