Defeated in the first matches, the teams attempt to get back on track against Conegliano and Milano this weekend
Published 02:35, 20 Mar 2026
Novara were close to taking Conegliano down last Sunday and will try to get it done this weekend (Photo: LVF)
Defeated in the first round of their best-of-five 2025-2026 Lega Femminile Serie A1 Tigotà semifinal series, Igor Gorgonzola Novara and Savino Del Bene Scandicci will try to even the playing field this weekend.
The teams will face Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano and Numia Vero Volley Milano respectively, looking to avoid going down 2-0, which would force them to win three straight matches to make it to the Italian League Scudetto Finals.
Novara will try to defeat defending champions Conegliano on Saturday, when the teams meet at 21:15 local time (22:15 UTC), at the Pala Igor.
Despite going down in the first match of the series, Novara showed a promising game when the teams first met last Sunday, building a 2-0 lead before the defending champions came back to win in the tie-breaker. Now, they have the confidence they can do more in front of their home fans.
"We returned to work this week in good spirits," setter Giulia Carraro said. "We know we played a very good match and that things were even until the very end, but we also wanted to work on the things that didn't work so well and that prevented us from winning the first match. Our stadium was sold out days before the match, and we're looking forward to playing in an incredible atmosphere."
For Conegliano, the key to success will be being able to keep the same level of play they showed in the last three sets in Villorba. The team may have the return of star outside hitter Gabriela 'Gabi' Guimarães, who picked up an injury in the quarterfinals and is yet to get back on the court.
"They are a very strong team, with excellent options, and can create problems for anyone," head coach Daniele Santarelli said. "Playing at the Pala Igor is always difficult, and their fans will certainly be loud. From our side, we know we need to start better than we did last time. Winning the second match would be crucial for us, but regardless of what happens, we need to continue focused and ready for a long series."
Conegliano have won all four matches against Novara this season and have a significant historical advantage, having earned 47 victories in 59 Italian League duels.
Scandicci's task seems even more complicated than Novara's, as the reigning world champions will need to look for a result on the road, facing Milano at the Allianz Cloud on Sunday, at 15:00 (16:00 UTC).
The team had an uncharacteristic, inconsistent performance in the first match of the series and went down 3-0 in front of their home fans last Saturday. Scandicci got some of their confidence back on Thursday, when they defeated Türkiye's Fenerbahçe in the golden set to advance to the CEV Champions League semifinals, and they hope to carry the momentum into Sunday's decisive match.
"We know that in this series, we need to capitalize on every opportunity we have, and we didn't do that in the first match," head coach Marco Gaspari reflected. "Now, we need to approach the second match in an entirely different way. The team is united and determined to go as far as possible in all tournaments."
Their opponents Milano erased Scandicci's homecourt advantage in the first match of the series with a convincing road win, but were then knocked out in the CEV Champions League quarterfinals by Turkish giants VakifBank.
"Starting the series with a road win can be a big advantage, but the series is far from decided," outside hitter Rebecca Piva remarked. "We know Sunday's match will be different than the first one because Scandicci can play much better and they are coming from a big win in the Champions League. We're ready for a great battle."
Sunday will mark the fourth encounter between the teams in the season and Milano have won the last two. They also have more victories over the years, with 21 triumphs to Scandicci's 16.
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