Cuneo 1703

Cuneo could have secured a spot in the Italian elite next season with a win over Chieri (Photo: LVF)

The 2023-2024 Lega Pallavolo Femminile Serie A Tigotà enters the last week of the regular season with three playoff spots and one berth in the Italian elite next year still in play as the seven matches held this weekend as part of the 12th leg of the second round didn’t determine the outcome of either race.

While Wash4Green Pinerolo, Megabox Ondulati Savio Vallefoglia, Roma Volley Club and Trasportipesanti Casalmaggiore are in contention for the three places left in the postseason, Honda Olivero S. Bernardo Cuneo and Volley Bergamo battle to remain in the Italian first division.

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Roma needed to get one point in their road match against Savino Del Bene Scandicci on Sunday to secure their spot in the playoffs, but couldn’t handle the Italian League second-placed side and returned home empty-handed following their opponent’s 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-20) victory.

Italian national team opposite Ekaterina Antropova led Scandicci’s offense with 18 points (13 kills, three blocks, two aces), followed by American Olympic champion middle blocker Haleigh Washington, with 15 (seven kills, six blocks, two aces). Albanian opposite Erblira Bici and Brazilian Olympic medalist middle blocker Ana Beatriz ‘Bia’ Correa produced seven points for Roma each.

“They played really well,” said Roma’s middle blocker Michela Ciarrocchi reflected. “Their blocking was extremely well-adjusted and it was really hard for us to score points. I also thought we were a little bit nervous and made some errors we don’t typically make. The most important thing now is to reset and think about the next match.”

With the results of the weekend, Pinerolo, Vallefoglia and Roma all get to the decisive leg with 34 points and 11 wins. They will need each to get a point in their encounters in the decisive weekend, against Itas Trentino, Allianz Vero Volley Milano and Igor Gorgonzola Novara, respectively, to secure a spot in the playoffs regardless of Casalmaggiore’s result.

Lega Femminile - Match Schedule and Results

Currently in ninth place, Casalmaggiore have 31 points and ten wins. They will need to beat Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri 3-0 or 3-1 on the road and hope that at least one of their three competitors don’t earn points in their matches. If that happens, the decision for a spot in the playoffs will come down to the set ratio of the teams involved.

Cuneo and Bergamo fight against relegation

The battle to avoid relegation could also have ended on Sunday, but that didn’t happen either as both teams involved dropped their matches – Cuneo fell 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-19) to Chieri at home while Bergamo lost to Novara on the road also 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-14).

Right now, Cuneo are outside the relegation zone, in 12th place, with 18 points (seven wins). Bergamo are right behind with 15 points (five wins), but will face relegated Trentino on Wednesday, ahead of the decisive round, in a postponed match, and could catch their rivals.

They will need to take at least one point from that match in order to keep the dispute open until the weekend, when Bergamo face Scandicci at home and Cuneo go on the road against Il Bisonte Firenze.

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Lega Pallavolo Femminile Serie A1 Tigotà
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