Mahindra Australian Volleyball Super League | Round 3 Preview
Round three takes the regular season past the halfway mark with all teams looking to establish themselves in the top four and ensure their Finals fate rests squarely in their own hands.
This round’s feature matches streaming on SBS On Demand see Canberra Heat hosting Queensland Pirates with the home team desperate to show their home fans they are a force to be reckoned with in 2024.
SATURDAY 14 SEPTEMBER
Melbourne Vipers v Perth Steel
Melbourne Sports Centres VIC
3:00pm AEST / 1pm AEST AWST | YouTube
2023 Round 3 Results
Women: Steel d Vipers 4:1 (17-18, 18-12, 18-15, 18-12, 18-11)
Men: Steel d Vipers 4:1 (18-13, 18-15, 18-16, 18-10, 11-18)
2023 Semi-Final Result
Men: Steel d Vipers 3:0 (18-15, 18-15, 19-17)
Perth Steel conceded just two of 10 sets when they hosted Melbourne in the corresponding round last year however they can expect a much sterner test when the two sides meet on Saturday.
Hosting a Super League round at Melbourne Sports Centres for the first time, the Vipers come into the contest high on confidence, sitting on top of the women’s ladder and only trailing Perth in the men’s on set quotient.
The Vipers women have been the form side of the opening fortnight this season, and while they have dropped the fifth set of their first two matches, by then the result was already secured.
Showing the depth within the squad, four different Vipers players have featured in the first two Mahindra Teams of the Week, the kind of spread of talent required to go deep in the competition.
Defending champions Perth were not in top form in their opening match but showed their League-winning qualities last week with a come-from-behind victory on the road in Sydney.
If the opening two weeks are anything to go by, this week won’t be the last time the Vipers and Steel men’s sides face-off this season.
Like their women’s side, Perth weren’t at their best in their opening round but overcame two match points to beat Adelaide, then after dropping the first set in Sydney continued to build to a 4:1 win.
The Vipers men also went to the 35th and final point of the fifth set of their opening match but fell to Queensland, however bounced back last week to dominate Canberra at home. That crucial last point of their opening match is the difference between Melbourne sitting below Perth on the standings, something they will be attempting to reverse on Saturday.
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Canberra Heat v Queensland Pirates
Lyneham Hockey Centre, Canberra ACT
5:00pm AEST | SBS On Demand
2023 Round 1 Results
Women: Pirates d Heat 5:0 (18-11, 18-11, 18-13, 18-16, 18-11)
Men: Heat d Pirates 4:1 (18-10 18-8, 12-18, 18-15, 18-12)
Round three will be a pivotal week for both Canberra and Queensland with seasons potentially on the line in both the men’s and women’s matches.
Both women’s teams have a win apiece, however with the Pirates perched in fourth and Canberra sixth, a loss this week risks losing touch with a top four position.
Canberra’s women looked strong in week one with libero Mali Towers particularly impressive, however they were outclassed last week in Dandenong. The Pirates got closer to Melbourne in round one despite still going down, but will have built confidence out of their 3:2 win over Adelaide last Saturday.
The men’s match holds particular significance for Canberra who need to turn their form around to keep their Finals chances alive.
The Heat have won just one set in the opening fortnight of the League and are nine points adrift of the sides locked in equal fourth, one of which is Queensland.
While the Pirates also sit outside of the Finals positions, they are only three points away from the competition leaders. Victory for Queensland will push them deep into the top four, however a loss will have the Pirates playing catch-up as they attempt to avoid missing the Finals for a second-straight year.
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Adelaide Storm v NSW Phoenix
36ers Arena, Adelaide SA
4:30pm ACST / 5:00pm AEST | YouTube
2023 Round 2 Results
Women: Storm d Phoenix 4:1 (18-16, 18-6, 18-11, 18-3, 17-18)
Men: Storm d Phoenix 5:0 (18-12 18-13, 18-13, 18-15, 18-6)
The midway point of the season marks an intriguing stage for both Adelaide and NSW who enter this round with stark differences in their history and goals.
The Phoenix travel to Adelaide as the only team which did not feature in either the men’s or women’s finals series in 2023 but are in contention to make both this year. The Storm will also be determined to feature in both Finals Series which will be hosted at this week’s venue, 36ers Arena.
Adelaide were flying high after taking down the defending champions in round one but could not overcome Queensland in a bonus point loss last week. NSW on the other hand have lost both matches to start the season but have been well in both contests against Canberra and Perth and earning bonus points in both to be just one point away from the second-placed Storm.
The Adelaide and NSW men’s teams have both split their opening matches, with the Storm showing slightly the better form.
Adelaide had two match points in their opening contest against Perth before going down, while last week they came back from 1:2 down to dominate the final two sets against Queensland.
The Phoenix men started the season with a perfect 5:0 bonus point win over Canberra to give NSW fans confidence and also won the opening set against Perth last week. While they were outgunned 4:1 by the 2023 champions, the sets were predominantly strongly-contested.
Should NSW be able to defeat Adelaide on the road, not only will they remain above the Storm on the standings, they will have one foot in the 2024 Finals door going into their last two matches.
