No break in the A2. Time for the first return games. The first half of season ended with a thrilling encounter between the top 2 which had Sora tying things up with Vibo and becoming winter champ thanks to one extra win. Exciting stuff at the bottom too with Brescia trailing by only one point on three teams: Alessano, Club Italia and Mondovì.
Beaten in the first match-up, Siena wants to get one back on Potenza Picena. Both clubs are coming off two marathon wins at the tie-break and qualified for the Italian Cup A2. Three wins in a row for the team from Tuscany, the last one home against Cantù. Siena will try to cut down on the five-point deficit it has on Potenza, who defeated Castellana in its last game. Moretti is 9 points from 3000 in the Serie A, while Braga is 2 away from a thousand.
Severely beaten by Tuscania in the last round, Civita Castellana stays home as it hopes to have its top scorer Paulo Da Silva back. They take on Vibo Valentia, which come-back defeat on home soil is still difficult to take in, especially considering the fact Sora caught them at the top and became winter champ.
Left out of the top 8 and the cup in spite of taking a point in Potenza in the last round without Alessandro Giosa (flu), Castellana Grotte is eager to bounce back. Club Italia will try to make it hard for Fanizza’s men just like they had done in the opening game of the season, winning it at the tie-break. Last Sunday, Totire’s promising youngsters were defeated in straight sets by Alessano.
The winter champ Sora enjoys the most coveted position ahead of the Italian cup A2 thanks to its victory over Vibo on the road. They will try to extend Mondovì’s misery. The visitors have not won since round 7 and have only taken one point in the last six rounds. They were defeated in Brescia in the first of 2016.
There will be a minute silence before the match between Cantù and Alessano for the La Provincia journalist Giulio Mauri, who passed away because of a heart attack just a few days ago. Qualified into the cup, Cantù came back from Siena with a point. Alessano has only taken one of its 13 points on the road.
The Tuscania stars are walking chins up proud of their fourth place which they snatched thanks to their derby breakthrough in Civita Castellana. They entertain Reggio Emilia, which is at the peak of its form. Cantagalli’s men have won three in a row after a horrible start to the season. However, they will be without the charism of their coach, suspended for one game.
Brescia and Ortona will seal Round 14 on Thursday. Spiker Alberto Cisolla is just 20 spikes from 4000 in the Serie A. He was unstoppable in his last encounter against Mondovì leading his team to a four-set victory with his 35 points. Brescia will try to make two home wins in a row to get off the bottom of the table and take revenge on the tie-break loss of the first round of the season. On the other side of the net, there is a team satisfied to be qualified for the Italian Cup but disappointed that a four-game winning streak got interrupted at home by Reggio Emilia.
Serie A2 UnipolSai round 14 (first return games)
Wednesday 6 January at 6pm
Emma Villas Siena – Potenza Picena Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Brancati-Toni)
Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Oranelli-Merli)
Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte – Club Italia Roma Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Talento-Autuori)
Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora – BAM Mondovì Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Guarneri-Saltalippi)
Cassa Rurale Cantù – Aurispa Alessano Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Venturi-Bassan)
Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania – Conad Reggio Emilia Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Luciani-De Simeis)
Giovedì 7 gennaio 2016, ore 20.30
Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia – Sieco Service Ortona Live on Lega Volley Channel
(Del Vecchio-Jacobacci)
League table
Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora 30, Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia 30, Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana 26, Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania 24, Potenza Picena 24, Emma Villas Siena 19, Sieco Service Ortona 19, Cassa Rurale Cantù 19, Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte 16, Conad Reggio Emilia 15, Aurispa Alessano 13, Club Italia Roma 13, BAM Mondovì 13, Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia 12.
