European Cups
Treviso and Macerata one step from Cev and challenge Cup finals.
Treviso and Macerata are one step away from a European Cup final following their victories in the semi-final first leg.
In the Cev Cup, Treviso takes on Rzeszow, led by Matej Cernic and German scorer Georgy Grozer, who went for 35 in the first leg that finished on a Treviso tie-break win.
Semi-final return leg as well for Macerata in the Challenge Cup: 3-1 winners in Greece, Berruto’s team hosts E.A Patron Lux on Sunday.
Roberto Piazza (Coach Sisley Treviso): “Another battle against a tough team, solid, which has what it takes not only to face the Cev Cup but also the Champions League. Rzeszow has very strong players, they have few Polish players but the good ones: a libero with great experience, at International level too, which can be considered one of the strongest at his position. And they have a brilliant outside hitter, and Cernic does not need any presentation given what he achieved in his carrier. All in all, we don’t have to be careful but extremely careful. They won’t give anything away and they’ll try to win it, just like we did on Wednesday in their gym”.
Igor Omrcen (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “In Greece, after a first set we let slip away in the end with a few mistakes, we managed to impose ourselves clearly thanks to our level of play, which gave us a crucial win for the qualification. Let’s be careful, though, it would be totally wrong to think we are already in the final. It’s true that we proved stronger in the first leg in Patras, but in today’s volleyball, surprises are always just around the corner so, to avoid any upset, we’ll need to face this return leg as if it was 0-0. If we made it in the final, the first leg would be in Macerata, a first in the history of the club. This is a gift we really want to make to the club and our fans”.
CEV Cup – Semi-final return leg
Saturday 26 February at 8.30pm
In Belluno
Sisley Treviso (ITA) – Asseco Resovia Rzeszow (POL)
(Mokry-Azevedo)
Sunday 27 February at 3pm
Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle (POL) – CSKA Sofia (BUL)
(Zenovich- Kaaber)
GM Capital Challenge Cup – Semi-final return leg
Saturday 26 february at 7.30pm
Arkas di Izmir (TUR) – Posojilnica Aich/Dob (AUT)
(Porvaznik-Jasinski)
Sunday 27 February at 6pm
Lube Banca Marche Macerata (ITA) – E.A. Patron Lux (GRE)
(Dudek-Garthoff)
Serie A1 Sustenium
Round 23
Round 23 starts on Saturday with Roma versus Cuneo. The team from the capital only counts one win in the return games, it will line up newcomer Konstantin Cupkovic. The big game on Sunday might just be the fight at the bottom between the reborn Castellana Grotte and Piacenza.
Round 23
Saturday 26 February at 4pm
M. Roma Volley – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo Live on Rai Sport 1
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(La Micela–Saltalippi)
Sunday 27 February at 6pm
Andreoli Latina – Itas Diatec Trentino Live on Rai Sport 1
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(Santi-Genna)
Yoga Forlì – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
(Cesare-Pol)
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Copra Morpho Piacenza
(Pozzato-Zucca)
Marmi Lanza Verona – Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza
(Puecher-Vagni)
Wednesday 2 March at 8.30pm
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Casa Modena
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino – Sisley Treviso
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 58, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 47, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 44, Sisley Treviso 39, Casa Modena 32, Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza 31, Marmi Lanza Verona 29, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino 26, Copra Morpho Piacenza 25, M. Roma Volley 24, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 24, Andreoli Latina 20, BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 15, Yoga Forlì 6
M. Roma Volley – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 5 (3-2 Roma)
Adriano Paolucci (M. Roma Volley): “We know we’re facing a tough game, like last Sunday in Trento, where we could have got at least a point with a little more luck. The game against the World Champs underlined the fact that, despite the difficult situation, we can have good performances with team spirit and group cohesion. We have to give our all in Cuneo too, we have nothing to lose, we have to play one point at a time, stay in the game as much as possible and avoid letting them escape. And maybe, with a little bit of pressure, we can make them make mistakes. I don’t know if Cupkovic will be on court, but his presence will give us a wider squad and, If Giani sends him on court, maybe a chance of a point which we did not manage to concretize in recent games”.
Luigi Mastrangelo (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “Roma is a solid team, hunting for prestige and looking to bounce back. They will give their best on Saturday, like everybody does against the Italian Champions. We can say that we get the best out of our opponents. My two years spent in Roma were great, with excellent projects and targets to reach, even if it did not finish as we wanted. I’m now back as an opponent, with even more motivation and excitement, but also with the awareness that it won’t be easy. Our target is clear: we have to take important points against Roma”.
Andreoli Latina – Itas Diatec Trentino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 17 (11-6 Trento)
Goran Vujevic (Andreoli Latina): “Very tough game against the top of the league. We have nothing to lose, we just have to think of playing at our best. Hopefully, they will make a few mistakes and we will be able to take advantage of them”.
Matey Kaziyski (Itas Diatec Trentino): “The record of wins in the league interest us only relatively. What matters most is to have a good performance and then win. Latina is not safe yet and it will do everything possible to get a precious point to stay up. We’re facing a difficult game, but that can work in our favour, because right now we need opponents capable of putting our weaknesses in evidence and playing face to face”.
Yoga Forlì – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 14 (11-3 Vibo)
Graydon Ainsworth (Yoga Forlì): “We have nothing to lose anymore given the situation in the league table, so we can play more freely. It’s a shame we did not manage to put in practice all the work done. I think we can still get points out of the next few games, and our duty is to try our best also against Vibo Valentia, which proved it was an excellent team”.
Francesco Prestinenzi (Sport director Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “It will be a battle like all the others in Forli: they know they have nothing to lose anymore and that will free them. As for us, it will be important to get the injured players back on time. The boys will fight like they’ve always done until now. Forli hasn’t got many points in the table, but they have experienced players who can play. The situation is complicated for them, but until they are mathematically in, they will play to win”.
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Copra Morpho Piacenza
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 1 (Piacenza)
Flavio Gulinelli (BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte): “Piacenza is a prestigious team with players I know well, I have trained some of them, and they have a coach I respect. Nothing changes for us: we had 13 finals and we have now six left: Piacenza is no exception to this rule and, If we play well against them too, we will be able to get any result”.
Angelo Lorenzetti (Copra Morpho Piacenza): “Sunday’s game will be extremely difficult, the first meeting against them was tough. Castellana Grotte is going through an extremely good moment of form and that’s why this will be even more complicated: Gulinelli and his boys managed to get rid of the flaws they had in the first half of championship, they are composed, more aggressive and they will be home. Castellana is putting points on board, other teams are thinking of staying up, some will manage to achieve that, but it’s always important to keep an eye over one’s shoulder. Castellana Grotte did not give up, and got points, even on tough courts. We have to keep the teams behind us at safe distance. If we could get points on Sunday that would be an excellent result”.
Marmi Lanza Verona – Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 3 (Monza won them all)
Lorenzo Smerilli (Marmi Lanza Verona): “Monza has what it takes to make it in the playoffs, and it is today just two points ahead of us. Verona was built to stay up and qualifying for the playoffs would really be exceptional. We’ll give 100% in every game in front of our fans, first against Monza and then against Forli again and finally against Modena. Our supporters will be our seventh man for a game that should be thrilling: Monza plays good volleyball and we are playing at an excellent level right now. This won’t be our last chance for the playoffs but it will be a very important game”.
Luca Monti (coach Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza): “Sunday’s game will be crucial for our league position and consequently for the playoffs. Given the result against Castellana Grotte, we are not in our best shape, but we are keen to bounce back and we’ll try to do our best to get the best result possible. We have and must prove that we are not the ones that played against Castellana, but the ones that won against Treviso and Macerata. As for the work done this week, I am very satisfied”.
Serie A2 Sustenium
Round 25
There are six games left to the end of the regular season and there are six points separating the leaders Padova and Ravenna. Round 25 starts on Sunday morning with Genova versus Milan, fifth and sixth in the table, divided only by a point. In the evening, both Padova and Ravenna play away from home, the first in Segrate and the latter in Reggio Emilia. Match up at the bottom between Club Italia and Pineto, with three important points at stake in order to keep hopes of playout alive. Following the upset of Milan, Isernia plays host to Città di Castello which is coming off a convincing victory over Genova. In Loreto, Fracascia’s team entertains Gela, which tries to get away from the playout zone. Following its convincing performance against Reggio Emilia, Sir Safety travels to Frosinone to meet Sora, which is on a three-game losing streak. Finally there is Santa Croce versus Mantova.
Round 24
Wednesday 2 March at 8.30pm
Canadiens Mantova – Volley Segrate 1978
Round 25
Sunday 27 February at 11.30pm
Carige Genova – CheBanca! Milano Live on Sportitalia 2
(Gasparro-Guarneri)
Sunday 27 February at 6pm
Club Italia A.M. Roma – Pallavolo Pineto
(Simbari-Falivene)
Geotec Isernia – Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello
(Pignataro-Piluso)
Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia – Marcegaglia CMC Ravenna
(Puletti-Frapiccini)
Volley Segrate 1978 – Phyto Performance Padova
(Parlato-Gelati)
Energy Resources Carilo Loreto – Eurogroup Gela
(Piana-Astengo)
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – Sir Safety Perugia
(Andreoni-Bassan)
NGM Mobile Santa Croce – Canadiens Mantova
(Cassarino-Turtù)
League table
Phyto Performance Padova 65, Marcegaglia CMC Ravenna 59, Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello 44, NGM Mobile S.Croce 43, Carige Genova 40, CheBanca! Milano 39, Volley Segrate 1978 39, Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora 39, Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia 37, Energy Resources Carilo Loreto 36, Eurogroup Gela 31, Geotec Isernia 31, Sir Safety Perugia 24, Canadiens Mantova 23, Pallavolo Pineto 17, Club Italia A.M. Roma 6
1 game in hand: Volley Segrate 1978, Canadiens Mantova
