Regulations changes
In a meeting in Bologna, amongst financial issues and other, the reduction of teams going down from the A2 to the B1 has been confirmed for the 2012-13 season. A final decision will be taken by the end of February.
Serie A1 Sustenium
Round 19
Round 19 will kick off on Saturday with Roma versus San Giustino. Giani’s team will try to bounce back following the tie-break defeat in Belluno, while they could make it three home wins in a row after the ones obtained against Cuneo and Vibo Valentia. As for the team coached by Henk Jan Held, they’ll want to get away from the relegation zone. The rest of the games will be on Sunday with an exciting Trentino versus Modena.
Round 19 Serie A1 Sustenium
Saturday February 11 at 5.30pm
M. Roma Volley – Energy Resources San Giustino Live on RAI Sport 1
(Gnani-Caltabiano)
Sunday February 12 at 5.30pm
Itas Diatec Trentino – Casa Modena Live on RAI Sport 1
(Pol-Ippoliti)
Sunday February 12 at 6pm
CMC Ravenna – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
(Castagna-Prandi)
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
(Puecher-Saltalippi)
Fidia Padova – Sisley Belluno Live on Sportube.tv
(Piersanti-Boris)
Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza – Marmi Lanza Verona
(Satanassi-Tanasi)
Copra Elior Piacenza – Andreoli Latina
(Pasquali-Zucca)
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 47, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 39, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 39, Casa Modena 35, Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza 31, Sisley Belluno 29, Marmi Lanza Verona 25, M. Roma Volley 24, Andreoli Latina 23, Copra Elior Piacenza 23, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 20, Fidia Padova 18, Energy Resources San Giustino 16, CMC Ravenna 9
M. Roma Volley – Energy Resources San Giustino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 7 (6-1 Roma)
Martin Lebl (M. Roma Volley): “These ups and downs in our results are a bit annoying because we have a lot of quality and we can play at a good level. Take the game against Belluno for example. We got off to a bad start, behind 2-0, and then we even managed to force a tie-break. We have to fight more in the future because we have a top quality team. This game against San Giustino could be crucial. Taking three points is fundamental, this would give us hope to move up the table and therefore have a chance to face the playoffs in a better situation. It would be a big mistake to take things for granted against San Giustino, though. We’ll have to be aggressive and not get surprised. San Giustino has recently changed coach, they’ll want to turn things around and get out of a tricky situation. It will be up to us to stop them”.
Andrea Sartoretti (Sport director Energy Resources San Giustino): “Held is setting the basis of his work. Hopefully, the team will be ready according to his ideas as soon as possible. On Saturday we’ll be facing an in-form team away from home. We know it won’t be easy”.
Itas Diatec Trentino – Casa Modena
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 39 (24-15 Trento)
Osmany Juantorena (Itas Diatec Trentino): “It’s always special against Modena. When those two teams meet, there’s always spectacular games. I’m sure this will be the case again on Sunday, our opponent are capable of great performances and we know we’ll have to work hard to get a victory”.
Daniele Bagnoli (coach Casa Modena): “We’re entering the most difficult but also the most exciting phase of the season. Let’s make one step at a time and focus today on Trento. Then there will be the Italian Cup. We’re up against the best away from home, there cannot be any better test to see where we stand. Today, we are behind the three top teams and with the others right behind us (Monza and Belluno), and we have a tough fixture list coming. We want to feel closer to the top teams, but we have to show we’re worth it on court, we obviously need to play at our best, we need to step up and be consistent. We’ll try everything to win in Trento, I am curious to see how my team will do against the Trento players, who put you under tremendous pressure at all time. Last year’s semi-final? A very nice moment although it did not end happily for us, but this chapter is closed. We’re now a different team, this is a different story. We have to prove what we’re worth”.
CMC Ravenna – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 1 (Cuneo)
Antonio Babini (coach CMC Ravenna): “It’s obvious that, when you look at the league table and the players of both teams, you understand that Cuneo is clear favourite. But I’m sure my team will do everything possible to make it difficult for them, they have to fight for the win”.
Wout Wijsmans (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “Sunday’s game will be a tricky one, we’ll need to move forward and focus on the targets we have left this season. We can’t afford to put our heads down after the Champions League knock-out. Besides, we came out at the Golden Set, anything can happen in those cases. The season is not over at all. There’s still a lot to play for, and many games ahead. We’ll fight to win the league. We’re starting this Sunday against Ravenna, which we should absolutely not underestimate”.
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 18 (13-5 Macerata)
Igor Omrcen (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “We are extremely up for it following our breakthrough in the Champions League in Cuneo. Now the target is to get back on our feet in the league too. We have to be very careful against Vibo, they beat us in the first half of season and they’ll come here with a desperate need for points to end their negative run. All this means we’ll have to play with maximum determination”.
Gianlorenzo Blengini (coach Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “This game should be an opportunity for us to get back to playing with belief in our ability, no matter what the end result will be as it will depend on Macerata’s level of play. We have to play with a good attitude and maintain it when we’ll go through difficult moments. This is something fundamental which can be done thanks to excellent work in the gym during the week and tenacity during the game. We have to fight, react, and try to overcome the difficulties to try and win the game”.
Fidia Padova – Sisley Belluno
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 62 (49-13 Belluno)
Simone Roscini (ass coach Fidia Padova): “This will be a battle, Belluno is coming off six wins in the last eight games, they have improved a lot compared to the beginning of season. We’ll have to play with heart, this is a team we can beat. We’ll have to keep their setter under control, he is the one that helped them step up in my opinion”.
Roberto Piazza (coach Sisley Belluno): “We’re in good shape right now, but I’m not totally satisfied yet. We have to get rid of our lapses which can cost us dear, we need to seal the games when we have the chance to. We can do even better with more consistency, it would be nice to find that consistency as we enter the most important phase of the season. But I am confident, the boys are training well with focus. This game will be a hard-fought one, it was not easy against them earlier this season, they’ll be dangerous at home. We should not be fouled by their result against Modena, they stayed in the game much more than what the score says. We need a top performance to extend our positive streak, maximum concentration in this derby and no distractions. We’ll start thinking of the Italian Cup only from Monday”.
Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza – Marmi Lanza Verona
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 15 (11-4 Monza)
Emanuele Zanini (coach Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza): “Verona is a very dangerous team. They took 11 points in the second half of season, one more than us. They have great potential, experienced players, one above them Meoni, an example of professionalism and evolution. A player that learned the jump serve at 37 years old, never done in many years, not even when he used to play in the best Italian teams or with the national team. He’s really an example for everyone. An important player for this team but they have other quality elements like Marcus Popp, Robert Kromm, Mitja Gasparini, all top class foreign players. We’ll need to play at a high level if we want to win. We’ll need focus and consistency”.
Matteo De Cecco (ass coach Marmi Lanza Verona): “This is an important game for us, three more points would secure our stay in the division for the coming season. Monza is a tricky team to play, they have good players, they can even do the turnover. We’ll try to make it difficult for them and keep playing like we’ve done of late. We are more confident compared to the first time we met. We have built around the quality of our spikers: they have consolidated their form as the season wore on and now we are more aware of our potential, we know we can play face to face with them”.
Copra Elior Piacenza – Andreoli Latina
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 21 (12-9 Piacenza)
Samuele Papi (Copra Elior Piacenza): “Sunday’s game against Latina will definitely be a difficult one. They can play good volleyball, they have potential. As for us, we’ll need the intensity with which we played in the recent games. I am confident, we are up for it and hopefully we’ll get a positive result”.
Carmelo Gitto (Andreoli Latina): “We’re going to Piacenza aware of what we can do after two consecutive victories. We know Piacenza deserves to be higher in the table than where they currently stand. They have great potential, and it’s showing now, we can expect anything from them. Our priorities should be to contain Nikolov and the blocking ability of Tencati. They have other stars like Papi and Zlatanov, the latter has been Piacenza’s main offensive weapon for years. We’re motivated and willing to get back home with important points”.
Serie A2 Sustenium
Round 23: Sora vs Reggio Emilia postponed
Energy Resources Carilo Loreto – Crazy Diamond Segrate. Third match up between Loreto and Segrate. Beaten in league and cup, Loreto will try to get one on Segrate, which slipped to fifth place after two severe 3-0 losses.
Gherardi SVI Città di Castello – Caffè Aiello Corigliano. Città di Castello stopped the bleeding in Segrate last week and now faces Corigliano, which is on a five-game losing streak.
Cassa Rurale Cantù – Cicchetti Isernia. Bottom of the league Cantù has to try to cut a 5-point deficit on Reggio Emilia, last from bottom, to keep hopes of getting into the playouts. Isernia recently got away from the danger zone.
Pallavolo Molfetta – BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte. Southern derby between two teams that will be in the A2 Cup Final Four. It is also third against second between two teams dreaming to go up.
Sir Safety Perugia – NGM Mobile Santa Croce. Leaders Perugia faces a tricky task against Santa Croce, a team with fighting spirit that forced 6 tie-breaks in the past seven games. Important for Perugia to stay ahead of Castellana before next Sunday’s big game.
Carige Genova – Sidigas Atripalda. Following its tie-break loss in Loreto, Genova plays host to Atripalda, which will be without Nemeth, out with a long-term injury.
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia. Postponed. The gym has been declared not apt to host the game given the situation there is there.
CheBanca! Milano – Club Italia Roma. Milan was stopped by the leaders after 12 consecutive games with points. Moretti’s team will take on Club Italia, winners of their last two games.
Serie A2 Sustenium round 23
Sunday February 12 at 4pm
Energy Resources Carilo Loreto – Crazy Diamond Segrate Live on Sportitalia 2
(Oranelli-Pignataro)
SundayFebruary 12 at 6pm
Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello – Caffè Aiello Corigliano
(Bertoletti-Turtù)
Cassa Rurale Cantù – Cicchetti Isernia
(Piluso-Bertolini)
Pallavolo Molfetta – BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte
(Gini-Longo)
Sir Safety Perugia – NGM Mobile S.Croce
(Marchello-Canessa)
Carige Genova – Sidigas Atripalda
(Zanussi-Pozzato)
CheBanca! Milano – Club Italia Roma
(Falivene-Parlato)
Postponed
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia
League table
Sir Safety Perugia 52, BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 51, Pallavolo Molfetta 43, Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello 42, Crazy Diamond Segrate 42, CheBanca! Milano 39, Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora 37, Carige Genova 36, Energy Resources Carilo Loreto 35, NGM Mobile S.Croce 33, Caffè Aiello Corigliano 28, Club Italia Roma 25, Cicchetti Isernia 24, Sidigas Atripalda 16, Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia 15, Cassa Rurale Cantù 10
