Champions League
Piacenza in Cev. Macerata and Trento top of their groups
INDESIT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – Pool E
COPRATLANTIDE PIACENZA – VFB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN 3-0 (25-15, 25-18, 25-22) –
COPRATLANTIDE PIACENZA: Meoni 1, Zlatanov 16, Rak 9, Pereira Bravo 7, Marshall 14, Oivanen 6, Grassano, Sequeira, Rinaldi (L). DNP Boninfante, Urnaut. Coach. Lorenzetti.
VFB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN: Geiger 4, Böhme 4, Steuerwald (L), Bauer 4, Gontariu 15, Lima Martins, Fromm 9, Kampa 1, Rosic. DNP Grozer, Tichacek, Jose. Coach. Moculescu.
Piacenza eventually put an end to a four games losing streak in the Champions League and earned the right to play in the Cev Cup (in which there is already Cuneo) as third classified. Led once again by Zlatanov and the excellent Leo Marshall, the hosts dominated the first set. The second set was tighter, at least at the beginning, but Piacenza easily escaped on the scoreboard (18-14). Five blocks overall in the set allowed the Italian champs to lead 2-0. The opponent were certainly not fighting for their lives, which made it easier for Piacenza, which sealed it in three sets. Zlatanov MVP.
INDESIT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – POOL C
HYPO TIROL INNSBRUCK – LUBE BANCA MARCHE MACERATA 1-3 (25-22, 23-25, 18-25, 24-26) –
HYPO TIROL INNSBRUCK: Gavan 8, Chocholak 22, Jago 12, Joscak 7, Laure (L), Carletti, Weber, Chrtiansky, Costa Da Silva 3, Nascimento Dos Santos 13, Holmes 2. DNP Berger.
LUBE BANCA MARCHE MACERATA: Cisolla 12, Paparoni (L), Raymaekers 5, Omrcen 24, Bartoletti 2, Vermiglio 1, Monopoli, Podrascanin 13, Martino, Fantin 11. DNP Smerilli, Randazzo. Coach. De Giorgi.
Macerata completed its mission: it finished top of its group. Already qualified amongst the last 12 after last week’s victory over Budva, Macerata still came away from Innsbruck with a 3-1 win in the last game of the Champions League Main Phase. Overall, Macerata registered five wins and juts one loss (2-3 in Maaseik in game 3). The draw for the next round (knock-out stage with home and away games) will take place in Luxemburg tomorrow at 3pm.
Hammered by the opposite serves, Macerata struggled at the beginning. Led by former Loreto player, Chocholak, and Da Silva, Innsbruck took a 20-15 lead. That’s when Omrcen took over with two aces, helping the Italians to a 21-20 advantage. The comeback ended there. Innsbruck won it on a block on Dentinho and celebrated its qualification to the knock out stage. It only needed one set. Macerata’s level of play improved in the second and it tied the game, as two consecutive attacks wide from the Austrians handed the set to Macerata. Vermiglio and co cruised to a third set victory, while the fourth was tight again. Podrascanin had the final word (14 points overall and 71% in attack) smashing the winning point, 26-24.
INDESIT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – Pool A
TRENTINO BETCLIC – OLYMPIACOS PIRAEUS 2-3 (23-25, 25-14, 21-25, 25-23, 13-15) –
TRENTINO BETCLIC: Zygadlo 1, Herpe, Kaziyski 23, Sokolov, Vieira De Oliveira 4, Bari (L), Sala 4, Birarelli 5, Vissotto Neves 17, Juantorena Portuondo 19. DNP Fedrizzi, Corsini. Coach. Stoytchev.
OLYMPIACOS PIRAEUS: Kyriazis, Miljkovic 21, Stefanou, Andreadis 13, Tischer 1, Marques Fonteles 11, Kouzounis-boukogiannis (L), Tzourits 9, Caldeira 16. DNP Soultanopoulos, Angelopoulos, Ioannou.
Unbeaten in the previous nine encounters at home in the Champions League, Trento was defeated when it mattered most. It surrendered at the tie-break against Olympiacos but still qualified for the second phase. Over 3.500 fans celebrated despite the defeat as Trento went through at the end of a very difficult encounter. Olympiacos deserved to win and qualified as the best third classified team.
“It’s not been an easy game – admitted coach Radostin Stoytchev – We felt a lot of pressure with the necessity to obtain a result. We didn’t manage to play at our best with consistency. Credit to Olympiacos, which was consistent in every area of the game. We made mistakes too, struggling in reception. We also had physical problems, with Juantorena concluding the game despite digestive problems. We lost but are certainly happy to have clinched first place in the group and seen Kaziyiski back at his old best. Matey is always there in important games. Now we have to get another player back at his level, Vissotto, and prepare the Cup Final Four”.
INDESIT CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – The situation
Here are the last 12 teams qualified for the knock-out stage. The teams classified first will be drawn against the teams that finished second. The team hosting the Final Four will be automatically qualified for it.
POOL A: Three teams with 10 points. Trento top, Dinamo Moscow second and Olympiacos, best third classified team.
POOL B: Kazan, Cska Sofia.
POOL C: Macerata, Innsrbuck. Maaseik in Cev Cup.
POOL D: Belchatow, Roeselare.
POOL E: Friedrichshafen, Panathinaikos. Piacenza, third, in Cev Cup.
TIM CUP A2
TIM Cup A2: Roma and Bologna through to the final in Montecatini Terme. Never-ending semi final Castellana Grotte – Bologna: Third ever longest game in Serie A.
The Italian Cup final A2, which will take place on Sunday 31 January at 3pm, will put face to face Roma and Bologna. Roma had the better of Castellana Grotte at the end of a hard-fought game, while things have been easier for Roma against Crema. In Castellana, the semi final went down in history as the third biggest score ever in the Serie A: 262 points. The two top games are Cuneo versus Treviso in the league 2001-02 (275 points) and Modena versus Vibo Valentia in 2004-05 (270 points).
TIM Cup A2 – Semifinali
M. ROMA VOLLEY – SAMGAS CREMA 3-0 (25-11, 25-18, 25-19) –
M. ROMA VOLLEY: Poey 15, Zaytsev 10, Paolucci 1, Portuondo 13, Postiglioni 11, Cesarini (L), Yosifov 4, Rossi, Segnalini. DNP Rossini, Mor, Morelli, Renzetti. Coach. Giani.
SAMGAS CREMA: Cazzaniga 6, Alletti, Patriarca 1, Ricci Petitoni (L), Corti 2, Finazzi 6, Rosso 11, Silva, Serafim 3, Baranowicz. DNP Andreotti Pardini, Mazzonelli. Coach. Monti.
BCC-NEP CASTELLANA GROTTE – ZINELLA BOLOGNA 2-3 (27-29, 34-36, 25-19, 29-27, 17-19) –
BCC-NEP CASTELLANA GROTTE: Vicini (L), Popelka 7, Alves Rodrigo 17, Guerra 12, Castellano 17, Mattera 5, Insalata 11, Giosa, Gallotta 26, Matheus 6. DNP De Palma, Guglielmi, Pagano. Coach. Lattari.
ZINELLA BOLOGNA: Inserra 14, Bianchi 1, Uriarte 5, Gallesi, Moro 31, Spiga, Lucchi 5, Ocampo 16, Creus Larry 19, Peli (L). Coach. Conte.
