Serie A1
Round 5
The A1 is back with round 5. It all begins on Saturday 20 with Castellana Grotte versus Roma. On Sunday, Rai Sport’s camera move to Verona, which takes on Macerata, which will be without Martino, operated on his right knee, and with Podrascanin doubtful. Following its 3-0 triumph in the Cev Cup, Modena is ready to welcome the Italian national team of rugby as it plays host to Trentino, the leaders who have just won their Champions League opener (Juantorena doubtful). Treviso made it a winning start too in Europe. After their 3-2 win in Istanbul, the team flies to Vibo Valentia. The Italian champions of Cuneo came back from Spain with a Champions League win and they continue to travel with a trip to Monza, definitely nearer. Important clash towards the bottom between San Giustino, who won against Verona in the last round, and Forli, the only team without a point, and still without Kovacevic. Piacenza will try to add to its two-game winning streak when it faces Latina, beaten last week by Cuneo.
This weekend, the Italian Serie A take the field alongside the Italian Association for Road Victims. In order to celebrate the “UN World Day of remembrance of Road Victims”, a minute silence will be observed on all courts before the games. During the presentation, the players will wear tee-shirts dedicated to solidarity with the slogan “Let’s stop the massacres on the road”, holding a banner dedicated to the initiative.
Round 5
Saturday 20 November at 4pm
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – M. Roma Volley Live on Rai Sport 1
Live on streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(Cipolla-Satanassi)
Sunday 21 November at 6pm
Marmi Lanza Verona – Lube Banca Marche Macerata Live on Rai Sport 1
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(Gnani-Sobrero)
Copra Morpho Piacenza – Andreoli Latina
(Zucca-Pol)
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino – Yoga Forlì
(Sampaolo-La Micela)
Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
(Rapisarda-Ravallese)
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Sisley Treviso
(Tanasi-Caltabiano)
Casa Modena – Itas Diatec Trentino
(Santi-Saltalippi)
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 14*, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 10, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 10, M. Roma Volley 7, Andreoli Latina 7, Sisley Treviso 7, Casa Modena 6, Marmi Lanza Verona 6, Copra Morpho Piacenza 5*, Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza 4, BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 4, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 4, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino 3, Yoga Forlì 0
*1 game more: Itas Diatec Trentino, Copra Morpho Piacenza
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – M. Roma Volley
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 4 (2 each)
Fosco Cicola (BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte): “It will be a difficult but important game for both teams. I’m expecting the boys to play with fighting spirit and character, as we’ll also have the support of our fans. They have what it takes to reach important targets, but we have quality too to make it tough for them in some areas of the game. We’ll just wait and see. One thing is for sure, they are the favourite, but like always, the court will be the judge of that”.
Mirko Corsano (M. Roma Volley): “It will really be special for me to come back and play in Castellana. Great memories will spring back to mind. It seems like it was yesterday and when you think about it, years have passed. The things that make me really happy is that people still remember me there and I really like that. Playing in Castellana is never easy. The players are pushed by great passionate fans. Besides, they have just obtained a crucial win that give them a boost and belief in their ability. Technically, this is a quality and balanced team in every area of the game. In brief, we’re in a for a battle”.
Marmi Lanza Verona – Lube Banca Marche Macerata
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 12 (9-3 Macerata)
Lorenzo Smerilli (Marmi Lanza Verona): “Macerata is a team that aims to win it all and it will come to win it as well at the Pala Olimpia. Verona lost the last one away but we have played very well at home against Piacenza and the fans really contributed to this good performance. We’ll have to give hundred per cent from the first to the last play, this is the only way to trouble this Macerata team and not make it all look granted. It will be a special game for me, there will be a great feeling and a special excitement, it will be nice to meet friends with whom I spent so many great years”.
Dragan Stankovic (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “The Cup win in Belgrade was a difficult one but still important. And most importantly, this got us back on the winning track after the home loss against Trento. Verona will be a tough away game, I think this is an excellent team, especially dangerous at home, where they have the support of a great crowd. It would be crucial to win because we really want to stay towards the top of the table”.
Copra Morpho Piacenza – Andreoli Latina
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 18 (11-7 Piacenza)
Beppe della Noce (Copra Morpho Piacenza): “I thought the team was improving of late, be that in training or in games. I believe Angelo Lorenzetti is doing an excellent job, both technically and humanly considering that it’s not easy to put together 11 new players, each one with his own characteristics. I’d like to thank the fans that came to the PalaBanca after three consecutive defeats, in the derby against Modena, doing a unique choreography. Even away from home, they always bring their support to the players. The next game will be important to confirm all the good things done against Modena and Treviso”.
Leondino Giombini (Andreoli Latina): “Piacenza started off slow because it greatly renewed its roster, but in the end, it will be one of the top five of the league. We have to take advantage of this period in which they are still trying to jell to play a good game. They are the favourites but we have what it takes to make it difficult for them”.
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino – Yoga Forlì
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 6 (4-2 Forli)
Andrea Sartoretti (Sport director RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino): “We have to keep doing as we’ve done since the game against Trento. We have proved we could do well on court, we are eager to work hard and get some points. We’re facing our second consecutive home game, we’ll have our fans helping us as they always come numerous on the Palakemon, they represent a great boost for us. On Sunday, Forli is coming over, even if they haven’t won a game yet, they possess some good players and they are surely keen to get a result. As for us, we’ll have to be focused on our targets, first of all that means staying up”.
Vigor Bovolenta (Yoga Forlì): “Just like here in Forli, they have changed a lot in San Giustino. This is not the ideal moment, but we have worked a lot this week to jell. We want to find the spark and play with determination. If we pull together, and despite the absence of Kovacevic, we’ll manage to play well, maybe improving the block-dig combination too, an area in which we failed against Castellana Grotte”.
Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
PAST ENCOUNTER: 3 (2-1 Monza)
Luca Monti (allenatore Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza): “We have to concentrate all our attention on ourselves. Cuneo is a fantastic team, useless to describe them, they are the Italian champions, they have strengthened their squad with Volkov and everything seems in place to try to make a repeat. That’s why everyone of us has to focus on his game and give even more than what has been done so far”.
Simone Parodi (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “This will be a very tricky game. I am convinced that Monza is one of the teams that has the most character in the league. I am expecting them to bounce back with pride after the recent negative results. They will definitely be eager to put the three consecutive losses behind them, and they also play at home. We have already faced their character last year, that’s why we’re expecting a fight. We have played in Spain in the champions in midweek, it was physically exhausting, we are a bit tired, but we are also used to this rhythm, we’ll have to handle as well as we can this situation”.
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Sisley Treviso
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 13 (12-1 Treviso)
Vincenzo Simeonov (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “Hopefully, we’ll be able to make it last as long as possible, this would be nice to get a result. Our main strength could be the serve, with which we made it difficult for Modena. Treviso is a big threat at the net, they are currently top in the block category. Hopefully, there will be a big crowd, that will support us with great enthusiasm, the way we have seen it happened in other gyms in Italy. The people from Calabria is very affectionate and supportive, I hope they will fill the gym like they used to in the past few years”.
Novica Bjelica (Sisley Treviso): “We want to build on the good performance done in the Champions League and immediately get back on track in the league too. Vibo has obtained excellent results of late. We’re expecting a heated atmosphere but we are motivated, happy and focused: We already have our minds sets there, we need to keep looking ahead. The four consecutive tie-breaks we faced in the last four games show that we always play the games right until the end. We have met strong teams. But it’s obvious it is important to win, because it’s only with victories that you build the right mentality”.
Casa Modena – Itas Diatec Trentino
PRECEDENTI: 31 (18-13 Trento)
Marco Cosimo Piscopo (Casa Modena): “Trento is one of the strongest teams of this league, a great squad. Everybody knows it’s really tough to beat them but we’ll have a go, and to make it difficult for them, we’ll have to gamble. We have not reached our best yet, we’ll still be without our captain Angel Dennis, but we are preparing well and we’ll try to find their weaknesses. Casadei? I’ve known Alberto for many years and yesterday in training, I told him that he would have a nice and tough one to make his debut as a starter, but I also told him he could have a great impact. I know him, he will surely play with his heart and soul, and maybe with the boldness that have the young players too. We’ll all have to give 100%”.
Andrea Bari (Itas Diatec Trentino): “This will be a different game from all the ones played so far because this occurs between two Champions League games, and in a week in which, we had to train mainly with the Mikasa balls that are used in this competition. That’s why we’ll have to do well to get quickly used to the Molten again. Modena is a definitely not an opponent we can underestimate or face without maximum determination. With the addition of Berezhko, and the rest of the starting six unchanged, which had already done extremely well in the league, Modena has become even more competitive, they have what it takes to aim high. We’ll have to work hard, but the 10 sets of the last two games prepared us to this kind of difficulty”.
Serie A2
Round 7
Ravenna used the midweek round to go top of the league and it will defend its thrown at home against Gela, sixth. One point behind in the table is Santa Croce, still unbeaten, which will host Perugia, then Sora looking for its sixth consecutive win against Sabbi’s Isernia, and Padova with its new middle blocker Sabo travelling to Vigna di Valle to face Club Italia. The big derby is Volley Segrate, which grabbed its first win on Wednesday, versus Milan on a two-game winning streak. Interesting match-up between Loreto and Città di Castello with both teams having played five sets on Wednesday. Genova takes on Mantova, while the opening game will be Reggio Emilia versus Pineto at 11.30 in the morning.
Round 7
Sunday 21 November at 11.30am
Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia – Pallavolo Pineto Live on Sportitalia 2
(Cardaci-Simbari)
Sunday 21 November at 6pm
Marcegaglia CMC Ravenna – Eurogroup Gela
(Pozzato-Puletti)
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – Geotec Isernia
(Gini-Piluso)
Energy Resources Carilo Loreto – Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello
(Pignataro-Longo)
Club Italia A.M. Roma – Pallavolo Padova
(Bellini-Bertolini)
NGM Mobile S.Croce – Sir Safety Perugia
(Genna-Cappello)
Carige Genova – Canadiens Mantova
(Bernobich-Carrara)
Volley Segrate 1978 – CheBanca! Milano
(Cerquoni-Venturi)
League table
Marcegaglia CMC Ravenna 16, NGM Mobile S.Croce 15, Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora 15, Pallavolo Padova 15, Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello 11, Eurogroup Gela 10, Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia 9, Carige Genova 9, CheBanca! Milano 8, Sir Safety Perugia 7, Geotec Isernia 7, Canadiens Mantova 6, Energy Resources Carilo Loreto 5, Volley Segrate 1978 5, Pallavolo Pineto 4, Club Italia A.M. Roma 2
