Serie A1 TIM
Round 14
Only two rounds left in the Serie A1 before the halfway point of the season, which means two more games to obtain a qualification for the Italian Cup. The top four will host the quarter final. Only one name is certain so far: Trentino, while Loreto, Latina, Forli and Pineto are already out of it. All the others can still have the pleasure to make it. Following its win in Greece in its Champions League opener, Trentino travels to Treviso. Modena, which just rescinded Mesazaros’ contract, is on its way to Forli, where it will play Saturday at 3.30pm. There are other big games concerning the cup qualification like Macerata versus Verona, Monza vs Vibo Valentia and Perugia vs Taranto. Cuneo, which won its first round first leg in the Cev Cup, will try to obtain its ticket amongst the top four as it faces Latina, without coach Daniele Ricci, suspended. Sunday’s live TV game will put face to face two teams fighting to stay up: Pineto and Loreto. Beaten in the Champions League first game in Germany, Piacenza will be rested this weekend.
Saturday5 December at 3.30
Yoga Forlì – Trenkwalder Modena
Highlights at 5pm on Rai tre
Live streaming:
(Cipolla-Castagna)
Sunday 6 December at 3.45pm
Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto – Esse-ti Carilo Loreto Live on Rai Sport Più and Live streaming on www.rai.tv/dl/RaiTV/diretta.html
(Gnani-Padoan)
Sunday 6 December at 6pm
Sisley Treviso – Itas Diatec Trentino
(Cinti-Cesare)
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Marmi Lanza Verona
(Santi-Sobrero)
Acqua Paradiso Monza – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
(Sampaolo-Satanassi)
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Andreoli Latina
(Barbero-La Micela)
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia – Prisma Taranto
(Rapisarda-Pol)
CoprAtlantide Piacenza – RESTED
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 32, Trenkwalder Modena, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 27, Sisley Treviso, CoprAtlantide Piacenza 25, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 22, Marmi Lanza Verona 20, Acqua Paradiso Monza, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia 19, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 17, Prisma Taranto 16, Esse-ti Carilo Loreto 10, Andreoli Latina 7, Yoga Forlì 6, Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto 1.
1 incontro in più: CoprAtlantide Piacenza, Marmi Lanza Verona.
Yoga Forlì – Trenkwalder Modena
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 8 (6-2 Modena)
Daniele De Pandis (Yoga Forlì): “It’s a tough game to face, Modena is playing very well, they have a fast-paced game, be that in front or behind. It will neither be either at the net, nor in dig. We are working well, but we have neither gathered point in Verona nor in Treviso. We really want to have a good performance, hopefully the crowd will push us to a good result”.
Silvano Prandi (Trenkwalder Modena): “This game against Forli worries me a lot: just like all the other games, we have to prepare it and face it with maximum focus and determination. If we want to take the three points home, we’ll need a great performance. Second place? It’s an excellent result, but our position at the halfway point will only be the consequences of our games against Forli and Pineto, so let’s focus on Saturday’s encounter, and try to do the maximum to get the win”.
Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto – Esse-ti Carilo Loreto
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 9 (4 successi Pineto, 5 successi Loreto)
Riccardo Modica (Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto): “It will be an important game on Sunday, but not a last resort as many might think. There is a long way to go before the end of the season and safety is not that far. We have been training fine and are convinced we can have a good performance, and grab a win that could mark a turning point, especially in terms of confidence. So it’s a crucial game, a special one for me: I played for three years in Loreto, where I’ve also been captain, and as a former player I really want to do well”.
Davide Marra (Esse-ti Carilo Loreto): “Fundamental game, be that for us or Pineto given that we both fight to stay up. Our opponent will do everything possible to get the three points, while we will try to add up to our tally and move further away from the danger zone. Everybody is fit to play and we’ll have new teammate Maxim Tereshin, excellent player with experience, he will surely give us a good hand, starting this weekend”.
Sisley Treviso – Itas Diatec Trentino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 26 (20-6 Treviso)
Alessandro Fei (Sisley Treviso): “A game between two teams standing at the top, the importance of our opponent will give us further motivation. We have to defend our position and, why not even improve it. Our trademark has to remain our approach of the game, full of determination, consistency and continuity: We will have a chance to clinch it only if we put great pressure on the opposite reception in attack and if we care of the dig in every detail, because Trentino is one of those teams that punishes every single one of your mistakes”.
Andrea Sala (Itas Diatec Trentino): “The game is extremely important because Treviso is one of our main dangerous followers, and also because we want to take the three points in order to be winter champs with a game in hand. With or without Horstink, Treviso is an excellent team. Our task is particularly tough, we’ll also be without Birarelli and Sokolov. Still, I’m confident: Recent game proved that no matter who is on court, we always manage to do great things. This is a great squad”.
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Marmi Lanza Verona
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 10 (7-3 Macerata)
Igor Omrcen (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “It does not depend exclusively on us anymore, but we have to believe we can still snatch the fourth spot, which is why we’ll have to take six points in those two remaining games. A positive response is therefore expected from us against Verona, in terms of performance and result”.
Daniele Sottile (Marmi Lanza Verona): “It will be a difficult game and there is a lot at stake. If we get something out of it, we’ll keep our hopes to make it to the cup alive, but we know it won’t be easy. Once again, it will all start from the serve, when they receive well, their spikers make the difference. We’ll need our game to flow”.
Acqua Paradiso Monza – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: None
Mauro Berruto (Acqua Paradiso Monza): “I’d like to see the quality we have shown in our latest outings and I’d also like our individual to improve further. Two games to play, everybody has to give everything it has. This is like an in-or-out game for the Italian Cup, let say things clearly, but we have never made any claims, we won’t start doing so now. First you reach your targets, and then you can talk, not the contrary”.
Claudio Torchia (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “We will face a team of our level in Monza, so I expect it to be a different game compared to Cuneo and Modena, tighter and open to any result. We know we must get some points to make it into the top eight and reach our first target: qualifying for the Italian Cup. We are putting all our energy into it, we don’t want to fall short of the expectations. We will do anything possible right until the end”.
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Andreoli Latina
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 14 (10-4 Cuneo)
Wout Wijsmans (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “Sunday’s game against Latina requires a carefully planned preparation. We know they could surprise us because they will come to Cuneo with a new coach and a great will to bounce back. Whoever plays against us knows it has nothing to lose, which is why it can be difficult. We need the right approach, treat each opponent with maximum respect to qualify for the Italian Cup”.
Andrija Geric (Andreoli Latina): “Every game is difficult and Cuneo are favourite in this one, so we’ll play without any pressure. If we manage to make this little advantage count, we could snatch a little something from this road game”.
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia – Prisma Taranto
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 8 (6-2 Perugia)
Claudio Sciurpa (Presidente RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia): “A must-win game. If we don’t want to miss out on the Italian Cup this year, we have to beat Taranto and take the three points. Still, our place wouldn’t be secured just yet, but we would be very close. We need to face this game with the right approach and believe in our ability”.
Rodrigo Pinto Rivaldo (Prisma Taranto): “We lost points on the way at home against Monza and Macerata but we are still mathematically in the race for the Italian Cup. We’ll be facing another team hoping to take part in the cup, Perugia. We’ll need to play our best volleyball and hopefully we’ll make it. The opponent is strong but not unbeatable”.
Serie A2 TIM
Round 11
The A2 will unusually be played on Saturday, in order to benefit from the necessary rest before the round of the 8 of December, National holiday in Italy. Still unbeaten in the league after ten rounds, with half of them won at the tie-break, Roma faces the derby against Sora, currently fourth. On the chase, Castellana Grotte and Bologna, respectively one and two points behind, challenge Cavriago home and Crema away. Joint fourth and other surprise of this season, Ravenna heads to Bassano. Tied at 13 in the table, Padova and Santa Croca entertain Isernia and Città di Castello. Snai Sat’s live game put face to face the two bottom teams of the championship: Mantova and Massa.
Saturday 5 December at 6pm
Pallavolo Padova – Katay Geotec Isernia
(Falzoni-Trevisan)
Samgas Crema – Zinella Bologna
(Cardaci-Goitre)
Codyeco S. Croce – Città di Castello Pallavolo
(Prandi-Gelati)
Bassano Volley – Marcegaglia Ravenna
(Piersanti-Bartoloni)
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – M. Roma Volley
(Marchello-Vagni)
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Edilesse Cavriago
(Cappello-Gasparro)
Saturday 5 December at 8.30pm
Canadiens Mantova – Quasar Massa Versilia Live on SNAI Sat
(Zanussi-Cerquoni)
Nava Gioia del Colle – RESTED
League table
M. Roma Volley 22, BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 21, Zinella Bologna 20, Marcegaglia Ravenna, Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora 19, Samgas Crema 15, Pallavolo Padova, Codyeco S.Croce, Città di Castello Pallavolo, Bassano Volley 13, Edilesse Cavriago 11, Nava Gioia del Colle 10, Katay Geotec Isernia 8, Canadiens Mantova 7, Quasar Massa Versilia 6.
1 game more: Città di Castello Pallavolo, Bassano Volley, Edilesse Cavriago, Nava Gioia del Colle, Quasar Massa Versilia.
