AVL Round 4 preview – Will they remain undefeated?
The AVL season reaches its halfway mark this weekend with round-4 matches being played in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania, with the QLD Pirates having a bye. Two teams remain undefeated, one in each division – will they be able to maintain their perfect record through another weekend? Follow the live streams to find out – exclusively on Cluch TV.
WA Steel v NSW Phoenix
Trinity College, East Perth WA
Saturday, 29 Oct: Women 11am AWST / Men 1pm AWST
Sunday, 30 Oct: Men 11am AWST / Women 1pm AWST
Ticket Info
STREAMED LIVE & EXCLUSIVE VIA CLUCH
With the men’s league standings split in two, the WA Steel will try to stay in touch with the leaders as they host a still winless NSW Phoenix. Both teams come from tough weekends – the Steel went down twice in Queensland, but not without a fight. The Phoenix lost to Adelaide, but that might speak more about the power of the Storm than anything else.
In the women’s league, the Steel have a 2-point lead on the Phoenix, but NSW has a better record, comparatively. It should be a close match-up – the Steel will be looking for the first win before their public, but it won’t come easy against the Phoenix.
With over twenty new recruits across the men and women’s team and a number of under-19 players in the rotations, read more about the new-look Steel franchise.
Adelaide Storm v Canberra Heat
Lights Community and Sports Centre, Lightsview SA
Saturday, 29 Oct: Women 3pm ACDT / Men 5pm ACDT
Sunday, 30 Oct: Women 11am ACDT / Men 1pm ACDT
Ticket Info
STREAMED LIVE & EXCLUSIVE VIA CLUCH
Surely the men’s Heat must be hoping that the first home game of the season might distract the Storm. So far Adelaide has played six matches on the road and won them all, giving up only three sets in the process. If they get an additional boost from the home crowd, it might be a tough weekend even for the fierce ACT team.
On paper, the matches between the Storm and Heat women’s team should be closer. Canberra is looking to get some momentum going after sweeping the Tasmanian Echidnas last weekend, but the Storm were solid in Sydney, showing moments of brilliance and a strong service game. Fans in Adelaide are looking forward to their teams’ home debut and if it goes down to the wire, crowd support might make a difference.
Tasmania Echidnas v Melbourne Vipers
Moonah Sports Centre, Hobart TAS
Saturday, 29 Oct: Women 2pm AEDT / Men 4pm AEDT
Sunday, 30 Oct: Women 10am AEDT / Men 12pm AEDT
Ticket Info
STREAMED LIVE & EXCLUSIVE VIA CLUCH
Tasmanian fans had much to celebrate last weekend as their men’s team took home a club-defining win from the nation’s capital, their first in the AVL. Enthusiasm is high in the Echidnas’ camp so the Vipers better be ready. Melbourne had a week to regroup after a tough start and will travel to Tasmania with ambition to score a win on the road – their first of the season.
On the women’s side, the Vipers are ready to get back to business after the bye week. The Tasmanian team has plenty of young talent to draw from, but winning against the league’s leaders – still undefeated – is going to be a tough ask.
