Italian League meeting
The board of directors of the Italian Volleyball League, led by re-elected president Diego Mosna, met today in Bologna.
Gianrio Falivene (Andreoli Latina) has been elected the League vice-president for the Serie A1 and Arveno Joan (Città di Castello) was named vice-president for the A2.
Besides, an accurate analysis of the new business plan was carried out. One its main target will be to promote even more the Serie A volleyball. This is why a media strategy is being studied.
Serie A1
Round 2
The first round offered its fair share of confirmations as well as surprises and now the second round is ahead of us. Only five games will be played as Trentino flew out to Qatar to defend its World Club Championships title. Saturday’s game will be Vibo Valentia versus Modena. The hosts achieved the big upset of day one by taking all three points against Trento, while Modena had a convincing opener against Verona. The Champs of Macerata, who will be without Kovar, injured in the friendly against Perugia, will entertain Castellana Grotte.
Round 2
Saturday October 13 at 5.30pm
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Casa Modena Live on Rai Sport 1
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
(Cesare-Caltabiano)
Sunday October 14 at 5.30pm
Marmi Lanza Verona – Andreoli Latina Live on Rai Sport 1
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
(Sampaolo-Pasquali)
Sunday October 14 at 6pm
Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata – BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte
(Prandi-Boris)
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – CMC Ravenna
(Sobrero-Balboni)
Copra Elior Piacenza – Altotevere San Giustino Live on Sportube.tv
(Bartolini-Braico)
Wednesday November 7 at 8.30pm
Sir Safety Perugia – Itas Diatec Trentino
League table
Copra Elior Piacenza 3, Andreoli Latina 3, Casa Modena 3, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 3, Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata 3, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 3, Itas Diatec Trentino 0, Altotevere San Giustino 0, BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 0, Marmi Lanza Verona 0, Sir Safety Perugia 0, CMC Ravenna 0
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Casa Modena
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 14 (11-3 Modena)
Tine Urnaut (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “Definitely a very difficult one. They have an excellent team, they have proved they could play extremely well, we’re preparing for this game with maximum focus. We know they have very interesting youngsters as well as experienced players. Tactically we’re working extremely hard to be ready, and if we manage to put it all in practice, it will be a great game, but a lot will depend on our level of play”.
Dick Kooy (Casa Modena): “There is a good atmosphere in the group. Sunday’s win will do us good but we know the game against Vibo will be more difficult, Angelo Lorenzetti always maintains a high level of focus and intensity in training. They managed to win in Trento: they played very well and now they are extremely up for it. The setter and outside hitter have been playing together for a year now, that’s one of their main strengths. Coscione is an excellent setter, he plays very fast, I know Klapwijk very well, he was one of the top scorers in the Serie A1 last season. We are young, we must have the courage of our young age, but at the same time we have to use our heads”.
Marmi Lanza Verona – Andreoli Latina
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 16 (11-5 Verona)
Mauro Gavotto (Marmi Lanza Verona): “Latina have strengthened their squad compared to last season with the addition of Rauwerdink, but the crucial thing will be to focus on our volleyball without looking at who’s on the other side of the net. It will be nice to play home in front of our fans. In the first round, we were a bit tense and we did not play our game all out. We did not play good volleyball against Modena, the serve was poor and it should be one of our main strengths”.
Jakub Jarosz (Andreoli Latina): “This will be our second league game, a very important one to keep improving as a team. Verona has extremely experienced players, we have to be careful. We have to give everything from the first to the last play in order to take all three points”.
Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata – BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 5 (4-1 Macerata)
Alberto Giuliani (coach Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “There aren’t any games you can take for granted in the Italian league, all the teams are tactically well-prepared, so we’ll have to be focused when we’ll face Castellana Grotte. They not only have good players but they’ll also be keen to take points following their first round loss against Cuneo. But we have to take the three points”.
Alessandro Paparoni (BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte): “Macerata will always be a special club for me, this is where I grew up, I started to play there and obtained my first trophies. This cannot be a game like any other for me. Fortunately I have already been there as opponent so hopefully I won’t be too emotional, I’ll try to stay calm and enjoy it. Talking more generally, this will be a tough game: Macerata proved in the Super Cup they were in good shape besides the fact that this is one of the best teams of the league. It won’t be easy but I think we’ll have to focus on ourselves and try to make one step ahead after the Cuneo game, in which we had already seen some good volleyball. We’ll just try to improve each Sunday”.
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – CMC Ravenna
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 2 (Cuneo won both)
Tsvetan Sokolov (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “We played fine last weekend in Castellana Grotte. The first league games are always difficult, because you don’t know the opponents that well. We have to think positive, give 100% till the end to get the victory as a result. On Sunday, at home against Ravenna, the game will have to be similar to the one played in Castellana Grotte: We have to keep playing well to get another three points”.
Antonio Babini (coach CMC Ravenna): “We’re coming off an intense week of work, we have tried to correct the mistakes we made against Piacenza. The road trip to Cuneo is obviously one of the toughest ones of the season, it’s not easy to think we can get a result. But first of all, we want to bounce back from the poor debut game and then fight all the way through to the last point”.
Copra Elior Piacenza – Altotevere San Giustino
PRECEDENTI: None
Gabriele Cottarelli (GM Copra Elior Piacenza): “I expect it to be a different kind of game compared to last Sunday against Ravenna, which was struggling without Rooney. In its first encounter, San Giustino proved it was capable, we have to be ready, we have to prepare ourselves mentally and physically to get the best result possible. This will be our home debut and our fans expect a lot from the team”.
Marco Fenoglio (coach Altotevere San Giustino): “San Giustino will take on another team built to play for the top places. We’ll need a top quality performance because they have quite a few stars. The aim is to do as well as against Macerata, and improve on certain aspects which could allow us to make one more step in the right direction. We’ll do everything possible to make it hard for Piacenza and express our full potential”.
Serie A2
Round 2
Monza will be the team rested in this second round.
Tonazzo Padova – Elettrosud Brolo. Both teams have been defeated at the tie-break despite being ahead for most of their encounters against Ortona and Monza in round 1.
Caffè Aiello Corigliano – Sieco Service Ortona. Without Giombini, Corigliano still managed to win showing great character in Loreto. Jeliazkov’s team is now playing home against Ortona, beaten 3-2 in spite of an early 2-0 lead.
Gherardi SVI Città di Castello – Coserplast Matera. Home debut for Città di Castello, which was rested in the first round. Matera was severely defeated 3-0 by Molfetta.
B-Chem Golden Plast Potenza Picena – Sidigas Atripalda. First Serie A game in Potenza’s PalaPrincipi’s arena. Beaten against Sora a week ago, They will take on Atripalda, 3-1 winners of Reggio Emilia.
Pallavolo Molfetta – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora. Golden start to the season for both clubs: Molfetta and Sora respectively had the better of newly promoted sides Matera and Potenza Picena. Molfetta won both match-ups last season.
Conad Reggio Emilia – Pallavolo Loreto. Ninth game between the two teams: 5 wins to 3 for Loreto so far. Reggio and Loreto were beaten in the first round respectively against Corigliano and Atripalda.
Round 2
Sunday October 14 at 6pm
Tonazzo Padova – Elettrosud Brolo
(Prati-Cerquoni)
Caffè Aiello Corigliano – Sieco Service Ortona
(Perri-Bertoletti)
Gherardi SVI Città di Castello – Coserplast Matera
(Bartoloni-Montanari)
B-Chem Golden Plast Potenza Picena – Sidigas Atripalda
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