One last round in the Serie A2 to the half way point of the regular season. The first games of 2016 have a lot at stakes: a place in the top 8 and the qualification into the Italian Cup A2. We’ll also know who becomes the winter champ between Vibo Valentia and Sora, who meet up this weekend and are only separated by a point.
Alessano has not won away in this first half of season, it will therefore be happy to play this one at home. The Apulia team is coming off a tie-break loss in Reggio Emilia, that was the first point on the road. Alessano will take on the young guns of Club Italia, who swept Brescia in their last outing.
Ortona managed to take all 12 points of its last four games, which rocketed the team up to sixth place after a difficult start to the season. They will be home against Reggio Emilia, who’s on a two game winning streak (Sora and Alessano)
Former Potenza star Tartaglione will visit his former club with Castellana Grotte hoping to upset the hosts. Castellana is currently 9th following their upset of the leaders Vibo Valentia, hoping for Siena to lose as it hunts for the last qualifying spot in the Italian Cup A2. As for the Potenza Picena stars, they took point in their last six outings but lost at the tie-break against Sora last Sunday. They are already qualified in the cup but only a win will secure home court advantage in the quarter-finals. Coach Graziosi is hoping to have outside hitter Federico Moretti back in the line up.
The big game of the weekend is Vibo Valentia versus Sora. They are currently the top 2 of the league table but none of them came out unscathed of the last intense month. Vibo lost in Castellana Grotte, while Sora lost in Siena and Reggio Emilia in December. In the last game, they had the better of Potenza but only at the tie-break.
Siena plays host to Cantù. The team from Tuscany can’t afford to get it wrong or it could lose its 8th position and pass for the Italian Cup A2. Siena won its last game over Mondovì, while Cantù celebrated a tie-break victory at home against Civita Castellana. Matteo Bortolozzi is one spike away from the 500 while Roberto Braga is 8 points from a thousand in career.
Crossroad for Brescia and Mondovì, who are both dealing with long losing streaks. Brescia lost its fourth straight in Rome against Club Italia in the last round, while Mondovì was defeated for a fifth consecutive time at home against Siena.
Finally, there is the derby between Civita Castellana and Tuscania. Currently third, the hosts lost its last game at the tie-break at Cantù. While Tuscania did not have a say in the last round at home against Ortona. Civita Castellana is already certain to finish third at the hallway point, but it could take advantage of the clash between Vibo and Sora to get closer to the top two. In the meantime, Tuscania has one last chance to move above Potenza in fourth place to play the cup quarter-finals at home.
Serie A2 UnipolSai Round 13
Sunday 3 January at 6pm
Aurispa Alessano – Club Italia Roma Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Licchelli-Morgillo)
Sieco Service Ortona – Conad Reggio Emilia Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Cappelletti-Feriozzi)
Potenza Picena – Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte
Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Puletti-Rossetti)
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia – Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora
Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Canessa-Zingaro)
Emma Villas Siena – Cassa Rurale Cantù Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Nicolazzo-Stancati)
Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia – BAM Mondovì
Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Sessolo-Curto)
Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana – Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania
Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Carcione-Di Blasi)
League table
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia 29, Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora 28, Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana 26, Potenza Picena 22, Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania 21, Sieco Service Ortona 19, Cassa Rurale Cantù 18, Emma Villas Siena 17, Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte 15, Club Italia Roma 13, BAM Mondovì 13, Conad Reggio Emilia 12, Aurispa Alessano 10, Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia 9.
