Japanese star outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa scored 20 points, driving Igor Gorgonzola Novara to a sensational reverse sweep against Scandicci and securing the Courmayeur Cup preseason title.
Igor Gorgonzola Novara commenced their 2025-2026 season on a high note this past weekend, overcoming three of their primary Lega Volley Femminile Serie A1 rivals to claim the Courmayeur Cup preseason tournament title on Saturday.
The second edition of the event, held in the Italian city of Courmayeur, brought together Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, Numia Vero Volley Milano, and Savino Del Bene Scandicci, alongside Novara, all of whom were among the top four teams in the Italian League during the 2024-2025 season.
After defeating reigning champions Conegliano in four sets in the semifinals on Friday, Novara staged an even more impressive comeback in Saturday`s final. Trailing by two sets, they orchestrated a remarkable reverse sweep to overcome Scandicci 3-2 (21-25, 24-26, 26-24, 25-23, 15-13) and secure the championship trophy.
Japan`s national team captain Mayu Ishikawa proved to be the pivotal force behind Novara`s extraordinary turnaround, contributing a team-high 20 points, all achieved through powerful kills. American opposite Taylor Mims made a significant impact from the bench, adding 15 points (14 kills, one block), while her compatriot and middle blocker Amber Igiede, along with German outside hitter Lina Alsmeier, each chipped in with 11 points.
“This tournament offered our first opportunity to play with our complete roster against top-tier opponents,” stated head coach Lorenzo Bernardi. “The team`s response was very encouraging. While these matches do not count towards the Italian League, winning always provides a positive boost for the team and signals that our efforts are well-placed and we are heading in the right direction. The team demonstrated excellent fighting spirit and showed considerable improvement from the first day to the second. However, it is still a preseason tournament, and we must remain realistic as we haven`t yet secured any truly significant accolades.”
For Scandicci, Olympic and world champion opposite Ekaterina Antropova was the leading scorer, tallying 26 points (22 kills, two blocks, two aces). New signing, American outside hitter Avery Skinner, contributed 17 points, comprising 16 kills and one block.
Conegliano Secures Bronze
Last year`s champions, Conegliano, had to settle for third place this time. Following their semifinal defeat to Novara on Friday, they bounced back strongly on Saturday to overcome Milano 3-1 (25-19, 25-17, 21-25, 25-14). Opposite Isabelle Haak led the team with 21 points (18 kills, three blocks), supported by outside hitter Gabriela `Gabi` Guimarães, who added 16 points (14 kills, two blocks).
“It`s fantastic to be back here in Courmayeur for a second consecutive year,” commented Gabi. “This tournament is crucial for us to gauge our current form and identify areas for improvement, especially as we face the country`s strongest teams. We didn`t perform optimally in the semifinals, but we delivered a better performance today, even with a few too many mistakes in the third set. That`s the purpose of preseason; it allows us to test different combinations and players. It`s going to be a tough season, and expectations are very high. I believe all three teams competing here are stronger than last year, so we`ll need to work even harder if we aim to win the Italian League again.”
Star opposite Paola Egonu was Milano`s top scorer in the bronze match, registering 14 points (13 kills, one ace), while American outside hitter Khalia Lanier also contributed 11 points, all from kills.
The 2025-2026 season of the Italian League is set to commence on October 6, with all seven matches of the first round`s opening leg scheduled for that day.
Oliver Wrenwick