Chieri and Roma go head to head in all-Italian final in the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup Women

For the fourth season in a row and for the fifth time in the last six seasons, an Italian team will clinch the trophy in the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup Women, after Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri '76 and Roma Volley qualified to the last act of the competition. The first leg will take place on Chieri's court on Tuesday, 4 March, at 20:00 CET.

Chieri have the chance to secure a fantastic performance – winning a European cup three seasons in a row – after they have previously secured the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup Women in 2023 and the CEV Volleyball Cup Women in 2024.

So far, Chieri have won seven out of the eight matches played so far in this season’s CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup Women, but they really had a challenge on their hands against Galatasaray Daikin Istanbul in the semi-finals.

The Italian side had a seven-match winning streak until the second leg of the semi-finals against Galatasaray, losing only two sets – one against Sporting CP in the quarter-finals and one in the first leg against their Turkish opponents – but the away match against Galatasaray was a true roller-coaster.

Chieri won the first set, but then they conceded the next three, which meant that the semi-final will have a golden set to decide the finalist. The Italian side eventually took it, 15:13, and secured their place in the final of a European cup for the third season in a row. 

However, Chieri lost a key player in Cypriot Katerina Zakchaiou, who suffered an ankle injury which needed surgery, making her unavailable for the doubleheader against Roma Volley in the final.

In their maiden European season, Roma Volley have been nothing short of spectacular in their 10 matches played so far. The Italian side won their first eight, dropping only three sets on the way, but conceded a loss in the first leg of the semi-final against SC Potsdam, 2:3.

They bounced back and secured the final spot with a clear 3:0 win against Potsdam, salvaging their season, after a roller-coaster performance in the Italian league, where they finished on the 13th place in the standings, second-to-last, with only six wins in 20 matches, relegating to the second league.

Therefore, Roma will need to bounce back after their 1:3 loss against Pinerolo in the last weekend, which sealed their relegation, but will face a team which they lost their last four matches against, including two this season, 1:3 and 0:3, in the Italian league.

On the other side, Chieri ended on the fifth place in the final standings of the regular season, but are on a two-match losing streak against Pinerolo and Numia Vero Volley Milano, as they are set to be favoured in the doubleheader for the trophy in the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup Women