The charts of the best players of each position in the Champions League Main Phase have been officially announced.
Two names stand out: Osmany Juantorena from Trentino as best spiker (81 points scored and 61.3%), and Marko Podrascanin as best blocker, 30 blocks in 6 games (22 sets overall for an average of 1.36 per set). The awards will be handed to the players in their next home games (playoffs 12): Juantorena on the 9th of February against Roeselare, and Podrascanin on the 17th of February during the Macerata versus Bled game.
Here are all the best players of the League Round:
Best Scorer: Ivan Miljkovic (Olympiacos Piraeus)
Best Spiker: Osmany Juantorena Portuondo (Trentino BetClic)
Best Blocker: Marko Podrascanin (Lube Banca Marche Macerata)
Best Server: Clayton Stanley (Zenit Kazan)
Best Receiver: Georgios Stefanou (Olympiacos Piraeus)
Serie A1 TIM
Round 22 preview
In the 22nd round of the A1, the big game of the weekend is a classic of Italian volleyball: the 97th meeting between Modena and Treviso Sunday at 6pm. Treviso registered six more victories in history, but Modena won the last encounter this season 3-1. However, Modena is still without Biribanti, injured on a muscle of his right leg. The league leaders will fly south to Taranto, while Cuneo travels to Perugia. Piacenza, which just earned the right to play in the Cev Cup, entertains Forli, which stands just two points from the safety zone and Latina, which faces Monza home.
Round 22
Saturday 23 January at 4pm
Esse-ti Carilo Loreto – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Live on Rai Sport Più
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(Padoan-Satanassi)
Sunday 24 January at 6pm
Marmi Lanza Verona – Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto – Live on Rai Sport Più
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(Bartolini-Cipolla)
Prisma Taranto – Itas Diatec Trentino
(Ippoliti-Cesare)
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
(Sobrero-Boris)
CoprAtlantide Piacenza – Yoga Forlì
(Caltabiano-Gnani)
Andreoli Latina – Acqua Paradiso Monza
(Rapisarda-Santi)
Trenkwalder Modena – Sisley Treviso
(Castagna-Saltalippi)
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – RESTED
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 50, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 45, Sisley Treviso 43, CoprAtlantide Piacenza 42, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 39, Trenkwalder Modena 37, Acqua Paradiso Monza 31, Marmi Lanza Verona 29, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 24, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia, Prisma Taranto 23, Andreoli Latina 19, Yoga Forlì 17, Esse-ti Carilo Loreto 13, Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto 6.
1 Game in hand: Trenkwalder Modena, Acqua Paradiso Monza, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia, Prisma Taranto, Yoga Forlì, Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto
Esse-ti Carilo Loreto – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 9 (5-4 Vibo Valentia)
Davide Marra (Esse-ti Carilo Loreto): “I remember the excellent game played against them earlier this season. Vibo Valentia went through tough times but was galvanised by its home win over Perugia. It will fight for three more points to clinch a spot in the playoffs at the end of the season. We’ll play with determination to bounce back after the Forli loss, we want to show how much we still believe and want to stay up. We’ll fight in every game until the end of the season to stay in the top division”.
Francesco Prestinenzi (Direttore Sportivo Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “It would be wrong to underestimate our opponent on Saturday. We’ll face a well-organised team, with a good dig. We’ll need to be twice as focused as against Perugia. Sunday’s victory did us a lot of good. The players are up for it but they will need to show consistency. It’s important to get some points against Loreto, to secure our place in the A1 last season and start focusing on something else”.
Marmi Lanza Verona – Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 5 (4-1 Verona)
Dore Della Lunga (Marmi Lanza Verona): “It was a good week of work without any particular problem. We were extremely focused on the next round. We are in good form and if we play at our best we know we can take all three points against Pineto. It will be important to keep a high level of concentration, even more than in other games, we haven’t forgotten the first meeting when we fell 2-0 behind because of a poor start. The team found its own identity and this aspect is fundamental for the rest of the championship”.
Mauro Talleri (Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto): “We thought we could have gathered some important points lately but we failed to take them, so we might be lacking confidence but we need to play with pride and play every point without thinking of the league table. We must give our best no matter what the final standings will be”.
Prisma Taranto – Itas Diatec Trentino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 13 (7-6 Taranto)
Rivaldo (Prisma Taranto): “I’m not scared of Trento, we can make it difficult for anyone. We have to play as we did against Treviso for our unbeatable fans. I am confident because we are working hard in the gym and the break allowed us to rest. The chairman has been as close to us as a father, he gave us a lot of confidence”.
Matey Kaziyski (Itas Diatec Trentino): “Objectively, this will be a tough game, not only because we have to bounce back after two consecutive defeats for the first time this season but also because we’ll be facing an electric atmosphere in Taranto, where it is never easy to win. Besides, Taranto rested in the last round, rest is something we don’t know. There are therefore quite a few factors that go against us but when you are a great team, these are the moments to prove it”.
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 15 (10-5 Cuneo)
Cristiano Camardese (RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia): “When you consider how in-form is our opponent and that they beat Trento in the last round, you could say that we have no chance. But more than focusing on our opponent, we want to improve our level of play and our physical condition”.
Francesco Fortunato (Bre Banca Lannutti): “This will be a tricky game, Perugia possesses good players. The team did not gather as many points as it would have deserved to and will therefore want to get on the right track. We are getting ready for an important, and especially difficult week, but we must stay focused on the Perugia game. We won against Trento, and recouped points we had lost on the way. We are fighting to maintain our second position, so it would be a big mistake to relax”.
CoprAtlantide Piacenza – Yoga Forlì
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 6 (5-1 Piacenza)
Giovanni Rossi (CoprAtlantide Piacenza): “Sunday will be the end of a very intense period. We were hoping for the Champions League, but unfortunately we know how it went. Overall, we are in good shape, only Bjelica has physical problems, but he should be fit to play. We’ll face a completely different Forli team compared to the first meeting. They have a few important players back. We’ll have to be focused and leave it out on the floor to get all three points”.
Gilberto Marchi (Team Manager Yoga Forlì): “Difficult, very difficult game, but we have absolutely nothing to lose, we’ll go there without pressure. We’ve always taken points in 2010, another reason to play to the maximum of our possibilities and without fear. Physically, we’re fine, we can have a go at it. Let’s not forget as well that we are fighting to stay up, so we have to go for it”.
Andreoli Latina – Acqua Paradiso Monza
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 1 (Monza)
Andrea Giovi (Andreoli Latina): “We are having a positive run. It will be a tough game against Monza but there is no reason we couldn’t take any points. In such games, we have to show our strength and the togetherness of the group. I’m glad to meet my friend Forni, with whom I won the Mediterranean games this summer”.
Mauro Berruto (Acqua Paradiso Monza): “First of all, I’d sincerely like to congratulate Medei. I’ve known Gian Paolo since the time in Macerata, when he was my assistant and I’m glad he’s doing the most of his first big break. He’s done a solid job, Latina took important points and was revitalised with him, making it an even more threatening team. As far as my team is concerned, we promised each other in the locker room that we’d fight on every court to get points against everyone. We’re facing a real tour de force, we’ll meet Latina, Taranto, Forli and Pineto, teams that will fight for their lives. This will probably the decisive run for us regarding our chances to make it in the playoffs. We have to understand that the key in this second half of championship is right there in those four games. Latina is the first stage and we do know this will be tough to win there”.
Trenkwalder Modena – Sisley Treviso
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 96 (51-45 Treviso)
Mikko Esko (Trenkwalder Modena): “Treviso is very strong but we have to find our best form again. We have to step up and limit our mistakes compared to the game against Monza. We are extremely motivated with the Italian Cup coming up, there will be a big crowd, We know this is a particular and very tough encounter, but we’re up for it and, I repeat, we want to play to the maximum of our abilities”.
Alessandro Fei (Sisley Treviso): “This will be an excellent test ahead of the Italian Cup Final Four in Montecatini Terme next week. We have to give our all against Modena to prepare this first big event, in which there will also be Modena. But let’s make a step at a time: the tradition tells us how big is the game between Treviso and Modena, competitive spirit always to the maximum, Sunday will be no exception. Besides, we have to take revenge on the defeat of the first meeting at home this season. This game might not be that important for the league table, but Modena versus Treviso remains a classic, it is just a few days away from the Cup, it is never a normal game”.
Serie A2 TIM
Round 20
Crema and Castellana Grotte were knocked out of the Cup in the semi finals, while Roma and Bologna booked their place in the final of the 31st of January in Montecatini Terme at 3pm. Bologna will be rested this weekend but Roma has to march on as it faces Ravenna. On Saturday, Cavriago and Massa will be live on Snai Sat. League leaders plays host to Padova. Sunday night’s game is Bassano versus Isernia.
Round 20
Saturday 23 January at 8.30pm
Edilesse Cavriago – Quasar Massa Versilia – Live on SNAI Sat
(Gelati-Contini)
Sunday 24 January at 6pm
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Pallavolo Padova
(Guerra-Frapiccini)
Città di Castello Pallavolo – Nava Gioia del Colle
(Falzoni-Piana)
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – Canadiens Mantova
(Gasparro-Fiore)
Codyeco S. Croce – Samgas Crema
(Guerzoni-Florian)
Marcegaglia Ravenna – M. Roma Volley
(Marchello-Puletti)
Sunday 24 january at 8.30pm
Bassano Volley – Katay Geotec Isernia – Live on SNAI Sat
(Piubelli-Pol)
Zinella Bologna – RESTED
League table
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 44, M. Roma Volley 43, Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora, Zinella Bologna 35, Marcegaglia Ravenna 30, Samgas Crema 29, Codyeco S.Croce 27, Pallavolo Padova 24, Città di Castello Pallavolo 23, Edilesse Cavriago 22, Katay Geotec Isernia 20, Quasar Massa Versilia 19, Bassano Volley 18, Nava Gioia del Colle 16, Canadiens Mantova 14.
1 game in hand: Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora, Marcegaglia Ravenna, Samgas Crema, Canadiens Mantova
