Plamen Konstantinov's Lokomotiv (Novosibirsk) learned its schedule for the 2026/2027 season in the Russian Volleyball Super League. The bronze medalists from last season's championship will start with an away game against Fakel Yamal in Novy Urengoy on October 18, Sunday, at 4:00 PM Bulgarian time.
The championship starts on October 16 with the participation of 16 teams. The regular season includes 30 rounds, in which each team will meet the others in home and away matches. The last matches of this phase are scheduled for March 16, 2027. The title is defended by Dinamo (Moscow), which left Zenit (Kazan) with silver last season.
The first 12 teams will reach the playoffs. The top four qualify directly for the quarterfinals, while those finishing between fifth and twelfth place will go through a qualification round. It starts on March 19, and the return matches are on March 22. With one win each for the two opponents, the qualification will be decided by a "golden set," regardless of the results in the individual matches.
The quarterfinal series begin between March 26 and 29 and will be played to three wins. The same format is planned for the semifinals, which start between April 11 and 14, as well as for the two medal disputes. The final series starts on April 29, and if a fifth match is necessary, the champion will be determined on May 10. The battle for bronze begins a day earlier - on April 28.
The last-placed team in the regular season is directly relegated, and the second-to-last will defend its place in the elite in a best-of-three series against the second-placed team from the Higher League "A". For Lokomotiv, a place in the top four would also mean skipping the qualification round before the decisive clashes for the medals.