Iranian Volleyball Super League wrap-up:
Foolad breaks Tabi’at curse in five-set thriller to stay top
Defending champion Foolad Sirjan ended a four-match losing streak against Tabi’at Eslamshahr with a hard-fought five-set victory on Sunday, maintaining its perfect record atop the Iranian Volleyball Super League.
Behrouz Ataei’s side rallied from behind to win 3-2 (25-15, 21-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-11) in front of a home crowd, securing its ninth straight win and sole possession of first place.
Tabi’at, meanwhile, sits ninth in the standings with three wins.
Foolad’s next test is another home match on Wednesday against fifth-place San’atgaran Omid, which overturned an early deficit to defeat Paykan 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 26-14).
Elsewhere, Shahdab Yazd also staged a comeback to beat Shahrdari Urmia in four sets (22-25, 27-25, 25-17, 25-23), solidifying its hold on second place with 25 points from eight victories.
Sepahan claimed a 3-1 win (26-24, 24-26, 25-15, 25-19) over Mehregan Nour to remain third with 21 points, two ahead of fourth-place Chadormalou. Chadormalou celebrated its seventh win in nine matches with a dramatic 3-2 victory (25-21, 20-25, 23-25, 25-18, 16-14) over Saipa in Tehran.
The loss marked Saipa’s seventh defeat of the season, leaving them third from bottom with six points.
In other matches, Pas Gorgan swept Razim Polymer 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-22) at home, while Mes Rafsanjan defeated bottom-side Esteghlal Gonbad 3-1 (25-14, 25-23, 21-25, 25-16). The two clubs are now level on two wins and five points, with Rafsanjan holding the edge on the table.