The top 8 teams at the halfway point of the regular season in the Serie A2 are ready to fight it out in the Italian Cup quarter-finals, to be played in one single game in the house of the top four. All the games will be on the Lega Volley Channel (Sportube.tv). Semi-finals will be on Wednesday 27 January while the final will take place as part of the Volley Land, on Sunday 7 February.
Winter champs thanks to a superb come-back in Calabria against the holders of the cup, Vibo Valentia, Sora has always qualified in the last six years. However, it never made it past the semi-finals, lost against Ravenna in 2011, Atripalda in 2013 and Padova in 2014. Soli’s men are coming off a four-set win at home against Club Italia. They will take on Cantù, who finished 8th after a tie-break defeat in Siena, though it was tied on points with Sieco Service and Siena. They’re coming off a disappointing five-setter lost in Castellana Grotte. Last year they had lost in the quarter-finals in Potenza Picena.
Vibo Valentia had lost the first place at the last round. The holder dreams of a double in the Italian Cup, they had won in Chieti last year at the tie-break at the expense of Potenza Picena. It had been one of the most exciting game in the history of the competition. Vibo is now back on top of the league and coming off a comfortable win over Siena. The club took part in the A2 cup many times, won it in 2003 and lost the final twice against Verona. They also lost a final in the A1 in 2005 against Treviso. The one to try to stop Vibo towards another cup run is Ortona, the hosts of the final four 2015. They will try to take revenge on Vibo who had knocked them out in the semi-finals last year. Ortona is coming off a 3-0 defeat in Potenza Picena, the team is missing important players like setter Andrea Lanci and Matteo Paoletti.
Third in the table at the halfway point, Civita Castellana is glad to have its star Paulo Da Silva back to fitness just on time for this cup tie. Two days ago, the Brazilian outside hitter led his team to a 3-0 home win over Alessano. They will entertain Siena for a derby of newly promoted teams. The club from Tuscany, who is also taking part for the first time, strengthened recently its squad with Spaniard spiker Sergio Noda Blanco. Siena is not facing this cup tie with maximum confidence, having been crushed by Vibo at home but they have a solid roster and this game should be the tightest of all as they respectively finished fourth and fifth.
Another first timer in the cup is Tuscania, who had ended the first half of season with a breakthrough over Civita Castellana although the recent sweep conceded at home by Mondovì is not the best way to get into a knock-out cup game against Potenza Picena. In spite of being without starting outside hitter Federico Moretti (hand injury), Potenza took six points out of its last two encounters and it is now tied in third place with Civita Castellana. Graziosi’s men, who went to the final last season, have already won in Montefiascone in this regular season and want to do it again.
Del Monte® Italian Cup Serie A2 – Quarter-finals
Wednesday January at 8.30pm
Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora (1) – (8) Cassa Rurale Cantù Live on Lega Volley Channel
Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania (4) – (5) Potenza Picena Live on Lega Volley Channel
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia (2) – (7) Sieco Service Ortona Live on Lega Volley Channel
Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana (3) – (6) Emma Villas Siena Live on Lega Volley Channel
Del Monte® Italian Cup Serie A2 – Semi-finals
Mercoledì 27 gennaio 2016, ore 20.30
Winner (1)/(8) – Winner (4)/(5) Live on Lega Volley Channel
Winner (2)/(7) – (3)/(6) Live on Lega Volley Channel
Del Monte® Italian Cup Serie A2 – Final
Mediolanum Forum – Assago (MI)
Sunday 7 February at 2pm
Final of the Del Monte® Italian Cup Serie A2 Live on Sport 1 (ch 61) and Lega Volley Channel
