Quarter-finals return legs:
DHL Modena-Gi Group Monza 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21)
Sir Safety Conad Perugia-Calzedonia Verona 3-1 (25-15, 25-20, 19-25, 25-10)
Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova-Ninfa Latina 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-19)
Diatec Trentino-Exprivia Molfetta 2-3 (25-15, 27-29, 27-29, 25-21, 13-15)
DHL MODENA – GI GROUP MONZA 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 25-21) – DHL MODENA: Mossa De Rezende 4, Petric 7, Casadei, Rossini (L), Ngapeth, Nikic 14, Piano 16, Saatkamp 14, Vettori 20. DNP Donadio, Soli, Sartoretti, Bossi, Sighinolfi. Coach. Lorenzetti.
GI GROUP MONZA: Sala, Galliani 3, Mercorio, Jovovic 8, Rizzo (L), Botto 13, Verhees 10, Beretta 6, Zanatta Buiatti 19, Rousseaux 5. DNP Copelli, Daldello, Brunetti, Gao. Coach. Vacondio.
Modena won the second leg too against Monza and qualified for the Final Four, in which it will take on Perugia.
Angelo Lorenzetti (Coach DHL Modena): “That was a difficult game, extremely difficult. Monza played some excellent volleyball. The boys did a good job of staying focused, even after losing a set in which Monza was really good. Congratulations to the team, but we’re back full speed from tomorrow with Verona to play in the league on Sunday”.
Oreste Vacondio (Coach Gi Group Monza): “We lost against a great team. I am satisfied with my players who proved they could give a game to anyone”.
CUCINE LUBE BANCA MARCHE CIVITANOVA – NINFA LATINA 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-19) – CUCINE LUBE BANCA MARCHE CIVITANOVA: Fei 4, Parodi 4, Juantorena 5, Vitelli 3, Christenson 6, Cester 7, Grebennikov (L), Miljkovic 8, Corvetta 1, Cebulj 11, Podrascanin 5. DNP Gabriele, Stankovic. Coach. Blengini.
NINFA LATINA: Krumins, Mattei 5, Sottile, Sket 7, Ferenciac, Romiti (L), Tailli, Hirsch 10, Yosifov 7, Rossi 2, Maruotti 9. Coach. Placì.
Civitanova started 2016 where it had left off the previous year: they beat Latina on a 3-0 score and obtained their pass into Assago’s final four, where Blengini’s men will play against Trento. The first two sets were enough to qualify given the 3-0 of the first leg but then the substitutes finished it off. MVP Christenson
Gianlorenzo Blengini (Coach Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova): “I am extremely satisfied with my players. The attitude and spirit was perfect after almost one month without a game and just three training sessions all together before the game”.
Camillo Placì (Coach Ninfa Latina): “Congratulations to Civitanova who played brilliantly both encounters of the tie, they showed all their qualities. Now we have to focus on the league, our goal is to make it into the top 8 to take part in the playoffs”.
SIR SAFETY CONAD PERUGIA – CALZEDONIA VERONA 3-1 (25-15, 25-20, 19-25, 25-10) – SIR SAFETY CONAD PERUGIA: Buti 6, Fromm, De Cecco 4, Kaliberda 10, Giovi (L), Russell 16, Tzioumakas, Atanasijevic 21, Fanuli (L), Birarelli 10. DNP Holt, Dimitrov, Elia. Coach. Kovac.
CALZEDONIA VERONA: Zingel 6, Kovacevic 1, Pesaresi (L), Gitto, Lecat 12, Spirito, Baranowicz 1, Starovic 12, Bellei, Sander 15, Anzani 6, Bucko. DNP Frigo. Coach. Giani.
Led by coach Boban Kovac, Perugia knocked out Verona thanks to a 3-1 victory (3-2 for Perugia the first leg). This is the third time is as many years that Perugia brushes aside the challenge of Verona. The hosts had a convincing performance with spells of brilliant play, 7 aces and an excellent block-dig department. Atanasijevic scored 21 and Russell 16, while Kaliberda was everywhere on court. Verona was led by Sander and Starovic but the attack has not always worked as hoped (39% as a team). MVP: Russell
Denys Kaliberda (Sir Safety Conad Perugia): “We got off to a strong start and played an excellent game. We were worried after the third set lost but we got back on our feet as a team and did very well. De Cecco played very well and distributed the game to perfection to our spikers. As for me, I still have to get back to hundred percent after the tournament in Berlin. I was running out of gas at the end. I could have done better, but what matters is the team performance. We still have some things to improve as a team but we’re on the right track”.
Andrea Giani (Coach Calzedonia Verona): “The loser explains, the winner celebrates. We should not make excuses. We can’t just use the fact some players were not hundred percent, like Starovic with back pain, as an alibi. Those games have to be played with a certain spirit and we never had that fighting spirit. We have a well-organised team in the block-dig department but today we were poor even in that area. We did next to nothing in dig, our attack was horrible. In the first set, we had 16 counters, we scored 2. We got back in it in the third and we needed to keep pushing in the fourth, but we didn’t. We did not have the attitude needed to win a game like that. Credit to Perugia who played a great game, and we certainly made things easier for them. When we put them under pressure, they struggled, but that was just a short spell of the game. We had much bigger expectations, we’re disappointed we threw away months of hard work. Tonight Perugia is the one who deservedly celebrates its qualification into the Final Four”.
DIATEC TRENTINO – EXPRIVIA MOLFETTA 2-3 (25-15, 27-29, 27-29, 25-21, 13-15) – DIATEC TRENTINO: Antonov, Bratoev, De Angelis, Giannelli 6, Lanza 16, Solé 6, Djuric 24, Colaci (L), Van De Voorde 4, Urnaut 12, Mazzone 8. DNP Nelli, Mazzone. Coach. Simoni.
EXPRIVIA MOLFETTA: Kaczynski 1, Candellaro 11, Randazzo 14, Del Vecchio 2, De Barros Ferreira, Barone 4, De Pandis (L), Hierrezuelo 10, Fedrizzi 9, Hernandez Ramos 25. DNP Spadavecchia, Mariella, Porcelli. Coach. Montagnani.
Trento had to suffer until the fourth set to complete its mission and qualify in the final four. The defeat at the tie-break means they were beaten for the first time at home this season but they still made it through to their seventh consecutive final four. Maximum composure and patience was needed to earn the two sets needed and make it to the semis. Stoytchev’s men had dominated the first set, but that was deceiving because the visitors turned it into a real battle and won the next two sets on a 29-27 score. That had the hosts shaking but in the most difficult moment, Djuric stepped up and did the job. In the fifth set, Molfetta was out but still obtained a prestigious result. MVP Hernandez
Filippo Lanza (Diatec Trentino): “We knew it was going to be a difficult game. Molfetta fought hard on every rally and we did just that too. We did well to take the two sets we needed to qualify. Things had become very complicated at one point. With an excellent serve and some great dig, Molfetta really made it hard for us. Next is Civitanova another top level team”.
Michele Fedrizzi (Exprivia Molfetta): “The disappointment to have come so close to the breakthrough is definitely bigger than the joy to be the first team this season to win in the PalaTrento arena. Trento has really been aggressive in the first set and we did a great job of not giving up and go so close to the upset. Coming back here was a great feeling for me, I was very tense before going on court”.
Del Monte® Volley Land 2016
Mediolanum Forum – Assago (MI)
Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February
Opening time: 9am
Del Monte® Italian Cup SuperLega – Final Four
Saturday 6 February at 3am
1st semi-final
Modena – Perugia
Saturday 6 February at 5.30pm
2nd semi-final
Civitanova – Trentoù
Saturday 6 February at 8.30pm (Women Serie A)
Club Italia – Metalleghe Sanitars Montichiari
Sunday 7 February at 2pm
Final Del Monte® Italian Cup Serie A2
Sunday 7 February at 5.30pm
Final Del Monte® Italian Cup SuperLega
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