Grand Finals and End of Season play-offs will return to the Volleyball Ireland National League Premier Division for the 2024/25 season.
Following consultation with member clubs, as well as extensive survey feedback from players, the Board of Volleyball Ireland have approved a recommendation from the National League Management Committee to reintroduce the format, that was piloted post-Covid.
A recent survey of Premier Division players found that 86% of respondents are in favour of this format, with 2/3rds wanting the Grand Final winner to be deemed the National League champion.
The Grand Finals weekend will be held on May 3-4th at the Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena, Blanchardstown. The top 4 teams in each Premier Division will qualify for the play-offs. The Association Cup Finals will be held on the weekend of March 29-30.
Volleyball Ireland CEO Gary Stewart commented, “The Grand Final is the perfect showcase to end the season. What’s most important is that this system keeps teams fighting to the very end with something to train and compete for. You could see last year both Premier Division titles were wrapped up early, but the battle for 3rd went right down to the wire. I think this format will bring excitement from the first serve in October right to the last point in May.”
Santry Calypso and UCD will be looking to defend their National League crowns when the league kicks off in October. Player licensing opens next week.
