Bergamo Women Stun Novara in Five-Set Serie A1 Thriller

Bergamo Women claimed one of the standout results of the early Serie A1 Women season on Sunday, recovering from a set down twice to beat Novara Women 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-21, 15-13) in a fiercely contested match at the PalaIgor. The visitors sealed the tie-break by the narrowest of margins, taking the fifth set 15-13 to leave the home crowd frustrated and the away bench celebrating a statement road win.

The result hands Novara their first home defeat of the campaign and lifts Bergamo into the upper half of the Serie A1 standings, underlining their credentials as a side capable of troubling the league's established contenders. With both teams trading long rallies and momentum swings across nearly two hours of volleyball, the match delivered exactly the kind of high-level drama the Italian top flight is known for.

Match Overview

• Competition: Serie A1 Women (Italian Women's Volleyball League)
• Fixture: Novara Women vs Bergamo Women
• Date: 12 October 2026
• Final score: Novara Women 2-3 Bergamo Women
• Set scores: 25-22, 22-25, 25-20, 22-25, 13-15
• Winner: Bergamo Women

How the Match Unfolded

Novara started brightly. Backed by a loud home support, the hosts controlled the opening exchanges with a well-organised block and an aggressive service game that kept Bergamo's first-tempo attack out of rhythm. They closed the first set 25-22 and looked to be settling into the match.

Bergamo responded immediately. Their reception stabilised, the setter began spreading the offense across the net, and the opposite hitter found real traction from the right side. A 25-22 second set levelled the contest and shifted the psychological balance of the evening.

The third set belonged to Novara again. The home side rediscovered their block-defence connection, converted transition opportunities into quick points and moved ahead 25-20, putting themselves one set away from a 3-1 victory. That is where Bergamo's resilience became the story of the night.

Trailing 1-2, the visitors produced their best passage of play in the fourth set. A decisive serving run midway through the set forced Novara into predictable attacking patterns, and Bergamo's middle blockers capitalised with key stops at the net. Taking the set 25-22 forced a tie-break.

The fifth set was everything a decider should be: side-outs traded point for point, no more than two points separating the teams for almost the entire frame. At 13-13, the match hung on a single rotation. Bergamo held their nerve, winning the final two points — one through a block on the wing, the last with a bold attack into the deep corner — to complete the 15-13 upset.

Tactical Story of the Night

The match was decided in the small margins. Novara generated more total attack points across the five sets, but Bergamo won the battles that mattered most: service pressure in the fourth set, blocking in the tie-break, and error management in the closing rallies.

• Serve and pass: Bergamo's reception improved significantly after the first set, allowing their setter to use the middle far more often in the later sets.
• Net defence: The visitors' block timed the final set almost perfectly, neutralising Novara's left-side attack at 13-13 and 14-13.
• Transition play: Novara were sharper in transition during sets one and three, but their efficiency dipped once Bergamo began serving to the deep corners.
• Bench impact: Bergamo's substitutions added fresh energy in the fourth and fifth sets, while Novara's rotation options were limited by the intensity of the decider.

Standout Performers

For Bergamo, the opposite hitter was the focal point throughout, carrying the offense in the tight moments and finishing as the match's leading scorer. Their captain and libero anchored the back court with crucial digs during the fourth-set comeback, while the middle blockers delivered the decisive blocks in the tie-break.

Novara had strong individual contributions of their own — the outside hitters produced the bulk of the team's points through the first three sets, and the setter kept a varied distribution even under pressure. But in the final rallies, the home side lacked the clean side-out they needed to close the match out.

What the Result Means in the Serie A1 Standings

The three points move Bergamo up the Serie A1 Women table and give them a valuable head-to-head advantage over a direct rival for a playoff position. Beating a top-four calibre opponent away from home early in the season is precisely the kind of result that can shape a club's ambitions come sp