Decisive 'Super Saturday' concludes Lega’s regular season

Although the eight teams that will compete in the playoffs of the Lega Pallavolo vivo Serie A1 Femminile were determined a few weeks ago, the final round of the regular season will provide some key answers this weekend.

With all seven matches set to take place on the same day and at the same time on Saturday at 20.30 local time, ten of the 14 teams that compete in the league will have either something to win or lose in their final regular season encounters.

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Starting from the top of the standings, Prosecco Doc Imoco Volley Conegliano and Igor Gorgonzola Novara could take the race to finish first in the regular season to the very final plays of their matches. With both teams entering the last round tied on points (63) and wins (22), the outcome of their encounters with Volley Bergamo and Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri, respectively, will determine who finishes first.

“We’ll try to keep improving our game to enter the playoffs in the best possible form,” said middle blocker Cristina Chirichella, who is Novara’s captain. “We’re determined to try to finish first and we have what it takes to do that, so we’ll keep pushing.”

The next three spots are taken, though, with third-placed Vero Volley Monza (60 points), fourth-placed Savino Del Bene Scandicci (54) and fifth-placed Unet E-Work Busto Arsizio (50) all unable to move up or down the ranking before the start of the playoffs.

With 40 points, Chieri will try to hold on to their sixth-place when they play Novara. They are challenged by Il Bisonte Firenze in the ranking, who have 38 points and will play Scandicci. Currently ranked eighth, Bosca S. Bernardo Cuneo enter the final round with hopes of adding to their 36 points against Busto Arsizio and maybe passing Firenze for seventh place.

After a mid-week victory that pushed them to 24 points, Megabox Ondulati Del Savio Vallefoglia face no more risk of being relegated. One spot down the ranking, VBC Trasporti Pesanti Casalmaggiore have 21 points and need just one point against Bartoccini Fortinfissi Perugia to be totally safe.

Tied at 20 points, Bergamo and Perugia are the two last teams standing above the relegation line and victories in their last matches would eliminate any risk of playing in the second division next year.

Delta Despar Trentino, who are 13th with 19 points, and Acqua & Sapone Roma Volley Club, who are 14th with 17, are in desperate situations. Trentino need a victory against Monza and one of the three teams ahead of them not to take any points.

“Our goal was to keep our hopes alive until the end,” Trentino’s head coach Matteo Bertini commented. “We’ll see what happens now, but I can guarantee we’ll fight with everything that we have until the last ball touches the floor.”

For Roma, only a 3-0 or 3-1 victory against Vallefoglia and a combination of results involving at least two of the three teams above them would be enough to avoid their fall.

Quick links:

Lega Pallavolo SuperLega Credem Banca
Lega Pallavolo Femminile Serie A1
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