Mahindra Australian Volleyball Super League Round 6 Wrap
The Regular Season of the 2024 Mahindra Australian Volleyball Super League has come to an exciting close, with teams leaving nothing on the court in an effort to secure themselves a ticket to the all-important Finals Series.
A Super Saturday of action saw the Canberra Heat, Adelaide Storm, Melbourne Vipers and NSW Phoenix decide the fate of multiple teams, with Adelaide now preparing for the influx of our nation’s best indoor volleyball players.
Canberra Heat v Adelaide Storm
Lyneham Hockey Centre, Canberra ACT
Click here to catch-up on AusVolley YouTube
Women: Heat d Storm 3:2 (18-14, 16-18, 18-14, 12-18, 18-17)
A close game between the Canberra Heat and Adelaide Storm saw the visitors take home the bonus point despite the hosts coming out on top.
The teams traded sets in an incredibly tight contest, however the result was not enough to book Canberra a spot in the Finals Series.
While the Heat finished fifth on the ladder with 22 points, excellence in previous rounds in addition was enough to secure the Adelaide Storm a spot in their home-town Finals Series. In addition, their bonus point saw them elevate to equal first place in the standings alongside the Perth Steel and Melbourne Vipers, making for an enticing weekend in Adelaide to decide the title.
The Adelaide Storm will now play their semi final against Melbourne Vipers at approximately 6pm ACST/6:30pm AEDT on Saturday 12 October.
Men: Storm d Heat 4:1 (17-18, 18-13, 18-15, 18-15, 18-14)
In the Men’s competition, the Storm delivered a strong performance against the Heat to also secure themselves a spot in the Finals Series.
Despite just losing the first set, the Storm fought back throughout the remainder of the game, making their intentions clear for the coming weekend.
After six rounds, the Storm have finished third on the overall ladder and will now meet the Queensland Pirates at approximately 2:30pm ACST/3pm AEDT on Saturday 12 October, while the Canberra Heat’s season has come to a close.
Melbourne Vipers v NSW Phoenix
MSAC Arena, Albert Park VIC
Click here to catch-up via SBS on Demand
Women: Vipers d Phoenix 4:1 (18-15, 17-18, 18-12, 18-16, 18-7)
A dominant performance from the Women’s Vipers side proved why they’re tied first on the overall standings, losing just their second of the five sets en route to a 4-1 win.
This win saw the home team secure their third victory of the regular season, while the Phoenix finished the season without a win to their name.
Even on competition points and sets won, only point quotient edged, the Vipers into second over the semi-final opponents Adelaide who they meet at approximately 6pm ACST/6:30pm AEDT on Saturday 12 October.
Men: Vipers d Phoenix 4-1 (18-17, 18-14, 17-18, 18-17, 18-13)
In their fifth and final matched of the regular season the were up against the visiting Phoenix in an important match for the host side.
A strong 4-1 win over New South Wales saw the Vipers book themselves a ticket to Adelaide, winning both the first two and last two sets.
After finishing the regular season in fourth place, the Vipers will now face defending champions, the Perth Steel in this weekend’s match up from 1pm ACST/1:30pm AEDT on Saturday 12 October.
The NSW Phoenix have finished fifth in the standings, just missing out on a Finals spot.
For more information on the 2024 Mahindra Australian Volleyball Super League fixtures and standings, click here.
