SuperLega UnipolSai
Round 8
The SuperLega is back with a great one to open things up between Piacenza and Perugia on Saturday. An absolute cracker on Sunday too with Trentino versus Treia.
SuperLega UnipolSai round 8
Saturday November 29 at 5.30pm
Copra Piacenza – Sir Safety Perugia Live on RAI Sport 2
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
(Cipolla-Cesare)
Sunday November 30 at 5pm
Energy T.I. Diatec Trentino – Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia Live on RAI Sport 2
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
(Saltalippi-Rapisarda)
Sunday November 30 at 6pm
CMC Ravenna – Modena Volley Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Boris-Puecher)
Altotevere Città di Castello-Sansepolcro – Vero Volley Monza Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Zavater-Sampaolo)
Calzedonia Verona – Tonazzo Padova Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Pasquali-Zucca)
Revivre Milano – Top Volley Latina Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Braico-La Micela)
Rested: Exprivia Neldiritto Molfetta
League table
Modena Volley 18, Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia 18, Energy T.I. Diatec Trentino 16, Sir Safety Perugia 13, CMC Ravenna 12, Top Volley Latina 11, Copra Piacenza 9, Calzedonia Verona 9, Exprivia Neldiritto Molfetta 9, Tonazzo Padova 5, Altotevere Città di Castello-Sansepolcro 3, Revivre Milano 2, Vero Volley Monza 1
1 game more: Energy T.I. Diatec Trentino, CMC Ravenna, Top Volley Latina, Calzedonia Verona, Exprivia Neldiritto Molfetta, Tonazzo Padova
Copra Piacenza – Sir Safety Perugia
Piacenza and Perugia gave birth to some splendid encounters in 2013-14. They met 8 times in one year, Piacenza won both regular season games as well as the cup final, while Perugia took revenge in the playoffs semi-final series by winning 3 games to 2. The two teams have had different starts to the season: Piacenza has just lost French outside hitter Le Roux, and they have been defeated four times in a row, twice in the league and twice in the Champions League. On the other hand, Perugia is fired up after six wins running.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 12 (9-3 Piacenza)
Davide Marra (Copra Piacenza): “The club is going through some difficulties. The most important thing is that we completed a very positive week of work. We tried to find our balance following Le Roux’s departure. We did well in training and had a good friendly too against Milan. We’re all motivated to play and do our best. Useless to say that tomorrow’s game will be tough. Perugia has put together a string of great result. We’ll try to make it hard for them”.
Rocco Barone (Sir Safety Perugia): “It will be a difficult game, like all the games to be honest. They play excellent volleyball, we’re away from home, it’s always tough to come back from Piacenza with a win, they have a lot of quality and experienced players who know how to deal with difficult off-court situations like the one they’re facing. We’re feeling good, winning always does you good. We have a complicated week ahead with two road games in just a few days. We’ve been training hard, everybody is fit, we have an homogeneous and strong group, we’re all ready to do our part. We’re going to Piacenza up for it, knowing many fans will follow us. Hopefully, we’ll keep our winning streak going”.
Energy T.I. Diatec Trentino – Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia
Another big game in this eighth round. Both teams have been travelling at the top of the table since the start. Treia is unbeaten and joint leader with Modena, while Trento has only lost once (3-0 in Verona). Now that Stoytchev is back, the two most successful coaches of recent times are back at it: Stoytchev versus Giuliani. They played 9 of the 12 finals between league, cup and super cup between 2010 and 2013.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 43 (25-18 Trento)
Filippo Lanza (Energy T.I. Diatec Trentino): “I can’t wait to play this game, this is one of the big moments of the season for us. We’ll be home, we’ll have to make the most of it and be determined from the start. We want to play a great game to show what we can do. It will definitely be a difficult one but we have done the necessary preparation for it”.
Dragan Stankovic (Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia): “This will be one of the most difficult road games of this SuperLega. We’re top with maximum points, so our opponents will definitely give their best against us, like everyone does. Trento greatly strengthened its squad this summer and they proved they could play top quality volleyball. With determination and fighting spirit we’ll try to make it seven in a row in the league”.
CMC Ravenna – Modena Volley
Ravenna signed Riley McKibbin this week to substitute Benjamin Toniutti, and he will be qualified to play this weekend as Ravenna hosts one of the top teams: Modena. Kantor’s men are facing a tough task as they needed to gel in just a few days following the departure of the French setter and the injury of the Brazilian Renan. Though defeated in Perugia, Ravenna proved it could play with the bests. They will try to make it hard this time for Modena before playing in the Challenge Cup. As for Lorenzetti’s men, they’re on a run of six consecutive wins, 18 sets won in only one lost (the first of the season against Perugia).
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 65 (51-14 Modena)
Waldo Kantor (coach CMC Ravenna): “We’re right in the middle of a tough run of fixtures that has not let us time to deal with Renan’s injury. But I have to say that the team has definitely not played worse against Trento and especially Perugia than in the previous games. Unfortunately, the quality of the opponents made the difference and we could not take any points. Now we’re facing Modena, an extremely strong team with a player like Bruninho. I’ll ask my boys to play with intensity and the determination seen in Perugia to try to make it difficult for a strong team like Modena”.
Angelo Lorenzetti (coach Modena Volley): “We’re facing a real battle in a gym where it’s never easy to win. We’re top, unbeaten, it’s normal that everybody gives 110% against us. I am satisfied with the work done with the boys this week, they are getting better, the understanding too is better, but there’s still a long way to go. I don’t like to talk about the opponent, it’s clear that Toniutti’s departure can be an advantage for us, even if he will be well substituted, and in those situations, the others do everything possible to prove they can be competitive without the one gone. But the important thing is that we’re going there with confidence in our ability as a team”.
Altotevere Città di Castello-Sansepolcro – Vero Volley Monza
Big points at stake for Città di Castello and Monza. It’s 11th versus 13th, the two team are in need of points and confidence. Castello has gathered one win, two weeks ago against Padova at the tie-break. Monza is still without a win and slipped to the bottom of the league.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 8 (5-3 Città di Castello)
Paolo Montagnani (Coach Altotevere Città di Castello-Sansepolcro): “We’ve had a good training week. We’re still trying to get Baroti fit on time. We’re expecting a tough game against a team that will fight from the word go. We’ll have to make the most of their weaknesses due to the fact they have not won yet. But the search for a first win is definitely a big source of motivation for them”.
Oreste Vacondio (Coach Vero Volley Monza): “We’ll try our best as we do in every game. I think Città di Castello is a team we can beat, as Verona was to be honest. Then, we know that if you make too many mistakes and play with inconsistency, you shoot yourself in the foot. Our main problem is a lack of confidence, we need to assert ourselves when it matters. I keep saying that if we mentally improve and are more careful in certain game situations that we can give a game to anyone”.
Calzedonia Verona – Tonazzo Padova
Venetian derby with Verona boosted by its convincing victory in Monza, which was the first road win of the season and which erased rather poor outings against Perugia and Latina. To make it two in a row, they will have to stop Giannotti and co, who were defeated by Milan despite a 2-0 lead.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 12 (7-5 Verona)
Manuel Coscione (Calzedonia Verona): “We’ll have to be extremely focused. This is a very important derby, we want this second win in a row to move up the table. Our goal is to stay close to the top teams. Padova is a tough team, they played some good games. This will be a difficult encounter, to play with maximum concentration”.
Andrea Mattei (Tonazzo Padova): “I expect a reaction from the boys after the loss against Milan. We know it won’t be easy, Verona has a top notch attack and at the same time the experience needed to play a derby which is particularly important for the people here”.
Revivre Milano – Top Volley Latina
From hell to paradise. Milan needed a positive result from its trip to Padova and so it went. But Maranesi’s men were close once again to go home with a 3-0 defeat. But this time, all their will to win emerged when they were 2-0 down. Latina wasted a big opportunity to beat Trento is straight sets as they went 2-0 up playing some great volleyball. In the end, they had to make do with one point. Still, Latina has taken at least a point in its last four games.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: None
Marco Maranesi (coach Revivre Milano): “We have trained well this week trying to find a good balance on court, the players did fine. The first victory brought enthusiasm and the support of our fans will be able to help us in this tough game. Latina has very strong spikers on high balls, this is a team that really doesn’t make many mistakes, especially on the serve, but also in all the other fundamentals”.
Daniele Tailli (Top Volley Latina): “Tough road game in Milan. There aren’t any easy games in the SuperLega, you have to be mentally and technically ready. We know they’ll be galvanized by their first league win. We have worked hard in training, I think we have what it takes to win it”.
Serie A2 UnipolSai
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