Serie A1 Sustenium
Round 23
Another weekend of action is ahead in the Serie A1 with Verona versus Vibo Valentia as the Saturday night game, while Sunday’s big match will be Cuneo versus Trentino. Last December Trentino had come out on top but only at the tie-break. Forty games in history between the two clubs and the perfect tie, 20 wins each, makes it an even more interesting encounter.
Serie A1 Sustenium: Round 23
Saturday March 10 at 5.30pm
Marmi Lanza Verona – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia Differed on RAI Sport 2 from 6.55pm
(La Micela-Zucca)
Sunday March 11 at 5.30pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Itas Diatec Trentino Live on RAI Sport 1
(Caltabiano-Pasquali)
Sunday March 11 at 6pm
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Fidia Padova
(Perri-Prandi)
M. Roma Volley – CMC Ravenna
(Gini-Longo)
Sisley Belluno – Copra Elior Piacenza
(Satanassi-Cesare)
Energy Resources San Giustino – Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza Live on Sportube.tv
(Pol-Rapisarda)
Sunday March 11 at 7pm
Andreoli Latina – Casa Modena
(Sobrero-Vagni)
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 59, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 48, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 48, Sisley Belluno 41, Casa Modena 35, Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza 35, Copra Elior Piacenza 35, Andreoli Latina 29, Marmi Lanza Verona 28, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 25, Energy Resources San Giustino 25, M. Roma Volley 24, Fidia Padova 21, CMC Ravenna 9
Marmi Lanza Verona – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 22 (11 each)
Bruno Bagnoli (coach Marmi Lanza Verona): “At this moment of the season, each point or set can save us from going down so the game against Vibo is a new opportunity to get points and try to overcome the physical problems that have been limiting us in games and training. Vibo is a well balanced team, with experienced players, strong on the serve. They brought in a very interesting and young outside hitter, who has settled very well in Italy”.
Niels Klapwijk (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “This will be a very important game for us, we’ll need to be focused and try to get a better result than in our last home game. Verona is a tough place to visit, like every club in this league to be honest. The first meeting had been extremely tight, we had managed to win it at the tie-break”.
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Itas Diatec Trentino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 40 (20 each)
Leandro Vissotto (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “We know Trento is the strongest team around, but the win over Padova was important for us, it gave us a bit of confidence. It will be a good game, we’ll have to be composed and believe that we have all it takes to win, even against them. If we play at the best of our ability, we have our chances. This will be an important test to understand where we stand right now and how much we can still improve”.
Massimo Colaci (Itas Diatec Trentino): “The trip to Cuneo is not like any other game, it’s always extremely difficult. Our opponents are fighting for second place while this will be our last game before flying to Poland for the Champions League Final Four. Winning there could get us in the mood to prepare at best the semi-final against Kazan. And we really want to beat one of our main rivals for the league title”.
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Fidia Padova
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 34 (28-6 Macerata)
Simone Parodi (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “Some might take the result of this game for granted, but this will be one of Padova’s last chances to get points and stay up. This should be a very tricky game. We’ll need to impose our game from start to finish, we can’t afford to lower our guards even for one second”.
Marco Zingaro (Fidia Padova): “We have to bounce back after the Cuneo loss, but we know that in Macerata we’ll face a team composed of great champions who will not give anything away. After that there will be three crucial games against direct opponents in the fight to stay up, against Latina, San Giustino and Roma. We’ll have to try to get as many points as possible to stay in the A1, we’ll give everything we have to reach our target”.
Andreoli Latina – Casa Modena
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 19 (12-7 Modena)
Daniele Sottile (Andreoli Latina): “Modena is going through a difficult time. A top team that has not won for a few rounds. They play good volleyball and the stats are testimony. There might be some pressure on them which might get them a little nervous in the key moment of the game. Modena is a city used to win, they are used to give hundred percent all the time. They can find a way out and play great playoffs. They’ll play this game with this target to bounce back. We’ll just try to play our game, trying to limit our mistakes, we know we have a chance to make an upset”.
Loris Manià (Casa Modena): “It’s useless to talk too much today. We have to find a way out of this complicated situation. It’s obvious that after all those defeats it won’t be easy, but we all want to turn things around at all cost and quickly. We remain convinced we have quality in the group, we are united and we all want to show what we can do. Latina is always a tough place to go to, they’re playing very well and they’re coming off a 3-0 win in Vibo Valentia. It will definitely be a very tough game in which will need to be mentally very strong and play at a high level”.
M. Roma Volley – CMC Ravenna
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 3 (2-1 Roma)
Andrea Giani (coach M. Roma Volley): “I consider this game the first of four finals. We’ll have to regain the composure lost in recent games. It’s important to focus on our game, we have to play like we did against Trento, when we really made it hard for them. We have never had a problem of quality of play. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to be able to play the last points like the others. If the game finished at 23, I think we’d have 15 more points in the league table. We lack the confidence that only good results can bring back. We have to work and keep in mind that the games are won with good volleyball but also with heart”.
Antonio Babini (coach CMC Ravenna): “We have to recharge our batteries now that we have been relegated. We’ll need to be ready to fight against Roma, which is standing low in the table and will therefore fight for crucial points against us. We want to win at least one more game before the end of the season”.
Sisley Belluno – Copra Elior Piacenza
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 32 (17-15 Belluno)
Alessandro Farina (Sisley Belluno): “Both teams are coming off positive runs, we are playing very well and I’m sure this will be a good game. Both will want to extend the positive streak. Papi and Tencati will be especially motivated as we played for years with them. We want to defend our fourth place, this would be our natural position, the one this team is worth since the beginning of the championship. That wouldn’t be bad to have the playoffs quarters at home, we could even look further. But let’s take one thing at a time, and focus on Sunday’s game”.
Alessandra Fantoni (Team Manager Copra Elior Piacenza): “Against Ravenna, we underestimated how difficult it would be at the start before reacting well and taking the three points, now we have to focus on the Belluno game. We’re up against a team which has been playing great volleyball in this second half of season. We intend on and want to keep winning. After this game, we’ll see where we stand and start planning our work ahead of the playoffs”.
Energy Resources San Giustino – Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 19 (13-6 San Giustino)
Henk Jan Held (coach Energy Resources San Giustino): “Monza is an excellent team and you can see that by looking at their league position. We have to focus on ourselves however. We have to think about our motivations, focus on tactically preparing the game and then give our best on court”.
Emanuele Zanini (coach Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza): “We’re facing a team that is in great form, they’ve summed up several wins of late and they’ll be home in an arena where there is a great atmosphere. Definitely a tricky one, they’re fighting to get away from the danger zone, while we need to get back to winning. Our competitive spirit against Macerata was perfect, but we were disappointed with the final outcome. We’ll go to San Giustino with a positive anger, ready to fight and play at a good level”.
Serie A2 Sustenium
Derby Perugia versus Città di Castello
The league is back following Castellana Grotte’s triumph in the Italian Cup.
Sir Safety Perugia – Gherardi SVI Città di Castello. Third derby between the two teams. Città di Castello won the first regular season game at the tie-break, while Perugia took revenge in the Cup quarter-finals, in the fifth set too. It’s first against fourth.
CheBanca! Milano – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora. Tight game expected between Milan and Sora, tied with 44 points in the table. Both will be looking for a better playoffs spot.
Caffè Aiello Corigliano – Sidigas Atripalda. Atripalda still without Nemeth. Nacci’s team wants to stay out of the playout zone while Lorenzoni’s team needs three points to hope to get in. The 15th team will go directly down if the gap with the 12th is bigger than 12 points. Right now, there is precisely 12.
NGM Mobile Santa Croce – Pallavolo Molfetta. Fulvio Bertini’s team has shown plenty of fighting spirit but they are still waiting for a three-point win (9 tie-breaks in 10 games in second half of season, 6 won). Molfetta is chasing the top two in the league, Perugia and Castellana Grotte.
Cicchetti Isernia – Energy Resources Carilo Loreto. Six points in the last three home games for Giannini’s boys who will try to add to it. As for Fracascia’s men, they have only taken 3 points away from home in four games in the second half of season.
Cassa Rurale Cantù – Crazy Diamond Segrate. North-western derby with the hosts fighting to stay up and ready to give a game to the recent cup finalists.
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Club Italia Roma. After their historical triumph in the Cup, Castellana Grotte is back on the chase of the top spot in the league (5 points ahead) as it faces Club Italia, 13th.
Carige Genova – Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia. Genova plays host to Reggio Emilia, which needs point at all cost to defend its 13th position and play to stay up in the playouts.
Serie A2 Sustenium: Round 26
Sunday March 11 at 4pm
Sir Safety Perugia – Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello Live on Sportitalia 2
(Ravallese-Cappello)
Sunday March 11 at 6pm
CheBanca! Milano – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora
(Oranelli-Rolla)
Caffè Aiello Corigliano – Sidigas Atripalda
(Simbari-Zavater)
NGM Mobile Santa Croce – Pallavolo Molfetta
(Bertoletti-Guerzoni)
Cicchetti Isernia – Energy Resources Carilo Loreto
(Puletti-Montanari)
Cassa Rurale Cantù – Crazy Diamond Segrate
(Lot-Marchello)
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Club Italia Roma
(Piluso-Guarneri)
Carige Genova – Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia
(Andreoni-Prati)
League table
Sir Safety Perugia 58, BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 53, Pallavolo Molfetta 52, Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello 50, Crazy Diamond Segrate 47, Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora 44, CheBanca! Milano 44, Energy Resources Carilo Loreto 40, Carige Genova 40, NGM Mobile S.Croce 38, Caffè Aiello Corigliano 32, Cicchetti Isernia 29, Club Italia Roma 25, Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia 18, Sidigas Atripalda 17, Cassa Rurale Cantù 13
