Civitanova is the only one who managed to qualify for the semi-finals on a sweep at the expense of Latina. They will enjoy a nice Easter holiday while the others will be battling in Game 4. A minute silence will be observed for the seven Italian students who died in a car accident in Spain and to pay respect the victims of the Brussels attacks.
Padova and its captain Santiago Orduna will try to force a fifth game as they play host to Modena. The players became actors in the making of a video to invite the fans to the Kioene Arena. Last Sunday Padova lost in four sets as Modena dominated in every area, especially the blocking (13) and the attack (58%). Winners of a friendly over Romagna in mid-week, Modena has won both home games so far and are looking for a road victory to seal the series.
Molfetta is eager to have another triumphant experience like in Game 2 when they had the better of Trento. A breakthrough that Di Pinto’s men could not repeat away from home in Game 3. The Italians champs, who just qualified for the Champions League final four, will now try to seal the series. Among the big performances of Game 3, Matey Kaziyski stood out with 15 points and 65% in attack.
In its PalaEvangelisti, Perugia looks for glory and qualification against Verona. They had some regrets from Game 3, in which Kovac’s men had managed to come back from 2-1 down to force a tie-break, only to collapse in the fifth. A big factor were the 17 blocks from the hosts, as well as the 21 points from Uros Kovacevic (6 blocks). Verona proved they never give up when they came back from behind to beat Benfica Lisboa and qualify for the Challenge Cup final. And they have what it takes to get a result away from home too in this series.
League playoffs quarter-final Game 4
Sunday 27 March at 5pm
Tonazzo Padova – DHL Modena Live on RAI Sport 1
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
Sunday 27 March at 6pm
Exprivia Molfetta – Diatec Trentino Live on Lega Volley Channel
Sir Safety Conad Perugia – Calzedonia Verona Live on Lega Volley Channel
League playoffs Game 5
Sunday 3 April at 6pm (one game live on RAI Sport, at 17.30) the others Live on Lega Volley Channel
DHL Modena – Tonazzo Padova
Diatec Trentino – Exprivia Molfetta
Wednesday 6 April at 8.30pm
Calzedonia Verona – Sir Safety Conad Perugia Live on Lega Volley Channel
Past encounters: 13 (9-4 Trento)
This season: 4 times – twice in the regular season (both won 3-0 at home, first Molfetta then Trento). And twice in the cup quarter-finals: (Trento won the first leg 3-0 away, then Molfetta won 3-2 away).
In the playoffs: Five times in the quarters (Trento 4-1).
Vincenzo Di Pinto (coach Exprivia Molfetta): “We will play to make it as hard as possible for them. They are galvanised by the lead they have in this series, while we will have the fans on our side, and that’s a big plus for us. I expect it to be an exciting encounter”.
Radostin Stoytchev (Diatec Trentino): “The 3-0 win of Game 3 has not sealed the series. Molfetta is a team that can make it tough for us and with the help of their fans they’re capable of playing top quality volleyball, they often find great run of serves. We’ll need maximum focus and avoid a poor approach to the match like we had in Game 2. Losing the first two sets that day had been lethal for us”.
Past encounters: 87 (71-16 Modena)
This season: 2 in the league, Both won away from home, first Modena 3-0 then Padova 3-1.
In the playoffs: 13 times: once in the 8th of finals (Modena), five times in the quarters (Modena 4-1), 3 times in the semi-finals (all Modena) and 4 times in the finals (All Modena again).
Valerio Baldovin (coach Tonazzo Padova): “In order to be able to compete with Modena, we’ll have to go full speed but without going out of track in the curves. We’ll need to be sharper on the serve than last Sunday and more accurate in reception. We need to limit our mistakes on the counter. This is the only way to have any chance”.
Andrea Sartoretti (GM DHL Modena): “Sunday’s game in Padova will be extremely tough. We have only one goal: the win and qualification in the semi-finals. This week we worked hard and did everything possible to cure the players who had some physical worries in the last few days and weeks. I’m sure the boys will play a great game, they know they can’t get that one wrong”.
Past encounters: 18 (13-5 Perugia)
This season: 4 times – Verona won both regular season game (3-0 away then 3-2 home). Perugia won the 2 Italian Cup games (3-2 away then 3-1 home).
In the playoffs: 6 times in the quarter-finals (Perugia 4-2).
Boban Kovac (Coach Sir Safety Conad Perugia): “On Sunday we have to do much more than what we did last Wednesday, we need the victory. In Game 3 in Verona, we have not been as sharp as usual on the serve and that has to change because we have to put pressure with our serve and then make plays with our block-dig area. Hopefully, this will be a happy Easter for our fans, who we hope to welcome in numbers in the our arena!”.
Andrea Giani (coach Calzedonia Verona): “We’ve reached Game 4, this is a crucial encounter for us, yet another final. This will definitely be a tough game, Perugia will try to seal the series in front of their supporters. But we’re determined to win and force Game 5, we’ll do everything possible to make it”.
Here comes the last round of the Challenge playoffs group phase. The four teams will then meet the losers of the league playoffs quarter-finals according to their standings.
CMC Romagna is still stuck without a point. They started off as favourite but they are now forced to win against Monza to avoid last position. They had a mid-week friendly in which they lost all four sets against Modena. Monza already announced there will be a change of coach next season but that did not destabilized Vacondio and his boys. Currently second, they can still go top but they need the win and Milan to lose against the regenerated Piacenza.
Milan is top of the group with 5 points after back to back road wins over Romagna (3-1) and Monza (3-2). Milan has a good chance to finish in first place but the numbers definitely go against them. Indeed, in four previous meetings in the Serie A with Piacenza, the latter has always won. Piacenza finished bottom of the regular season and are third of the group. They lost in Monza before bouncing back in the derby against Romagna.
Standings
Revivre Milano 5, Gi Group Monza 4, LPR Piacenza 3, CMC Romagna 0
Challenge playoffs, third round (the last)
Saturday 26 March at 8.30pm
CMC Romagna – Gi Group Monza Live on Lega Volley Channel
Revivre Milano – LPR Piacenza Live on Lega Volley Channel
Past encounters: 6 (3 each)
This season: 2 (1 win each in regular season: both 3-1 away, first Romagna then Monza).
Waldo Kantor (coach CMC Romagna): “We’ve been having some difficulties. We often lack that last push to go over the hump and take the sets. Monza is a good team, well-balanced, they have quality all over the court. And they became more consistent and more accurate with the addition of Raic. We’ll need our best volleyball to beat them. I think once again the key will be the attack, but I expect more from the guys at the net compared to our previous outings”.
Marco Rizzo (Gi Group Monza): “We’re going to Forlì knowing we can still clinch first place. We’ll have to focus on our game and play with determination, without thinking about the other results. Every game played well that brings a positive result will also bring confidence and conviction. That’s why we aim at playing our best volleyball and finish this group phase as high as possible”.
Revivre Milano – LPR Piacenza
Paste encounters: 4 (All Piacenza)
This season: 2 (Piacenza won both regular season game: 3-0 home then 3-2 away).
Giorgio De Togni (Revivre Milano): “We want to try to seal this phase unbeaten. We want to keep enjoying ourselves on court and maybe make it an amazing five consecutive wins. We know it won’t be an easy game because we never seem to beat Piacenza, we lost the two regular season games this year”.
Stefano Patriarca (LPR Piacenza): “We have to build on the excellent result against Ravenna. We knew a new phase would begin for us: in Monza we had seen some progress but we lacked that killer instinct to take the three points, something we managed to do on the other hand on Sunday at home against Romagna. The win gave us confidence and now our goal is to go to Milan and take valuable points to get a better position in the group. Then we’ll see who we’ll face but we’re ready to give it a fight”.
We’re reached the last round of one of the tightest season of the past 20 years. There will be a lot to play for this weekend, like the first place.
Club Italia did much more than take part in this Serie A2. Totire’s young prospects made it hard for everybody and they will try to defend their 11th place. They’re coming off a tie-break win in Brescia and will now take on Alessano. The Apulia team is currently bottom in spite of a 3-2 home win over the top team of Reggio Emilia in the last round. They will try to obtain their first road win of the season in the capital.
Three consecutive defeats have followed a superb run of victories and now Reggio Emilia will try to defend its fifth place as it faces Ortona. The latter is ninth but out of the playoffs.
Castellana Grotte gave a good scare to the leaders of Vibo and now they will look for a prestigious result against the A2 champions 2015, Potenza Picena. Last from bottom, they want to avoid being overcome by Alessano. But they can also try to move up the table. As for Graziosi’s men, they can still hope to move up to sixth or seventh.
The match of the weekend will be Sora versus Vibo Valentia. Second against Top with the first place at stake in the final battle of the regular season. Sora is two points behind after its tie-break win in Potenza Picena. Vibo still has in mind the last game of the first half of season, when Sora had beaten them and become winter champ at the last gasp. The team from Calabria is coming off a victory over Castellana Grotte.
Cassa Rurale Cantù can still aim for fifth place but they’ll have to beat Siena, who fell against Mondovì after two consecutive wins. Siena aims for fifth place too, though it also has to be careful not to be leapfrogged by Potenza. The loser of this game runs the risk of finishing eighth.
The promoted team of Mondovì has nothing to play for as their dream of a playoffs spot vanished in the last round. Tenth in the table, Barisciani’s men are coming off a tie-break win in Siena, which was yet another positive result in their first season in the Serie A2. Brescia is third from bottom and coming off a home defeat at the tie-break against Club Italia. They could move one position above and make this end of season a little less bitter with a victory.
Last chance for Tuscania to get into third place. Road winners in Ortona in the last round, they need at least two points against direct rival Civita Castellana, who will do everything possible to keep Tuscania behind.
Serie A2 UnipolSai Round 26 (the last)
Sunday 27 March at 6pm
Club Italia Roma – Aurispa Alessano Live on Lega Volley Channel
Conad Reggio Emilia – Sieco Service Ortona Live on Lega Volley Channel
Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte – Potenza Picena Live on Lega Volley Channel
Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia Live on Lega Volley Channel
Cassa Rurale Cantù – Emma Villas Siena Live on Lega Volley Channel
BAM Mondovì – Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia Live on Lega Volley Channel
Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania – Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana Live on Lega Volley Channel
League table
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia 57, Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora 55, Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana 48, Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania 47, Conad Reggio Emilia 41, Emma Villas Siena 39, Cassa Rurale Cantù 39, Potenza Picena 38, Sieco Service Ortona 32, BAM Mondovì 31, Club Italia Roma 26, Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia 25, Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte 24, Aurispa Alessano 23
