SERIE A1 TIM
Perugia or Vibo in the Cup?
Transfer market will close on Monday 22
We’re reaching the halfway point of the season on Sunday with the 13th round, which will also reveal the name of the 8 teams going to the Italian Cup (From the 28th of January) and its matchups. There is still a lot to play for. Perugia and Vibo Valentia will play for the last ticket. They will play respectively against the Modena (home) of new coach Zanini and Montichiari (away). Trentino will try to go top at the break, as it hosts Martina Franca, while the current leaders, Macerata travels to Piacenza.
The latter, together with Montichiari and Cuneo, who hosts Treviso, are fighting for third place. Mathematically in the top 8, Verona plays in Forli, looking for important points to move up the table.
Towards the bottom of the table, Padova hosts Pineto.
SERIE A1 TIM -13th round
Sunday 21 december at 6pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Sisley Treviso Differed on SKY Sport 2 at 7pm
(Sampaolo – Saltalippi)
Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza – Lube Banca Marche Macerata
(Padoan – Sobrero)
Itas Diatec Trentino – Stamplast Martina Franca
(Giani – Lavorenti)
Yoga Forli – Marmi Lanza Verona
(Barbero – Locatelli)
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia – Trenkwalder Modena
(Cesare – Perri)
Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
(Satanassi – Gnani)
Antonveneta Padova – Framasil Pineto
(Pasquali – Santi)
SERIE A1 TIM TABLE
Lube Banca Marche Macerata 29; Itas Diatec Trentino 28; Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo, Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza 23; Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari 22; Sisley Treviso, Marmi Lanza Verona 19; RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia 18; Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 15; Framasil Pineto 14; Stamplast Martina Franca 13; Trenkwalder Modena 12; Yoga Forli 11; Antonveneta Padova 6.
BRE BANCA LANNUTTI CUNEO – SISLEY TREVISO
Past encounters: 67 (46-21 Treviso).
Last game: 2007/08, 9th return game. Sisley Treviso – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 0-3.
Record chasers: 300th game for Francesco Biribanti, who needs just one block to reach 300. Teammate Gregor Jeroncic needs 4 blocks to reach 400. As for Treviso, Alberto Cisolla is 12 points away from the 4000 and 3 aces from the 200 in regular season. 10 spikes for Alessandro Fei would get him to 4000 in the league. His presence on Sunday is doubtful, because of an injury he got last week against Trentino, but if he was to play, Stefan Hubner could reach the 100 aces in the league. He needs just one.
Francesco Fortunato (Stamplast Martina Franca): “Treviso overcame a tough period by beating the champs Trento in the last round. The value of the team is undeniable, it has champions that have won a lot showing their capacity at the top level. Treviso is always one fo the favourites for the title, having an unchanged team through the years, and therefore they know each other very well. This year it also has a new setter, who il simply the best in the world”.
Alberto Cisolla (Sisley Treviso): “It will be an important game to verify the progress we’re making in the gym and which we’re starting to see on court: we have to find consistency in our performances, during the games too, because the ups are downs cost dear. Cuneo is a tough opponent, it will not give anything away and it will want to improve its league position. This is also our target and we’ll go there to get some points”.
COPRA NORDMECCANICA PIACENZA – LUBE BANCA MARCHE MACERATA
Past encounters: 12 (7-5 Piacenza)
Last Game: stagione 2007/08, 7th return games. Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza 3-0.
Record chaser: Hristo Zlatanov is 3 aces from the 400 in league and Cup. Still, he’s doubtful for the game.
Joao Paolo Bravo (Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza): “It’s always a tough one against Macerata. They have a strong and well-organised team. We’ll try to get some important points in order to get the best possible position for the Italian Cup. It will a complicated game for us, given that we’ll be without Zlatanov and Pampel”.
Mirko Corsano (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “We don’t know if Zlatano will play, and to be honest I really hope he will because the entertainment would be much better. Even without him, Piacenza remains an excellent team, because they have many great players, and it is also used to play in these kind of conditions”.
ITAS DIATEC TRENTINO – STAMPLAST MARTINA FRANCA
Past encounters: 10 (5 each)
Last game: 2007/08, 9th round return games: Prisma Taranto – Itas Diatec Trentino 1-3.
Record chasers: Emanuele Birarelli is 9 points away from the 1000 points in the league.
Matey Kaziyski (Itas Diatec Trentino): “Martina Franca will get to Trento with the will to bounce back after the recent defeats in the league. This will be an extra difficulty in a game, which was always going to be tough given the moment of form we’re having. Lately, we’re struggling to find our rhythm, maybe because of the many games we’ve had of late, maybe because of the quality of the opponents we’re recently faced. I’m nevertheless confident for this game and the rest of the championship because we’re a strong team that can play every game with the belief in its ability and the belief it can win against anyone”.
YOGA FORLI – MARMI LANZA VERONA
Past encounters: 13 (7-6 Forli)
Last game: 2007/08, A2 Play Off final game 3: Marmi Lanza Verona – Mare&Volley Forli 2-3.
Record chasers: Giuseppe Patriarca is 10 points from the 2000 in career and Daniele Sottile needs just one point for the 500 in the league.
Giuseppe Patriarca (Yoga Forli): “The three points we got against Modena were crucial in our fight to stay up. The game against Verona should be the opportunity to get us on the right track for good”.
Daniele Sottile (Marmi Lanza Verona): “It will be a tough game because we’re facing a team that needs points, a motivated team, that had just had a nice victory and will therefore be up for it. Still, we needs points too, and these are worth double because we’re playing a direct opponent. Our main target is to stay up but Sunday’s points will also help us get a better position for the Italian Cup”.
RPA-LUIGIBACCHI.IT PERUGIA – TRENKWALDER MODENA
Past encounters: 12 (7-5 Modena)
Last game: 2007/08, 10th round return games. Cimone Modena – RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia 0-3.
Record chasers: Goran Vujevic is one ace from the 300, while Wytze Kooistra is 11 points from the 1000. Finally, Luca Tencati needs 8 spikes for the 1500.
Renato Felizardo (RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia): “We mathematically need one point to get in the Italian Cup but in Pineto we made a step forward, and now against Modena we could get even more than a point. We shouldn’t be thinking only at the Cup but also at the league playoffs”.
Emanuele Zanini (Allenatore Trenkwalder Modena): “In these first training sessions, I’ve asked the team to focus mainly on the organization. Everyone needs to assume its responsibility according to the position he covers. To be Modena does not matter much. To win games today, you need to play well today”.
ACQUA PARADISO GABECA MONTICHIARI – TONNO CALLIPO VIBO VALENTIA
Past encounters: 6 (4-2 Vibo Valentia)
Last game: 2006/07, 11th round return game. Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari 3-1.
Record chasers: Ventceslav Simeonov is just two blocks from the 300 in the league.
Marcello Gabana (Presidente Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari): “We’re confident ahead of Sunday’s game. Vibo Valentia made it difficult for us in last year’s return game, but this year we have a different team. They can still give us food for thoughts but Montichiari has the possibility to get a good result and spend a nice Christmas. We have great players, some excellent ones on the bench too ready to help the team”.
Flavio Gulinelli (Allenatore Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “More than once this wekk we talked about the possibility to get into the Italian Cup. But before thinking about this, we have to think about the Montichiari game and give our best. It would really be nice to get in the cup but it doesn’t depend solely on us, which is why we have to give everything we have to get the best possible result. Then we’ll just see what happened on the other courts”.
ANTONVENETA PADOVA – FRAMASIL PINETO
Never met before
Record chasers: Manuele Ravellino needs 5 blocks to reach 300 in League and Italian Cup.
Gabriele Maruotti (Antonveneta Padova): “Pineto’s game is as important as the others, even though three points against them would be important psychologically. A win would put us closer to our direct opponent before the start of the return games. We had some excellent training sessions during the week and we’re extremely focused on Sunday’s game because we want to get a good result in front of our supporters”.
Raphael Dentinho (Framasil Pineto): “I’m expecting a tough game against Padova. At the beginning of the season, when I saw we had to play them for last I had that sensation this would be a tricky one and the way things have gone confirms it. Indeed, after a difficult start, they are now back on track and that will be difficult at the PalaNet gym. We have to go there physically and mentally at 100%, and play with the maximum determination. If we want to get some points, we’ll have to give our best”.
SERIE A2 TIM
BASSANO DEFENDS FIRST PLACE
SERIE A2 TIM – 13th round
Saturday 20 December at 8.30pm
Edilesse Cavriago – Nava Gioia del Colle DIRETTA SNAI SAT
(Braico – Genna)
Sunday 21 December at 6pm
Olio Pignatelli Isernia – Materdomini Volley.It Castellana Grotte
(Fiore – Guerra)
Esse-ti Carilo Loreto – Canadiens Mantova
(Simbari – Andreoni)
Gherardi Cartoedit Tratos C.di Castello – Codyeco S.Croce
(Prandi – Gelati)
Wayel Bologna – Andreoli Latina
(Bartoloni – Frapiccini)
Samgas Crema – La Nef Castelfidardo
(Venturi – Cardaci)
Sunday 2& December at 8.30pm
Bassano Volley – M. Roma Volley LIVE ON SNAI SAT
(Bellini – Zingoni)
Rested: Sp Catania
SERIE A2 TIM TABLE
Fiorese Spa Bassano 30; Codyeco S.Croce* 29; Esse-Ti Carilo Loreto, Andreoli Latina 25; Wayel Bologna 21; Nava Gioia del Colle 19; Canadiens Mantova 18; Olio Pignatelli Isernia 17; M. Roma Volley 16; Samgas Crema, Edilesse Cavriago 15; Materdomini Volley.It Castellana Grotte 14; Sp Catania* 12; Gherardi Cartoedit Tratos C.di Castello 9; La Nef Castelfidardo 8
*1 Game more
