Alan Nine
Conegliano reclaimed the Italian Women’s Super Cup with a hard-fought victory over Scandicci in Bari, while Milano maintained their perfect start in Serie A1. In Brazil, Sada Cruzeiro saved three match points to lift the Super Cup, and FIPAV approved €1.6 million in funding for clubs and youth development.
Women’s Super Cup: Haak leads Conegliano to ninth title
Prosecco DOC A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano came from a set down to beat Savino Del Bene Scandicci 3-1 (23-25, 25-18, 26-24, 26-24) at the PalaFlorio in Bari, holding their nerve in two tense closing sets to claim their ninth Italian Women’s Super Cup.
Isabelle Haak earned MVP honours with 28 points, supported by Zhu Ting with 17, Sarah Fahr with 14 and Raphaela Folie with nine. Conegliano also recorded 12 blocks.
Scandicci pushed the winners throughout. Kiera Van Ryk led their scoring with 27 points, while Maja Aleksić contributed 17, including five blocks. After taking the opener, Scandicci fought back from deficits in both the third and fourth sets, only for Conegliano to find the decisive points on each occasion.
The victory also brought a personal milestone for Monica De Gennaro, who collected the tenth Super Cup of her career.
Head coach Daniele Santarelli praised Conegliano’s resilience after a demanding final, before turning his attention to recovery ahead of Wednesday’s league fixture.
Women’s Serie A1: Milano make it five from five
Numia Vero Volley Milano extended their perfect start with a 3-0 victory over Laica Cioccolato UYBA (25-20, 25-22, 25-15), moving to 15 points and provisionally three clear of Conegliano.
Paola Egonu led all scorers with 25 points, while Anna Danesi added 11, including five of Milano’s 13 blocks.
The pivotal spell came in the second set, when Mayu Sato’s serving sparked a 10-0 run, transforming a 14-10 deficit into a 20-14 lead. Sato went on to collect the MVP award as Milano secured a fifth win in as many matches.
Valeria Battista was UYBA’s only player in double figures with 11 points. The defeat was Busto Arsizio’s fourth in the opening five rounds.
Abroad: Cruzeiro save three match points to win Brazilian Super Cup
Sada Cruzeiro staged a remarkable tie-break recovery to beat Vôlei Renata 3-2 (23-25, 25-21, 25-20, 22-25, 17-15) in São José, claiming their eighth Brazilian Super Cup.
Trailing 14-11 in the fifth set, Cruzeiro faced three consecutive match points. Leal’s serving drove the comeback, before an attacking error from Martinez brought the final to a dramatic close.
Leal was named MVP after scoring 29 points, including four blocks and three aces. Oppenkoski added 27, while Douglas Souza and Bruno Lima finished with 24 and 23 respectively for Vôlei Renata.
It was a memorable return to Cruzeiro for the 38-year-old Leal, who rejoined the club after eight seasons away.
In Poland, GKS Katowice continued their strong start with a 3-2 victory over Ślepsk Malow Suwałki. Michał Superlak earned MVP honours with 23 points, while Bartosz Filipiak’s match-high 30 were not enough for Suwałki.
In Japan, Denso Airybees fought back to beat defending champions Osaka Marvelous in five sets.
Italian federation: FIPAV approves €1.6 million for youth volleyball
The FIPAV Federal Council has approved €1.6 million in funding to support clubs and youth development.
Half of the total will go to clubs competing in the three designated youth championships, with additional recognition for those entering more than one team. The remaining €800,000 will support the broader development of youth volleyball.
The council also finalised the schedule for eight national youth finals, to be held between 10 May and 6 June 2027.
Parma will host the men’s Under-19 finals, with the women’s event taking place in Vibo Valentia. Alba Adriatica and Pordenone will stage the Under-17 competitions, Agropoli and Cuneo the Under-15 events, and Palermo and Campobasso/Isernia the Under-14 tournaments.
Other measures included the launch of Atleta al Centro, a project designed to improve year-round coordination between the men’s national team and clubs, and approval of the agreement with Parma to host Club Italia’s women’s Serie A2 home matches.
The council also backed a national programme using volleyball to support education and inclusion in juvenile detention centres.
