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Iranian Women’s Volleyball Premier League:
Playoffs set for first-leg thrillers in last eight
The domestic top flight has reached its most decisive stage, where there is no margin for error. The quarterfinals will be contested in a best-of-three format, with the second legs set for March 3.
Saipa will host Malavan in Tehran. Saipa topped Group A with eight wins, two defeats and 24 points, and the defending champion enters the playoffs aiming to secure a third consecutive title. Malavan, in its debut top-flight season, qualified as the fourth team from Group B with four wins and 10 points, adding extra intrigue to the all-Tehran clash.
In Tabriz, Moqavemat Shahrdari Tabriz will face Shahin Bandar Ameri at Shahid Tavana Hall. Shahrdari finished second in Group A with eight wins and 24 points, while Shahin, enjoying its first Premier League campaign, claimed third place in Group B with six wins and 18 points, making this one of the most evenly matched ties.
Karaj’s Enghelab Hall will see Shahr Arka Alborz, the Group B winner with nine wins and 27 points, take on San’at Mes Rafsanjan, which squeezed into the playoffs as the fourth-placed team from Group A.
Meanwhile, in Isfahan, Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan meets Majan Mazandaran in a high-profile encounter between two title contenders.
Foolad will step onto the court fresh from a historic CAVA Women’s League title in Malé, Maldives, a fortnight ago — marking the country’s first gold medal in women’s international club competitions.
Majan, composed of Iran’s under-18 national team players, enjoyed an impressive regular season under national team head coach Lee Do-hee, claiming eight wins from 10 matches to finish third in Group A.