Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri '76's rise in the 2025-2026 Lega Femminile Serie A1 Tigotà continued this week, when the team from Northern Italy got to third place in the standings and achieved its best campaign ever in the first round of the Italian League Preliminary Phase.

Taking advantage of Numia Vero Volley Milano's absence in the 13th leg of the regular season, Chieri got the job done against Bartoccini-MC Restauri Perugia, winning 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-15) at home on Sunday, to pass their rivals and return to the top three.

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The victory got Chieri up to the same 29 points as Milano, but they get to rank higher for having the most victories between the two (ten to nine). Now, they're only behind league leaders Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, who have 40 points (14 wins), and second-placed Savino Del Bene Scandicci, who have 34 (12 wins, two losses), but reduced the distance to both, as they didn't play this weekend either.

Laura Künzler and Anett Németh led Chieri in their dominant three-set victory, as each of them scored 17 points - the Swiss outside hitter registered 12 kills, three blocks and two aces, while the Hungarian opposite tallied 14 kills, two blocks and one ace. German middle blocker Anastasia Cekulaev, who added 11, with eight kills and three blocks, earned the match's MVP award.

"We needed to win all three points to end well what has been a great first half of the season, and I'm glad we got them," head coach Nicola Negro remarked. "But it wasn't easy. Perugia's offense was very good, and we struggled a little bit with our blocking. From the second set on, we were able to control the match better."

Outside hitter Alessia Fiesoli was Perugia's leading scorer with nine points (all in kills), one more than Slovenian opposite Nika Markovič, who also got her entire production on offense.

Novara also pass Milano

Chieri were not the only team to pass Milano this weekend, as Igor Gorgonzola Novara did the same, going from fifth to fourth, also with 29 points. They hosted Il Bisonte Firenze on Sunday and triumphed 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-16).

Russian opposite Tatiana Tolok was in excellent form and led Novara with a match-high 21 points (20 kills, one block). Japanese star outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa came next, with 14 (ten kills, three aces, one block). Setter Carlotta Cambi took home the MVP award.

Dutch national team outside hitter Jolien Knollema was the only Firenze player to get to double digits in scoring with 13 points (12 kills, one block). Middle blocker Nausica Acciarri came close, but ended the match with nine (eight kills, one block).

The 13th leg of the regular season started on Saturday, when tenth-placed CBF Balducci HR Macerata prevailed over eighth-placed Bergamo 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 25-23, 21-25, 16-14) in a five-set battle.

Lega Volley Femminile - Match Schedule & Results

On Sunday, sixth-placed Eurotek Laica UYBA Busto Arsizio defeated 14th-placed Omag-Mt San Giovanni In Marignano 3-1 (16-25, 25-15, 25-16, 25-18) and seventh-placed Megabox Ondulati Del Savio Vallefoglia topped 11th-placed Honda Cuneo Granda Volley 3-1 (26-24, 27-25, 23-25, 25-18).

Still without Conegliano and Scandicci, which will both be competing at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship in Brazil, the first leg of the second round of the regular season will have one match on Saturday and four on Sunday. Before that, on Wednesday, Novara will play Wash4Green Monviso Volley in an anticipated match of the sixth leg of the second round.

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