Molfetta’s number 18 Fernando Hernandez Ramos won the MVP award for the month of December. The Cuban outside hitter averaged 22 spikes and 28 points per game in three rounds. Hernandez will receive his prize on Sunday 31 January before the match between Molfetta and Milan.
2016 DenizBank Champions League
The Champions League playoffs 12 was carried out in Luxembourg. The Polish side of Asseco Resovia Rzeszow will move on directly to the Final Four as quality of organisers designated by the CEV. The final stage will therefore take place in Cracovia and the Tauron Arena on April 16 and 17.
Only twice before had all the Italians finished top of their respective group. Trentino has been drawn with the Belgium side of Asse-Lennik with the return game in Italy. This is the third time in six that Trento is drawn with a Belgium team at this stage.
Top of Group E, Civitanova will take on the Turkish team of Arkas Izmir. The two teams have already met in a European Cup final, it was the Challenge Cup 2011, won by the Italians.
Finally, the winner of Group F, Modena, will also make a trip to Turkey in the first leg as it was drawn with Halkbank Ankara. Modena had not been in the top European competition for 13 years, this will be their first taste of the Playoffs 12.
If they were to qualify, Modena and Civitanova would face each other in the Playoffs 6, while Trento would meet the winner of Tours (France) versus Belgorod (Russia).
The Champions League on TV
All the Champions League games are on www.laola1.tv
PlayOffs 12 draw
Tours Vb (FRA) – Belogorie Belgorod (RUS)
Arkas Izmir (TUR) – Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova (ITA)
Skra Belchatow (POL) – Ziraat Bankasi Ankara (TUR)
Volley Asse-Lennik (BEL) – Trentino Diatec (ITA)
Lots Trefl Gdansk (POL) – Zenit Kazan (RUS)
Halkbank Ankara (TUR) – DHL Modena (ITA)
Fixtures
CEV Champions League
PlayOffs12 first leg
February 16-18
PlayOffs12 return leg
March 1-3
2016 CEV Cup
Thanks to its double over the Germans of Duren (3-1 in the return leg), Perugia qualified for the CEV Cup challenge round, in which it was drawn with the Russians of Dinamo Moscow, which came down from the Champions League. Indeed, the four teams that qualified from the CEV cup quarter-finals meet four clubs that did not advance in the Champions League (the seventh second, and the three best third classified). Moscow was he worst second and now most probably the best team of this CEV Cup draw. The return game will be in Russia. The one to go through will take on the winner of Lugano (Switzerland) versus Surgut (Russia) in the semi-finals.
2016 CEV Cup
Quarter-final return leg
Sir Safety-Sicoma Perugia (ITA) – SWD Powervolleys Düren (GER) 3-1 (25-15, 25-14, 22-25, 25-17)
Challenge Round draw
Sir Safety-Sicoma Perugia (ITA) – Dinamo Mosca (RUS)
Cai Teruel (ESP) – Knack Roeselare (BEL)
VaLePa Sastamala (FIN) – Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER)
#Dragons Lugano (SUI) – Gazprom-Ugra Surgut (RUS)
Fixtures
CEV Cup
Challenge Round first leg
February 16-18
Challenge Round return leg
March 1-3
