Volleyball England’s Final 4 event will be held at the London venue for the first time ever.
The event will take place on Saturday, April 5, and Sunday, April 6, and will see the top four men’s and women’s teams from the 2024-25 Super League season compete for the national championship.
The teams, which include overseas stars and England internationals, will first play in the four knockout semi-finals on Saturday, starting at 11.30am.
The gold and bronze medal matches will follow on Sunday, starting at 10am.
Rob Payne, Volleyball England’s strategic manager for An Ace Service, said: “There is a very large, diverse and enthusiastic volleyball community in London and we hope they will be very excited to have what is one of English indoor volleyball’s flagship events happening on their doorstep.
“The support for last summer’s Queen & King of the Court event in London was terrific and most welcome.
“To have that kind of backing again for Final 4 would really lift the atmosphere and make it a great competition to play in.”
The women’s semi-finals will see Malory Eagles, who are seeking their first Super League title, take on Lionhearts Vinarius, who have gone from relegation-threatened to title contenders in one season.
Lionhearts’ head coach, Davide Tiberti, said: “This time last year, everybody believed that we were dead and buried in terms of going out of Super League, but now we are at Final 4.
“We go into it as underdogs, but we know if we can play two matches as we know we can, we can win it.”
The second semi-final will see last season’s Super League runners-up and National Cup winners, Team SideOut Polonia, go head to head with Essex Rebels, who won nine of their last 10 league matches.
Polonia’s head coach, Mark Kontopoulos, said: “I think everybody in our squad is loving the fact that it’s in London… it’s incredibly exciting.
“In fact, I think the whole London Volleyball community is excited about the event, and we’ll hope they’ll be a great crowd there to watch it.”
On the men’s side, regular season table toppers Essex Rebels will be out to secure their maiden overall Super League title and take on the season’s surprise package, Newcastle Knights, in the first semi-final.
Rebels’ head coach, Alex Porter, said: “I think Crystal Palace is a great option for the Super League Final 4 because London has the largest volleyball population and I think they will come out and support.
“Having a few of London teams in the mix as well will be brilliant because they’ll bring their fanbases… and who doesn’t love playing in front of a crowd?”
Serial trophy winners Malory Eagles men will then face form team London Giants, who have stormed through into the play-offs in the second half of the season after promotion at the end of 2023-24, in the second semi-final.
Tickets can be secured on Volleystore.co.uk.
Michail Stoev, head coach of the Giants, said: “I’ve played at Crystal Palace in the past and it’s a great environment to be in with lots of noise from the crowd.
“We had a Super League Live event at Crystal Palace earlier in the season and our juniors regularly hold sessions there, so it’s a venue where comfortable and familiar with and I’m sure it’s going to be a great couple of days for all involved.”
Additional entertainment and games will also be part of the weekend fun, making it an occasion to enjoy whether you’re a family, a group of student friends or long-standing volleyball enthusiasts.
