With league leaders Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, second-placed Savino Del Bene Scandicci and third-placed Numia Vero Volley Milano all off this weekend in the 2025-2026 Lega Femminile Serie A1 Tigotà, the 13th leg of the first round of the regular season presents Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri '76 and Igor Gorgonzola Novara with a unique opportunity.

Ranked fourth and fifth in the standings, the teams will be at home on Sunday and will go for the three points so they close the gap to the Italian League's top three.

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With Conegliano and Scandicci set to compete at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship next week, the two Italian giants had to anticipate some of their Italian League matches, which helped them run away at the top of the standings - the defending champions have 40 points, six more than their rivals, with each having already completed 14 matches.

In third place with 29 points, Milano have already played 13 matches. Coming right next with 26 points each and only 12 matches completed, Chieri and Novara can both pass Milano if they get all three points on Sunday, while also closing the gap to Conegliano and Scandicci.

Undefeated in their last five matches - three of which in the Italian League -, Chieri will face Bartoccini-Mc Restauri Perugia, an opponent they defeated 11 times in 14 Lega Femminile encounters on Sunday, at 17:00 local time (16:00 UTC), at the Palafenera.

Hungarian opposite Anett Németh has been leading the team's offense this season with 206 points registered, helped by world champion Stella Nervini, with 166, and Swiss outside hitter Laura Künzler, with 154.

Coming from a defeat to Turkish giants Fenerbahçe in the CEV Champions League on Thursday, Novara will play against Il Bisonte Firenze at the Pala Igor also on Sunday, but one hour earlier, at 16:00 (15:00 UTC). Novara have a history of huge success against Firenze in the Italian League, having triumphed 28 times in 31 duels.

With 146 points, German outside hitter Lina Alsmeier has been the team's main offensive weapon this season, followed by Japanese outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa, with 126, and Belgian outside hitter Britt Herbots, who has been mostly playing as an opposite, with 123. The recent return of Russian opposite Tatiana Tolok, who lost five matches due to an injury, adds to the team's firepower halfway into the regular season.

Macerata and Bergamo play on Saturday

The 13th leg of the regular season in Italy begins on Saturday, at 21:00 local time (18:00 UTC), with the duel between CBF Balducci HR Macerata and Bergamo.

Lega Volley Femminile - Match Schedule & Results

Two more matches will be held on Sunday, at 17:00 (16:00 UTC), with Eurotek Laica UYBA Busto Arsizio playing against Omag-Mt San Giovanni In Marignano and Megabox Ondulati Del Savio Vallefoglia facing Honda Cuneo Granda Volley.

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