Serie A1 TIM
Domenica si scende in campo per la 6a di ritorno
Treviso – Verona: Midday clash
Cuneo – Trento: big match on Rai Sport Più
In the 21st round of the A1, the big game of the day is Cuneo versus Trentino, with 8 points separating the two teams. Another thrilling encounter is Macerata against Piacenza, during which Igor Omrcen will receive is MVP award for December. Innovative schedule at Treviso where there will be a midday kickoff against Verona. We will see how the fans respond to this unusual time. Bontje is back from his ankle injury for Treviso. Monza will try to take revenge on the 3-1 defeat against Modena earlier this season. It will all start on Saturday afternoon, though, at 4pm with Vibo Valentia versus Perugia. Important points at stake in both Forli versus Loreto and Pineto versus Latina.
Round 21
Saturday 16 january at 4pm Live on Rai Sport Più
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
Live on Rai Tre from 4.10pm
(Pessolano-Barbero)
Sunday 17 January at 12pm
Sisley Treviso – Marmi Lanza Verona
(Caltabiano-Boris)
Sunday 17 January at 6pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Itas Diatec Trentino – Live on Rai Sport Più
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(Cipolla-Rapisarda)
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – CoprAtlantide Piacenza
(Sobrero-Castagna)
Acqua Paradiso Monza – Trenkwalder Modena
(Perri-Cinti)
Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto – Andreoli Latina
(Sampaolo-Pasquali)
Yoga Forlì – Esse-ti Carilo Loreto
(Santi-Saltalippi)
Prisma Taranto – RESTED
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 50, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 42, Sisley Treviso, CoprAtlantide Piacenza 41, Trenkwalder Modena, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 37, Marmi Lanza Verona, Acqua Paradiso Monza 28, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia, Prisma Taranto 23, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 21, Andreoli Latina 16, Yoga Forlì 14, Esse-ti Carilo Loreto 13, Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto 6.
1 game in hand: Trenkwalder Modena, Acqua Paradiso Monza, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia, Yoga Forlì, Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 11 (8-3 Perugia)
Bjorn Andrae (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “Perugia is a very complete team, it has everything needed, excellent middleblockers and spikers and a really strong outside hitter. I think we’ll have to be especially careful at Savani and Stokr, because they are the ones that receive and attack more balls. If we can stop them, it might be easier. We’re dealing with a psychologically tricky situation because we have to turn things around, we need points and wins. We must find our best level, we’ll need a positive attitude, fighting spirit and hopefully everything will work out fine. Hopefully, there will be a big crowd to support us and we’ll obtain a great victory”.
Giacomo Sintini (RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia): “This is a difficult season for us. We have to hang in there. It won’t be easy against Vibo: they are in crisis, just like us, we both haven’t won in a while. We did obtain our pass to the Italian cup, though. We believe we can turn things around: we want to make it to the playoffs”.
Sisley Treviso – Marmi Lanza Verona
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 18 (13-5 Treviso)
Roberto Piazza (Sisley Treviso): “Very tricky game, Verona is a fearless team that plays all out against anyone. They serve very well and on their day they can hurt us with it. They have recently proved, for example against Trento, that they really have the ability to get a result against anyone”.
Robert Kromm (Marmi Lanza Verona): “It will be another battle, we want to fight and try to get points against any team, even if that is only one or two. The team knows it can make it to the playoffs and it goes on court with this target in mind. Treviso plays a fast-paced game thanks to its setter, we’ll try to hit the serve hard to cause them problems to block them at the net”.
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Itas Diatec Trentino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 30 (16-14 Trento)
Wout Wijsmans (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “We will need to play very well on Sunday against Trento, with pride and fighting spirit, trying to be technically perfect. They are playing really well right now. Good job we are at home, this could help us”.
Raphael (Itas Diatec Trentino): “It will not be a decisive game, even if there will be the top two teams on court. However, our philosophy is to face every game as if it was the most important one, so we’ll go and try to grab a significant victory, not only to maintain our league position but also for the prestige. Cuneo is indeed in good form, and they always play at an excellent level on home soil. It will be a great game, we’ll need to handle our physical resources well, as well as the technical and tactical side of things. We only have extremely tough games to play in this beginning of January, we are therefore tired but our will to get good results remain the same”.
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – CoprAtlantide Piacenza
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 22 (12-10 Piacenza)
Sebastian Swiderski (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “Both teams are going through a tough spell. We have had a few worries in the league and them in Europe. A victory will give confidence to whoever wins it. Piacenza remains a very strong team, complete in every area of the court. We have what it takes to play a good game too: We showed positive things in Trento and the team played well in the Champions on Wednesday. My comeback ? I’m very happy with the way the recovery is going, but I still need time to find my best form. It was a great feeling to be back on court after five months out, especially when I received the applause from the crowd in Macerata as I came on”.
Angelo Lorenzetti (CoprAtlantide Piacenza): “We lacked composure both in Poland and Athens: our approach to the game was good but then our organization was not very good. Physically we’re Ok, some are behind others, hopefully the last few trips will not influence us too much. The games against Macerata are always spectacular and tight, I’d like to get the point lost in the PalaBanca back, we had played well but lost at the tie-break. They play brilliant volleyball, they can be efficient even in the most complicated situations: which is something in which we falter”.
Acqua Paradiso Monza – Trenkwalder Modena
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 1 (Modena won it)
Mauro Berruto (Acqua Paradiso Monza): “We need action more than words against Modena. The words were used to understand what went wrong against Loreto, now we are focused on the game coming up, we will need an aggressive serve, and a better selection at the net, that’s where we failed to render seven days ago. Every time we did well in those departments, we always excelled in dig, which is logical as it is all linked together. The block and dig are our strengths and against a team like Modena it becomes crucial to show our main qualities. Hopefully, there will be another big crowd, the players and this game deserve it, and I know there will be many fans from Montichiari. I’d like to thank them for their support, thank you to the Milano and Monza fans too, who are taking to the team. It would be great to see them all together to support our colours, we need this”.
Loris Manià (Trenkwalder Modena): “I know well many players and the Monza coach, they will want to bounce back after the Loreto defeat. It’s a very tough team, with quality players and like I said eager to get back on track. Our team is in good shape, we are working well even if we don’t have our full squad. We’ll go to Monza to win: our target is to get as many points as possible in every game in order to make sure we get into the playoffs and then finish as high up as possible. It’s true that we have the Italian Cup Final Four in two weeks, a prestigious event but an important occasion for us: our minds, though, are set on the league and the Monza game. We have to go one step at a time and do each step at our maximum”.
Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto – Andreoli Latina
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 1 (Latina won it)
Henrique Ronaldo (Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto): “The game against Taranto proved the team was still alive and with will to fight; The psychological block against Forli was overcome, even if unfortunately, the result did not come our way. Against Latina on Sunday, and in the remaining games, the spirit will have to be the same: fight and honour the championship, even if the Latina game will be anything but easy, this is one of the most in-form team of the league”.
Matteo De Cecco (Andreoli Latina): “We’ve gathered points in all our latest games. Training is proceeding finely according to our criteria. The atmosphere in the group is good ahead of the Pineto game. We have to contain them on their positive picks and take advantage of the negative spells. Their coach Bob Fant, is an old friend of mine, an ex-teammate in beach volley”.
Yoga Forlì – Esse-ti Carilo Loreto
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 15 (8-7 Forli)
Alberto Casadei (Yoga Forlì): “There is still a long way to go in the league but Sunday’s game is very important for us. We’ll be home, and we’ll have to do better than when we first met. Three points is the only acceptable result. We trained very well and we’ve just gathered four points in two games. We’re ready for the fight”.
Luca Moretti (Esse-ti Carilo Loreto): “we’ll try to play a good game hoping the outcome will be positive for us. The points are worth double because we face another team fighting to stay up. Despite the fact we’ll be away from home, we’ll go for the win. Forli will have the same intention, we’ll see if they feel the pressure more than us given that they’ll be at home, and against us, who stand right behind them in the league table. Many fans will follow us and they’ll give us a hand in this important game. I’m sure that if we fight on every ball they will respond, and we’ll need them, especially in the difficult moments”.
Serie A2 TIM
Round 19
Two coaches will make their debut in the 19th round in the A2: Bernardi was given the sack in Padova and Paolo Monatgnani takes over, as he had just been shown the door at Taranto. He led the team in the cup quarter finals but was beaten by the leaders Castellana Grotte. His league debut will be against Santa Croce. The other welcoming comes from Bassano. Third from bottom, the team had to part ways with Gheorge Cretu, substituted by Mario Di Pietro. It’s Gioia del Colle versus Bassano. Castellana, Bologna, Roma and Crema, the four semi finalists of the cup, which will take place on Wednesday, have to focus first on the league: Castellana meets Crema, Roma faces Cavriago and Bologna entertains Sora.
Serie A2 TIM round 19
Sunday 17 January at 6pm
Pallavolo Padova – Codyeco Santa Croce
(Balboni-Genna)
Samgas Crema – BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte
(Zucca-Vagni)
Katay Geotec Isernia – Marcegaglia Ravenna
(Valeriani-Costantini)
Zinella Bologna – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora
(Cardaci-Venturi)
Quasar Massa Versilia – Città di Castello Pallavolo
(Carrara-Zanussi)
M. Roma Volley – Edilesse Cavriago
(Cappelletti-Bellini)
Sunday 17 January at 8.30pm
Nava Gioia del Colle – Bassano Volley – Live on SNAI Sat
(Bertoletti-Turtù)
Canadiens Mantova – RESTED
Classifica
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 44, M. Roma Volley 40, Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora 35, Zinella Bologna 32, Marcegaglia Ravenna 27, Samgas Crema 26, Codyeco S.Croce 25, Pallavolo Padova 23, Edilesse Cavriago 22, Città di Castello Pallavolo, Katay Geotec Isernia 20, Quasar Massa Versilia 19, Bassano Volley 17, Canadiens Mantova, Nava Gioia del Colle 14.
1 game in hand: Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora, Marcegaglia Ravenna, Samgas Crema
