A superb performance by Japanese outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa helped Igor Gorgonzola Novara secure their sixth-straight victory in the 2024-2025 Lega Volley Femminile Serie A1 Tigotà, solidifying their spot in the Italian League’s top three.

Novara have won every match they played following their opening-week upset against Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri ’76 and are now ranked third, with 18 points (six wins, one loss), three ahead of fourth-placed Savino Del Bene Scandicci. Only league leaders Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, who have 24 points (eight wins), and second-placed Numia Vero Volley Milano, who have 19 (seven wins, one loss), rank above them, but both sides have already played eight matches to Novara’s seven.

• Watch the Lega Volley Femminile Serie A1 Tigotà live on VBTV

This weekend, Novara were faced with 14^th-placed Bartoccini-MC Restauri Perugia and came back from a first-set loss to triumph 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-22) in the first match of the weekend in the country, on Saturday.

Outside hitters Ishikawa, who topped all scorers with 19 points (17 kills, one block, one ace), and Lina Alsmeier, who produced 18 (16 kills, two aces) and took home the MVP award, were key pieces in the team’s victory.

“We definitely weren’t surprised by what we saw from Perugia today,” head coach Lorenzo Bernardi said. “The standings don’t always say everything about the level of a team and the Italian League this season is proving to be one the most balanced ever. The three points we earned today will be very important to our trajectory and I’m pleased by what I saw.”

Perugia had the match’s top scorer in Hungarian opposite Anett Németh, who left the court with 29 points (25 kills, three blocks, one ace).

Milano end Busto’s winning streak

Ninth-placed Eurotek Uyba Busto Arsizio were also trying to keep a winning streak alive in the Italian League this weekend, but were frustrated by Milano, who needed all five sets, but prevailed 3-2 (25-18, 18-25, 25-20, 18-25, 15-10) to hand them a defeat after three straight victories on Sunday.

Dutch outside hitter Nika Daalderop was pivotal in Milano’s victory, tallying a match-high 25 points, with 22 kills, two aces and one block. The match also marked the return of star opposite Paola Egonu, who was on the court for the first time in the season and scored one point in the fourth set. Middle blocker Benedetta Satori led Busto, with 17.

“Winning is always important,” Olympic champion middle blocker Anna Danesi said. “But perhaps we’re dropping too many points with these five-setters, which is not good. I felt that our offense struggled today and that made their blocking easier.”

Also on Sunday, league leaders Conegliano dropped a set for just the second time in the season, but still managed to beat seventh-placed Chieri 3-1 (25-16, 25-23, 23-25, 25-21), while fourth-placed Scandicci swept sixth-placed Bergamo 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-21).

The other two matches of the weekend had eighth-placed Wash4green Pinerolo beating 12^th-placed Cda Volley Talmassons Fv 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 25-20) and fifth-placed Megabox Ondulati Savio Vallefoglia downing 13^th-placed SMI Roma Volley 3-1 (25-20, 22-25, 25-23, 25-14). Il Bisonte Firenze and Honda Olivero Cuneo didn't play this weekend, with their match scheduled for December 11.

The eighth round of the Italian League regular season will take place next weekend, with one match on Saturday and six on Sunday.

Quick links:
Lega Volley Femminile Serie A1 Tigotà
VBTV
Volleyball World Facebook
Volleyball World X
Volleyball World Instagram
Volleyball World YouTube
Subscribe to Volleyball World's Newsletter