SERIE A1 TIM
YOGA FORLI’ – ANTONVENETA PADOVA NOT TO GO DOWN
Some teams are desperate to grab some important points for their future. Big game at the bottom between Forli and Padova. The three points at stake will allow one team to keep its hopes of staying up alive. Both at 22 points, Pineto and Martina franca will try to stay at a safe distance from the danger zone. To do so, they will have to overcome some tough opposition: Piacenza, who was back on track thanks to a win over Montichiari last week, and Modena out of the playoffs but eager not to disappoint once more, especially at home.
Vibo Valentia will try to reduce the gap that seperate them from the 8th place when they meet Verona, one of the main contenders for a playoffs spot. Another team ready to defend its league position is Treviso, who will travel to Macerata, still unbeaten at home this season. There’s another big clash at the top with Cuneo that will try to stop Perugia’s run to get closer to the top. Live on Sky Sport 2, Montichiari entertains Trentino. Berruto’s team wants to bounce back following its tie-break loss of the last round. On the other side of the net, there will be Trento, who registered its sixth straight set win between League and Champions League.
SERIE A1 TIM – 23rd ROUND
Sunday 1 March at 6pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia
(Giani – Barbero)
Trenkwalder Modena – Stamplast Martina Franca
(Cesare – Locatelli)
Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza – Framasil Pineto
(Boris – La Micela)
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Sisley Treviso
(Sobrero – Pasquali)
Yoga Forlì – Antonveneta Padova
(Santi – Sampaolo)
Marmi Lanza Verona – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
(Saltalippi – Perri)
Sunday 1 March at 6.30pm
Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari – Itas Diatec Trentino LIVE ON SKY SPORT 2
(Padoan – Cipolla)
TABLE
Itas Diatec Trentino 52, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 48, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 48, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia 43, Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza 41, Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari 37, Sisley Treviso 33, Marmi Lanza Verona 33, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 27, Trenkwalder Modena 25, Stamplast Martina Franca 22, Framasil Pineto 22, Yoga Forlì 17, Antonveneta Padova 14.
BRE BANCA LANNUTTI CUNEO – RPA-LUIGIBACCHI.IT PERUGIA
Past encounters: 13 (8 vittorie Cuneo, 5 Macerata).
First leg: RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 1-3 (22-25, 16-25, 28-26, 22-25)
Daniele Vergnaghi (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “It will be a tough game. Perugia is on a good run, they’re improving, like is Stokr, their main offensive weapon. We’ll try to bounce back following our poor performance against Trento and be as high up as possible in the table for the playoffs. This game will represent an important moment because we will remember Romano, a great friend for me and everyone. We realised how much we missed him, it was nice to go to the gym and see him there”.
Giacomo Sintini (RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia): “Cuneo is an unstoppable machine. A real breathrough is needed to beat them in their gym but we are not afraid of anyone. We need to go there and go for it. Now that they’ve lost, we are the only one left that remained unbeaten in the return games. If they deserve to win…then we’ll just shake their hands”.
TRENKWALDER MODENA – STAMPLAST MARTINA FRANCA
Past encounters: 11 (8 vittorie Modena, 3 Martina Franca).
First leg: Stamplast Martina Franca – Trenkwalder Modena 3-1 (22-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-22)
Emanuele Zanini (Trenkwalder Modena): “I’d like to see a true reaction from the whole group in Vibo Valentia. This is a crucial game because if we were to win, we would definitely be safe. We’ve worked a lot on the psychological aspect too during the week: we want to playw ith character, using all the potential of our game. Martina Franca has quality players but we have to focus on ourselves”.
Luigi Mastrangelo (Stamplast Martina Franca): “I’m confident. We had a chat to analyse the two last poor performances during the week. We are capable of playing well against the top teams. I obviously don’t want to go down, I wouldn’t like to be out of the Italian team either. Modena will try everything not to lose badl again at home while we need points. All the more so since I’m convinced Forli will take the opportunity to beat Padova”.
COPRA NORDMECCANICA PIACENZA – FRAMASIL PINETO
Past encounters: 1 (1 vittoria Piacenza).
First leg: Framasil Pineto – Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza 1-3 (24-26, 16-25, 26-24, 23-25)
Giovanni Rossi (2° All. Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza): “We had not had an entire week to prepare a game for quite some time. We are working well on the long-term injured players like Bravo and Zlatanov too. Marshall is training seperately. On Sunday we’re facing a team that, after a difficult spell, is on its way back playing with the intensity it had for most of the season. They have quality players with great technique too. It will be a tough game for us, but we’ll give it all to try to get a good result”.
Simone Buti (Framasil Pineto): “We got important points thanks to the win over Treviso, but we can’t afford to relax, we need more points to reach our target. Piacenza is a good team, especially at home. In the first leg, we had a chance to take a point, but in the end that wasn’t to be. Hopefully, we’ll do better this time”.
LUBE BANCA MARCHE MACERATA – SISLEY TREVISO
Past encounters: 46 (21 vittorie Macerata, 25 Treviso).
First leg: Sisley Treviso – Lube Banca Marche Macerata 0-3 (23-25, 22-25, 17-25)
Martin Lebl (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “We’ve had some good results at home, it would be nice to keep it going against Treviso. They’re probably having the most difficult season of their history but they are still a great team, with stars that can make the difference against any team. This will be a tough and open game so a victory with a good performance would give us great motivation for Wednesday’s game in the Champions League”.
Alberto Cisolla (Sisley Treviso): “We’ve proved in the past we could do anything, even bounce back in the most difficult moments, like against Trento. We’re obviously not at our best mentally and physically, and the latter influenced a lot our performances. It will be crucial to stay focused and play as hard in the game as we do in training: We have lost quite a few games but we don’t give up easily, and the numbers of tie-breaks we played recently proves it. But then, we’ll surely need a little extra against Macerata, because they are in great form and are looking to gatehr precious points for the league table”.
YOGA FORLI’ – ANTONVENETA PADOVA
Past encounters: 8 (2 vittorie Forlì, 6 Padova).
First leg: Antonveneta Padova – Yoga Forlì 3-1 (25-14, 25-17, 23-25, 25-22)
Jason Haldane (Yoga Forlì): “We failed to take our chances against Martina Franca and Cuneo and that’s why we’re now facing these last four do-or-die games. Tuba’s injury is unlucky, buit I’m confident, Alberto Casadei is an excellent person and a good player, who can still improve a lot. I think we have to give our best, at least to feel like we did what we could. We’ll see what happens on the other courts, but the main factor will be what occurs in the PalaFiera”.
Bruno Bagnoli (Antonveneta Padova): “Following our performance against Martina Franca, we’re going to Forli extremely motivated and full of confidence. Everyone will be fit to play on Sunday. All the remaining games will be crucial. We’ll have to take advanatge of every opportunity that will come our way”.
MARMI LANZA VERONA – TONNO CALLIPO VIBO VALENTIA
Past encounters: 16 (9 vittorie Verona, 7 Vibo Valentia).
First leg: Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Marmi Lanza Verona 3-2 (25-18, 19-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-9)
Alberto Giuliani (Marmi Lanza Verona): “We’ll be as motivated as ever, and the possibility to take part in the playoffs is one more reason to be up for it. We’ve played many tricky games like this one, but I think this will be a particular match up between two teams with the same target in mind. Compared to the first meeting, we are more confident thanks to the results we gathered. Vibo Valentia changed coach and generally that brings new impetus which is very important at the end of the season”.
Jon Uriarte (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “We’ve gained confidence with the last two games, we are even more aware of our capacities, even in little details which we improved on in recent weeks. To win in Verona would be an extra step forward, it would further show our quality. However, Sunday’s game is a very difficult one, because Verona is a team without many flaws and it has a good bench which, sometimes, has been able to change the course of the game”.
ACQUA PARADISO GABECA MONTICHIARI – ITAS DIATEC TRENTINO
Past encounters: 18 (6 vittorie Montichiari, 12 Trento).
First leg: Itas Diatec Trentino – Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-22)
Nikola Grbic (Itas Diatec Trentino): “We should not be thinking that the win in Cuneo was completely due to our aòazing performance. To win this way against Cuneo, it’s obvious that they had a poor game. It would be therefore wrong to think we’ve reached a great level of play after last Sunday’s game. We still have a lot of work on, we need to improve, first to win the Regular season and then to do well in the playoffs. The game against Montichiari is without doubt a good test. I’m a lot more worried about their reaction following all the things that happened to them in recent weeks than their technical quality, which is high anyway. I’m sure Berruto’s team will get on court with anger and that could lead them to play at a superior level than normal. We’ll have to stay composed and handle as well as we can the two games that are coming ahead, with the Champions League on Wednesday night”.
SERIE A2 TIM
ANDREOLI LATINA – M. ROMA VOLLEY: DERBY TIME
The 24th round of the A2 will start with Saturday’s game between Castellana Grotte and Castelfidardo, with Lattari’s team eager to bounce back following thei loss against Gioia del Colle last week (Live on Snai Sat from 8.30).
On Sunday, the attention will turn to the derby between Latina and Rome. The team from the capital won five of the six meetings so far. Still, the only victory for Giombini and co came earlier this season. Loreto is looking to take second place as it hosts Città di Castello. Bassano is on the road for the second week running, this time at Isernia, who is aiming for fifth place. In the PalaSavena gym, Bologna is facing a tough mission as it will try to stop Mantova, who is on a great run and has the best record in the return games. The league leaders Santa Croce araway at Crema, who suffered two consecuitve defeats. Finally, on Sunday night, Gioia del Colle entertains Catania.
24th ROUND FIXTURES AND REFS
Saturday 28 February at 8.30pm
Materdomini Volley.it Castellana Grotte – La Nef Castelfidardo DIRETTA SNAI Sat
(Costantini – Orpianesi)
Sunday 1 March at 6pm
Esse-ti Carilo Loreto – Gherardi Cartoedit Tratos C.di Castello
(Montanari – Toso)
Andreoli Latina – M. Roma Volley
(Prandi – Gelati)
Samgas Crema . Codyeco S. Croce
(Piana – Puletti)
Olio Pignatelli Isernia – Bassano Volley
(Braico – Genna)
Wayel Bologna – Canadiens Mantova
(Zingoni – Bellini)
Sunday 1 March at 8.30pm
Nava Gioia del Colle – Sp Catania LIVE ON SNAI Sat
(Pecetti – Zavater)
Rested: Edilesse Cavriago
TABLE
Codyeco S.Croce 49, Andreoli Latina 44, Esse-Ti Carilo Loreto 43, Bassano Volley 43, Nava Gioia del Colle 39, Olio Pignatelli Isernia 37, Canadiens Mantova 37, Samgas Crema 31, M. Roma Volley 29, Materdomini Volley.It Castellana Grotte 25, Wayel Bologna 25, Sp Catania 23, Edilesse Cavriago 20, La Nef Castelfidardo 19, Gherardi Cartoedit Tratos C.di Castello 19.
Note: 1 Game more: Codyeco S.Croce, Nava Gioia del Colle, Materdomini Volley.It Castellana Grotte, Wayel Bologna, Sp Catania, Edilesse Cavriago, La Nef Castelfidardo;
