SuperLega UnipolSai
Round 16
This intense month of January keeps flying at full speed. There’s another weekend of volleyball ahead with Ravenna and Città di Castello starting it all on a Saturday that will propose two other exciting encounters: Verona vs Piacenza and Perugia vs Latina. Molfetta playing host to Trento will be an interesting one too on Sunday.
SuperLega UnipolSai
Saturday January 24 at 5.30pm
CMC Ravenna – Altotevere Città di Castello-Sansepolcro Live on RAI Sport 1
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
(Boris-Rapisarda)
Saturday January 24 at 8.30pm
Calzedonia Verona – Copra Piacenza Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Pasquali-Santi)
Sir Safety Perugia – Top Volley Latina Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Puecher-Sampaolo)
Sunday January 25 at 5pm
Tonazzo Padova – Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Bartolini-Cesare)
Exprivia Neldiritto Molfetta – Energy T.I. Diatec Trentino Live on RAI Sport 1
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
(Saltalippi-Lot)
Sunday January 25 at 6pm
Vero Volley Monza – Modena Volley Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Sobrero-Cipolla)
Rested: Revivre Milano
League table
Energy T.I. Diatec Trentino 36, Modena Volley 36, Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia 28, Calzedonia Verona 28, Sir Safety Perugia 27, Top Volley Latina 23, CMC Ravenna 23, Exprivia Neldiritto Molfetta 19, Copra Piacenza 18, Vero Volley Monza 12, Tonazzo Padova 7, Altotevere Città di Castello-Sansepolcro 7, Revivre Milano 6
1 game in hand: Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia, Altotevere Città di Castello-Sansepolcro
CMC Ravenna – Altotevere Città di Castello-Sansepolcro
Fresh of its qualification into the Challenge Cup quarter-finals thanks to its two wins over Liberec, Ravenna will try to get points for the fifth consecutive time in the league (2 wins, 2 tie-break losses). Città di Castello changed coach this week, off went Montagnani and in came Fausto Polidori, who had already been in Castello between 1987 and 1990. This will be his second experience in the top division following the one with Pet Company Perugia in 2002-03. Polidori can boast a gold medal with the Italian Cadet in the World Championships, a gold Medal in the European Championships Juniors, a silver and a bronze medal in the World Championship juniors 1993 and 1995, and a silver in the European Championship juniors 1994.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 9 (7-2 Ravenna)
Waldo Kantor (Coach CMC Ravenna): “We’re coming off three good games in the league and Challenge Cup. We want to maintain our level of play in this important game against Castello. I think they are definitely worth more than what their current standing suggest.
Fausto Polidori (Coach Altotevere Città di Castello-Sansepolcro): “We will prepare this game at best although we won’t be able to introduce too many fixtures in two days. We will try to improve on the last outing, at least in terms of level of play and impact. We know that a lot of good can happen when you play good volleyball”.
Calzedonia Verona – Copra Piacenza
Verona has become unstoppable. They took three points at the expense of Milan last week which sent them above Perugia in fourth place. Verona has been taking points for eight consecutive rounds, seven three-point wins and a tie-break loss against Modena. Piacenza has had ups and downs of late: they celebrated an important win in the Champions League this week against Roeselare but in the league they lost their rhythm. They are on a three game losing streak and slipped to ninth in the table. Captain Zlatanov is just three points from the 9000 career points.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 23 (18-5 Piacenza)
Sam Deroo (Calzedonia Verona): “Every game is important to get better and arrive at the playoffs in the best possible form. Piacenza has been playing with ups and downs, this week they had a good game in the Champions League, but we won’t really know what to expect. But we know for sure they have very strong players who have done it at the highest level. We must have maximum respect and play with extreme focus. We’ve had some good results in the league, we won 7 of our last 8. It’s a nice run, hopefully we’ll be able to add to it”.
Samuele Papi (Copra Piacenza): “This will be a tough game. Verona plays at a very high level. The key will be our serve, we’ll have to be sharp and make it very hard for their reception. We shouldn’t look too much at the league table any more. But we must win as many games as possible, and think one game at a time. We have a fight for a playoff spot going on with Molfetta right now”.
Sir Safety Perugia – Top Volley Latina
While they are working on all cylinders in the Champions League (first place secured with a game to spare), Atanasijevic and co struggle in the league against the top teams. Just like at the start of the season, Grbic’s men lost again their games against Modena and Trento. They consequently lost their fourth place, which is crucial for the playoffs. They will try to get back on track against Latina, who will try to close the gap with Perugia, which is four points. Match-up between Serbian spikers: Atanasijevic (300 points and top of the scoring charts), and Sasha Starovic, second with 282 points.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 5 (4-1 Perugia)
Bino Rizzuto (Sport Director Sir Safety Perugia): “We’ve had a lot of games this month. We’re coming off the satisfaction of the champions League qualification. For a new entry like us, being through with a game in hand in such a tough group is a great result. I hope this achievement will give us a boost for tomorrow and the rest of the league season. Latina is an in-form team who found consistency in the last few games. This will therefore be a difficult game in which we want to obtain our first victory of 2015 in the league”.
Gianrio Falivene (President Top Volley Latina): “The 3-0 result of the first meeting was deceiving because it was tight all the way. We have to do as well and hope to get something out of it. Perugia is one of the best teams but if we can win in Macerata we shouldn’t fear anyone”.
Exprivia Neldiritto Molfetta – Energy T.I. Diatec Trentino
Molfetta will go after another breakthrough against Trentino after back-to-back wins to open 2015. The changes in the roster at the end of last year paid dividends, Molfetta has made it into the playoff zone in 8th place. The understanding between Cuban setter Hierrezuelo and outside hitter Torres is getting better game after game. In four games, Torres scored 81 points, at 48,6%. Trentino, who has just qualified for the CEV Cup challenge round, will try to come back from Molfetta with the win to stay top.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 3 (All Trento)
Marco Cosimo Piscopo (Exprivia Neldiritto Molfetta): “Being from this region, I am proud to see my team that high in the SuperLega. I am extremely proud to be part of this team. Trento? You always have great memories when you win, I had great teammates, good supporters and was in a nice little town. That was a fundamental step in my career to get better in my first experience in the Serie A1. On Sunday, we’ll need to play as well as we’ve done so far without thinking of who’s on the other side of the net”.
Massimo Colaci (Energy T.I. Diatec Trentino): “Playing in my region will be special, I really want to win this game. Molfetta has done very well of late, they always give their best at home, testimony their recent win over Treia. We’ll have to impose our game there too: we really want to stay top of the league”.
Tonazzo Padova – Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia
Padova entertains the third force of the league, Treia, who’s coming off its winning trip to Paris in the Champions League. Padova had an excellent game last week making it very difficult for Modena despite the final outcome. Baldovin’s men will take on the Italian champs with the same spirit but Treia cannot lose ground on the teams ahead and they have Verona pressing too.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 36 (30-6 Treia)
Valerio Baldovin (coach Tonazzo Padova): “We’re coming off two good games against Trento and Modena, though we lost them. The team played some good volleyball. But now we need points, we knew this beginning of second half of season would not be helping. After Treia, we’ll face Perugia away. But we have to keep working with a positive frame of mind because we’re on the right track. If we keep playing with the same quality, the results will come”.
Simone Parodi (Cucine Lube Banca Marche Treia): “We need to get back to winning in Padova, three weeks after our last SuperLega game. An intense period has begun with the champions League and the league. We’ll face some crucial games. We want to stay on the right track after the big win obtained in Paris on Tuesday. We have to be careful, Padova has been playing well, they made it very hard for Modena in the last round”.
Vero Volley Monza – Modena Volley
Very positive period for Monza who’s out together a three-game winning streak that got them up to tenth. Vacondio’s men just got two impressive wins obtained with character and determination over Latina and Piacenza. Modena will therefore have to be extremely cautious against an in-form team chasing another big upset.
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 1 (Modena)
Oreste Vacondio (Coach Vero Volley Monza): “I think Modena plays the best volleyball in this league. They have a roster that in terms of organization and speed reflects what I would like to do with my team. Given their quality, it will clearly depend on the way they play us. If they play with the same mentality they faced Padova, we could have our chance. Unfortunately, once again we face them after a poor performance. No doubt coach and staff will have talked to their players to get back to their level. We had to train without a couple of players because of the flu this week but this is no excuse. We’re not going to face it heads down, on the contrary, we’ll be extremely motivated and we’ll try to do as well as against Piacenza”.
Angelo Lorenzetti (Coach Modena Volley): “We struggled against Padova last week. The effort made in the Italian cup made itself felt, and the celebration too. But I am the first to say that trophies must be celebrated. We’ve trained well this week, we know they have a very different team than when we first met. They found their rhythm and settled in this new division. And the results have greatly improved. But my boys are ready, they know they face a tough road game, but they know they have what it takes to do well. We’ll need maximum focus, ready for a big performance, and giving them the respect a good team like Monza deserves”.
Serie A2 UnipolSai
Round 15
Centrale McDonald’s Brescia – Caffè Aiello Corigliano. On Saturday night, Brescia entertains Corigliano. The hosts began the year with two wins that allowed them to join the group chasing the 8th place. That positive run was interrupted in the last round in Vibo Valentia. As for Ricci’s men, they will play their second consecutive game on the road as they are chasing the first place and are getting ready for the A2 cup final four. They have played two tie-breaks in a row (one won, one lost) against Sora and Reggio.
Cassa Rurale Cantù – Domar Matera. Both knocked out of the A2 cup in the quarter-finals, Cantù and Matera now aims at finishing in the top eight to reach the playoffs. Second game on the bounce in its arena for Cantù, who’s lost only once at the tie-break in seven games at home. Matera slipped to seventh because of a very hesitant beginning of second half of season (1 win over Tuscania and 2 defeats against Potenza Picena and Ortona).
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia – Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte. Big sigh of relief for Vibo who was back on the winning end in its gym against Brescia. That had not happened since November 16. That also stopped a five game losing streak in the league. Luca Monti’s men will try to gain consistency and prepare at best their coming A2 cup semi-final (vs Ortona). Castellana Grotte will be without starting setter Matteo Pedron suspended. His absence was badly felt in the last encounter, lost 3-1 in the derby against Alessano.
Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora. Derby of the Lazio region. Tofoli’s men are standing towards the bottom of the table but not too far from the playoffs zone (three points away). Sora will be eager to bounce back after losing its first place by losing against Potenza Picena. Coach Fabio Soli had to do without the injured Fiore and spiker Hirsch, who had the flu. The positive note is the come-back of Marco Fabroni.
B-Chem Potenza Picena – Aurispa Alessano. <SPAN lang=EN-US style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; COLOR: black;
