This Saturday 5 and Sunday 6, an information campaign about a special social, sporting and educational project will be launched. An initiative supported by the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health and the CONI.
The project is called “Let’s train to thrive”. This is a program of activities that aims to underline the principle of right to sport for all, to provide a social service to the community and to build an important part of the educational system in areas with social and economic difficulties by spreading important educational messages. Developed on three lines of action, it aims to promote a healthy lifestyle for the welfare and proper development of the children through, free sport activities in the afternoon offered to the kids aged 5 to 13 and informative campaign on a healthy lifestyle for the schools, sport clubs and families. This will help counter sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits and obesity, as well as spread educational values of sport such as team spirit, social inclusion and appreciation of differences.
The boys will not only be the recipients and beneficiaries of this initiative, but also the protagonists. By visiting www.coniragazzi.it, they will be able to vote their favourite hashtag, and contribute to spread the important educational messages of the campaign.
Still without a win, Milan will have another go against Trentino. Beaten in Verona, they signed Boninfante in a trade of setters with Latina, where Daniele Sottile went. As for Trento, they have Tine Urnaut back and close to 1500 points. Stoytchev’s men are coming off wins against Latina and Tours in the Champions League.
Defeated in Trento last week, Latina welcomes back Daniele Sottile ahead of the game against Piacenza. The latter has played some good volleyball but luck has not been on their side, testimony the recent injuries to Loris Manià and Samuele Papi against Monza. To make up for it, the club has just signed Davidson Lamperiello. Stefano Patriarca’s next block will be number 200 in regular season.
Modena keeps impressing. A road win in Civitanova and a 3-0 triumph in the Champions League against Novi Sad are the latest achievements of Lorenzetti’s men who will take on Perugia as Ngapeth will make his 100th appearance in the league. Perugia is coming off a CEV Cup victory in the 8th of finals first leg against Presov in Slovakia. The Block Devils have been at their best of late with 12 sets won and only one lost in the past four games. A win would get Perugia to move above Modena in the table.
Monza will come in full of confidence for this home game against Padova following their superb come-back win over Piacenza. A difficult game to predict. Padova is not only synonymous with brilliant initiatives such as #TonazzoTalk or the reality show “Santiago”, the team has recently disposed of Romagna 3-0.
Five wins each in history between Romagna and Verona. The hosts will try to avoid a second consecutive loss against a Venetian team. Verona is on a two-game winning streak in the league while they had the better of the Dutch of Zwolle in the Challenge Cup 16th of finals first leg. They will try to take advantage of the clash between Modena and Perugia to move up one position.
Another big match is the one between Molfetta and Civitanova. Coach Montagnani wants to bounce back from its losing debut in Perugia. Tough task against the league leaders who are eager to get back to winning ways following their tie-break loss against Modena. The club, which sent Giulio Sabbi on loan to Shanghai, is coming off a Champions League victory in the Republic Czech against Dukla Liberec. Simone Parodi is just one point away from the 2500.
SuperLega UnipolSai round 9
Saturday 5 December at 6pm
Revivre Milano – Diatec Trentino Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Gnani-Cappello)
Sunday 6 December at 6pm
Ninfa Latina – LPR Piacenza Differed on RAI Sport 1 from 10.30pm
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
(Sampaolo-Saltalippi)
DHL Modena – Sir Safety Conad Perugia Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Pasquali-Tanasi)
Gi Group Monza – Tonazzo Padova Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Santi-Goitre)
CMC Romagna- Calzedonia Verona Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Cesare-Vagni)
Exprivia Molfetta – Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Puecher-Rapisarda)
League table
Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova 20, DHL Modena 20, Sir Safety Conad Perugia 18, Calzedonia Verona 17, Diatec Trentino 17, Exprivia Molfetta 13, Gi Group Monza 9, Ninfa Latina 9, CMC Romagna 9, Tonazzo Padova 6, LPR Piacenza 4, Revivre Milano 2
Revivre Milano – Diatec Trentino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 2 (Trento won both)
Luca Monti (coach Revivre Milano): “This is a game in which we have to try to give everything we have, we have to force the issue in every situation. We have nothing to lose, we’ll be up against a top class team that has been playing extremely well. It is important for us to play well to gain confidence, useful for the next three games before the Christmas break. This is exactly this attitude I’ve asked of the boys: to try their best, keep believing and take advantage of the energy that the new setter has brought in the gym”.
Simone Giannelli (Diatec Trentino): “The final rush of the first part of season begins with Milan. We really had very little time to prepare for this game, which I expect to be complicated. But that’s the way it goes in this period, we have to accept it and stay extremely focused. We’ll try to take maximum points to keep aiming for the prestigious top places in the table”.
Ninfa Latina – LPR Piacenza
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 28 (19-9 Piacenza)
Marco Franchi (ass.coach Ninfa Latina): “The game against Piacenza will be crucial for the Italian Cup. We’re coming off two negative results, we’ll try to turn things around. This is a tough game, Piacenza lost against Monza in spite of a 2-0 lead so they’ll be angry and eager to get a result”.
Alberto Giuliani (coach LPR Piacenza): “The Latina game will be as important as all the ones we have in this period. We have to be more consistent, maintain a good level of play throughout, because so far we tend to play well only in the first part of games. I still don’t’ know who I will line-up, we’ll keep working and then we’ll see”.
DHL Modena – Sir Safety Conad Perugia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 6 (4-2 Perugia)
Angelo Lorenzetti (coach DHL Modena): “Extremely difficult game, they were already strong last season and are even stronger this year. The fact we play every three days has a certain influences on the frequencies of training and the preparation of games, but I have maximum faith in my boys who proved up to the task in this top level league. We’ll have to play with our heads and our hearts, pushed by our amazing fans”.
Luciano De Cecco (Sir Safety Conad Perugia): “This is one of those games we love to play, those ones you just enjoy being on court. Hopefully, this will be a good game. It’s normal that there are high expectations, but we have to find our best level against the top teams and make one more step in the right direction. These are the games in a gym I expect to be packed that can make you gain maturity. I think we’re ready for a big game, we’ll just wait and see what happens”.
Gi Group Monza – Tonazzo Padova
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 9 (6.3 Padova)
Pieter Verhees (Gi Group Monza): “Tough game, Padova has been doing extremely well of late. In their two wins over Piacenza and Romagna, they played quality volleyball, and took three points on both occasions. But we’ve been doing well too, we had the better of Molfetta at home and on Tuesday we managed to win in Piacenza’s PalaBanca arena thanks to an excellent team display. When we play as a unit, when we’re generous and determined, I think we can give a game to anyone. Our reaction in Piacenza gave us confidence and will to try to sneak into the top eight in the final rush. We know it won’t be easy but we’ll have a go”.
Santiago Orduna (Tonazzo Padova): “It’s always special for me to play in Monza. I had my most memorable experiences as a player in this gym, with the promotion and the Italian Cup A2. I am extremely motivated, the win over Romagna did us a lot of good and it took us up the table. Our opponents will obviously try their best to win it in front of their fans but we’ll give it all as well. The important thing is to keep maximum focus and play with the spirit that allowed us to take maximum points against Romagna”.
CMC Romagna- Calzedonia Verona
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 10 (5 each)
Waldo Kantor (coach CMC Romagna): “In spite of the five points taken in the last three games, I cannot say I am satisfied. We faded after the positive outing in Piacenza. Against Latina we got a result in spite of not playing too well but against Padova we did not get anything out of it. We’ll try to get points out of the coming games even if we know it won’t be easy, especially against Verona and Modena, and we’ll try to play better volleyball. Verona is a team that doesn’t make many mistakes, they don’t give anything away and they are excellent in the block-dig area. We’ll need maximum focus and determination, especially in the clutch time”.
Andrea Giani (coach Calzedonia Verona): “We’ll be up against a physical team with excellent fundamentals and talent. They are well organised, definitely not an easy game. They’re coming off a defeat in Padova so they’ll be up for it. We’ll need to play with a good attitude, and at a high level again. We have to keep making progress, we have three games left to the halfway point, all the points at stake are crucial”.
Exprivia Molfetta – Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 4 (3-1 Civitanova)
Luigi Randazzo (Exprivia Molfetta): “Very difficult game ahead for us, the last of three very tough encounters. The first against Trento, the second in Perugia, and now against Civitanova. We know we’ll have the fans on our side, an important factor, we play better at home than away. Since we play every three days, we have to take care of our bodies. We always want to give everything. Anyway, we’re working to get better on the road too. This is one thing we have to improve on. I already knew the coach. We are at his disposal, ready to follow his instructions. He did not have time to train us before the match against Perugia, but this week we’ve been working hard. We have a very strong group and we’re united, we’ll give it our best shot as always”.
Simone Parodi (Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova): “We’re facing a very tricky game in Molfetta, there will be a heated atmosphere. We know that if we want to get what would be a crucial win for us we’ll need to be warriors and play quality volleyball. Hardly back from the Czech Republic, we’re already off to the south and the Apulia. Hardly time to rest before a game that will require maximum care and focus”.
Serie A2 UnipolSai
Round 7 preview
While Vibo Valentia and Club Italia will open things up on Friday night, the league leaders of Sora will try to stay unbeaten on Saturday when they play host to Tuscania, third in the table. Tuscania is on a roll, the true surprise of this championship so far. They have got up a notch since Libero Federico Bonami joined in. This is the second consecutive derby for Sora after the come-back victory over Civita Castellana. In the last round, Tuscania thrashed Castellana Grotte to make it five wins this season.
On the debut night of the “School’s Volley Day”, Cantù plays host to Ortona. A match between two of the best teams of the A2 in recent years. Cantù will try to beat Ortona for the first time in history and put an end to a three-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the winner of last year’s regular season can’t wait to move back up the table from this last position after the poor loss against Vibo Valentia.
Brescia is back home following its disappointing trip to Tricase. They will take on Civita Castellana, the only team who managed to keep up with the top three in the table, and the only one to have taken something out of the game against the invincible Sora.
Beaten away by Tuscania, Castellana Grotte wants to redeem itself as it entertains the newly promoted side of Mondovì, 3-1 winners of Cantù last Sunday. A big game as only one point separates the two sides.
Potenza Picena and Reggio Emilia are two clubs trying to get out of a crisis. Potenza has lost four in a row, while Reggio seemed to be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel when they beat Club Italia at the tie-break, only to lose in the fifth against Siena.
Siena is coming off a marathon win in Reggio under the guidance of new head coach Massimo Caponeri. It intends on leaving the last position in the table to Ortona as it plays host to Alessano. The team from the Apulia region has done well of late with wins over Mondovì and Brescia.
Serie A2 UnipolSai Round 7
Friday 4 December at 8.30pm
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia – Club Italia Roma Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Morgillo-Stancati)
Saturday 5 December at 8.30pm
Cassa Rurale Cantù – Sieco Service Ortona Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Del Vecchio-Curto)
Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia – Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Fretta-Licchelli)
Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora – Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Vecchione-Gasparro)
Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte – VBC Mondovì Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Feriozzi-Cappelletti)
Potenza Picena – Conad Reggio Emilia Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Oranelli-Turtù)
Emma Villas Siena – Aurispa Alessano Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Pozzi-Pristerà)
League table
Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora 17, Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia 15, Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania 13, Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana 11, VBC Mondovì 9, Aurispa Alessano 9, Cassa Rurale Cantù 9, Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte 8, Conad Reggio Emilia 7, Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia 6, Club Italia Roma 6, Potenza Picena 6, Emma Villas Siena 5, Sieco Service Ortona 5
