On sunday 5th march at 15.00 live on RAI Sport + HD, before the game Cucine Lube Civitanova – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia, spiker Osmany Juantorena will be awarded, by Owner of Cucine Lube Civitanova Fabio Giulianelli, prestigious trophy “Trofeo Gazzetta 2017”, trophy for the best player of Regular Season.

 

UnipolSai Superleague playoffs are upcoming, looking for the brand new Italian Champ. Tomorrow the first games of Quarterfinals, 3 games series, two live matches on Lega Volley Channel: Azimut Modena – Calzedonia Verona and Sir Safety Conad Perugia – LPR Piacenza. Sunday 5th march we’ll have live on RAI Sport + HD at 15.00 Cucine Lube Civitanova – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia, and live streaming on LVC of Diatec Trentino-Gi Group Monza.

Azimut Modena defeated 3-1 Lpr Piacenza in last regular season game, and lost at tie break in last Champions League game last wednesday versus Ljubljana, and on tomorrow will host Calzedonia Verona in Quarterfinals Game 1 at PalaPanini. 26 games in total between these two teams, 21 wins for Modena, but last meeting between Modena and Verona was fatal to Roberto Piazza, former Modena’s coach, fired after 5th february loss versus Calzedonia in Verona, a bad loss for Modena. Uros Kovacevic and Michele Baranowicz are former players of Modena, now with Verona. Calzedonia Verona finished in fifth place in regular season, loing last game on the road at PalaEvangelisti versus Sir Safety Conad Perugia. The target of Nikola Grbic’s team is to reach semifinals, historical goal of Calzedonia. Maxwell Philip Holt is a former player of Verona, now with Modena’s jersey. The entire city is dreaming the semifinals, will be difficult versus the defending champs, but Calzedonia is a team in good shape.

Sir Safety Conad Perugia saw Matteo Paris arrive from Greece in place of injured setter Mitic, now ready to face Lpr Piacenza, looking for a payback time, after the bloody Del Monte Italia Cup Quarterfinals, where Piacenza came back from 0-2 winning 15-13 the tie break and clinching the access to Italian Cup Final Four. In regular season Perugia won two times versus Piacenza, two 3-1 which gave to Lorenzo Bernardi’s team, together with the placing in standings, the status of favourite of this series.. In this week Sir Safety clinched the Final Four of Champions League in Roma next 29th and 30th april at PalaLottomatica, as hosting team, advanced anyway to PlayOffs 12, after the home win in last game versus Boban Kovac’s Halkbank Ankara. LPR Piacenza in in front 10 to 9 in the total of matches versus Perugia. In the playoffs Piacenza is still in front in the count of the matches, more wins in quarterfinals. Piacenza lost versus Trento on the home turf in last game in Cev Cup Quarterfinals, and will try to go ahead in the playoff bracket. If Piacenza will lose this series, will be the last playoff series for great champions as Hristo Zlatanov and Samuele Papi.

Cucine Lube Civitanova is the real favourite for the final win in the tournament. Clearly atop the Unipolsai Superleague standings, qualified to the Champions Leauge PlayOffs 12 eith the first place in the Pool after the great home win versus Berlin Recycling Volleys at Eurosuole Forum last wednesday, Lube will face in Quarterfinals Game 1 on sunday at 15 on the home turf Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia, who stunned Bunge Ravenna at Pala De Andrè last sunday clinching the last playoff spot in eighth place. Former players of Vibo now with Civitanova are Antonio Corvetta and Denys Kaliberda. In 26 games between Tonno Callipo and Lube, only 6 winsfor Vibo, and the trend of the seasons is more or less the same, will be difficult for Waldo Kantor’s team to shock the world eliminating Lube. But as we all know, never say never, Vibo is a great team who can fight until the end.

Diatec Trentino is coming from a good moment, after winning in Cev Cup quarterfinals on road versus Lpr Piacenza and above all after winning 3-0 on Gi Group Monza in Brianza in Unipolsai Superleague regular season last game. In all the previous games versus Monza, Trento always won, also this made Diatec Trentino the favourite of this series. Former Trento’s hammer Leandro Vissotto (with Trento from 2008 until 2011) will try to drive Gi Group Monza to a unpredictable upset, despite the past games between these two teams. Reaching the playoffs for the first time in team’s history, is anyway a great goal for Gi Group Monza, and now, playing without pressure on shoulders, could be a great chance to overcome the prediction.

 

PlayOffs, Quarterfinals Game 1

Saturday 4th march 2017, – 20.30

Azimut Modena – Calzedonia Verona live on Lega Volley Channel

(Rapisarda-Satanassi)

Video Check: Selmi

Sir Safety Conad Perugia – LPR Piacenza live on Lega Volley Channel

(La Micela-Puecher)

Video Check: Mannarino

Sunday 5th march 2017, – 15.00

Cucine Lube Civitanova – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia live on RAI Sport + HD

streaming on www.raisport.rai.it

(Gnani-Simbari)

Video Check: Monini

 

Sunday 5th march 2017, – 18.00

Diatec Trentino – Gi Group Monza live on Lega Volley Channel

(Saltalippi F.-Santi)

Video Check: Miggiano

PlayOffs, Quarterfinals Game 2

Wednesday 8 march 2017, ore 20.30

Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia – Cucine Lube Civitanova live on Lega Volley Channel

Gi Group Monza – Diatec Trentino live on Lega Volley Channel

LPR Piacenza – Sir Safety Conad Perugia live on Lega Volley Channel

Giovedì 9 marzo 2017, ore 20.30

Calzedonia Verona – Azimut Modena live on RAI Sport + HD

streaming on www.raisport.rai.it

PlayOffs, Quarterfinals Game 3

Sunday 12th march 2017, – 18.00 Cucine Lube Civitanova – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia

Azimut Modena –Calzedonia Verona

Diatec Trentino – Gi Group Monza

Sir Safety Conad Perugia – LPR Piacenza

One match Live on RAI Sport + HD, the others live on Lega Volley Channel

Sir Safety Conad Perugia –LPR Piacenza

Previous Matches: 19 (9 Perugia, 10 Piacenza)

Championship: 3 – 2 Perugia (1-3 and 3-1), Del Monte® Italian Cup Quarterfinals (1 Piacenza 2-3).

Play Off: 7 -5 Semifinals (3 Perugia, 2 Piacenza), 2 Quarterfinals (2 Piacenza).

Former Players: Luciano De Cecco Piacenza 2012-2014, Aimone Alletti Perugia 2012-2013, Georgios Tzioumakas Perugia 2014-2016.

RECORDS

Championship: Emanuele Birarelli – 2 blocks to 700, Simone Buti – 3 points to 2000 and – 2 aces to 100, Aaron Russell – 3 attacks 500 (Sir Safety Conad Perugia); Fernando Hernandez – 16 attacks to 500, Viktor Yosifov -2 aces to 100 (LPR Piacenza).

Championship and Italian Cup: Dore Della Lunga – 4 blocks to 100 (Sir Safety Conad Perugia).

Emanuele Birarelli (Sir Safety Conad Perugia): “Piacenza is a great team, who can win versus every team, because of their great hammers. We know it, we were their victims in Italian Cup quarterfinals. We have to learn from our mistakes, and this is the right chance to improve and step up. We arrived here in good shape, we are ready”.

Raydel Hierrezuelo (LPR Piacenza): “Will be a fundamental game for us, it’s a road game, we want to play well on that turf, in front of those great fans. If we win on road we will have a good advantage for Game 2 at PalaBanca. Perugia, as Civitanova, is one of the powerhouses of the tournament, and showed it all season long. they are great in all the fundamentals, we will have to contain our mistakes and play as we know”.

Azimut Modena – Calzedonia Verona

Previous Matches: 26 (21 Modena, 5 Verona)

Championship: 2 – 1 win apiece (3-0 Modena and 3-0 Verona).

Former Players: Maxwell Philip Holt Verona 2009-2010, Michele Baranowicz Modena 2012-2013, Uros Kovacevic Modena 2012-2015 (16/12/12).

RECORDS

Championship and Italian Cup: Luca Vettori – 2 blocks to 200 (Azimut Modena).

Lorenzo Tubertini (Azimut Modena): “After alot of high and lows in Regular Season, we are preparing in the best way for the playoffs. Will be a bunch of heartbeat games, and we need to improve on some aspects of our game. With the right approach, we need to start a new championship. The mind aspects in sport are fundamental. We had some high and lows in this final part of the season, but we always had a good level of play. Verona is a tough opponent, they are made to reach the top level of the playoffs,they are trying to reach the semifinals, after two seasons they’re out in the quarterfinals. I hope will be a beautiful game”.

Nikola Grbic (allenatore Calzedonia Verona): “Now we’re approaching the crucial part of the season, we have to look forward and forget what happened in the past. We are fifth in regular season so we will need to win a road game. We expected a sold out arena on tomorrow at PalaPanini, they are great in front of the home fans. Will be an intense and difficult game”.

Cucine Lube Civitanova – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia

Previous Matches: 26 (20 Civitanova, 6 Vibo Valentia)

Championship: 3 – 2 times in regular season, 2 wins Civitanova (0-3 3-1) and 1 time in nei Del Monte Italian Cup Quarterfinals (Civitanova 3-0).

Play Off: 3 in Quarterfinals (3 Civitanova).

Former Players: Antonio Corvetta Vibo Valentia 2009-2010, Denys Kaliberda Vibo Valentia 2012-2013, Enrico Diamantini Civitanova 2010-2012 (Youth League) and 2012-2013 (16/11/12).

RECORDS

Championship: Davide Candellaro – 1 game to 200, Enrico Cester – 6 points to 1500, Osmany Juantorena – 5 attacks to 2000 (Cucine Lube Civitanova).

Championship and Italian Cup: Enrico Cester – 2 attacks to 1000, Jiri Kovar – 3 attacks to 100, Dragan Stankovic – 2 blocks to 400 (Cucine Lube Civitanova); Peter Michalovic – 2 attacks to 1500 (Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia).

Play Off: Dragan Stankovic – 3 blocks to 100 (Cucine Lube Civitanova).

Gianlorenzo Blengini (Cucine Lube Civitanova): “We have to reset everything, now our target is Quarterfinal Game 1 versus Vibo Valentia. We’ll face an opponent who strongly wanted this playoff spot, reaching their target. We’ll play without pressure, will be a tough game, we have to face it with the right mentality”.

Manuel Coscione (Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia): “finally we are in the most exciting part of the season, this is a great goal for us and for the front office. We know we will face the strongest team of the tournament, we have to be calm and playing without pressure because they are the favourites. We need to have fun playing at our best”.

Diatec Trentino – Gi Group Monza

Previous Matches: 7 (7 Trento)

Championship: 3 – 2 Regular Season, 2 wins Trento (3-2 0-3) , 1 in Italian Cup quarterfinals (Trento 3-0).

Former Players: Alessandro Blasi Monza 2011-2012, Leandro Vissotto Trento 2008-2010.

RECORDS

Championship: Daniele Mazzone – 4 aces to 100, Filippo Lanza – 3 blocks to 100 (Diatec Trentino); Pieter Verhees – 15 points to 1000, Leandro Vissotto – 5 blocks to 200 (Gi Group Monza).

Championship and Italian Cup: Sebastian Solé – 1 block to 300 (Diatec Trentino); Simon Hirsch – 1 blocks to 100 (Gi Group Monza).

Filippo Lanza (Diatec Trentino): “Will be important for us to start with the right step, with a win. We have to continue our trend at PalaTrento, where we are undefeated. Will not be easy to play our type of volleyball versus Monza, but we are in a good moment of shape, we are coming from the good win in Piacenza, we are confident”.

Leandro Vissotto (Gi Group Monza): “Will be a tough game versus Trento, but not impossible. they are a good and very experienced team, but have no pressure upon our shoulders. We reached our Season’s goal, and we are happy. This doeasn’t mean that we will not try to win, we are the ones that earned one point in Trento in all the season, we have to play our volleyball, be careful in practice, arriving ready on sunday”.

Serie A2 UnipolSai

Pool Promozione

Conad Reggio Emilia is third to last in Pool Promozione’s standings. In last game, Pupo Dall’Olio’s team lost at tie break in Aversa, suffering the comeback from Sigma who won the game leaving only one point to Conad. This week at PalaBigi will be the turn of powerhouse Emma Villas Siena, who won 2 of three games versus Reggio Emilia in Serie A games. Paolo Tofoli’s team is in second place in the standings, coming from the win versus Monini Spoleto and the loss in Bergamo versus Caloni Agnelli last wednesday. Paduro Diaz is a former player of Reggio Emilia.

VBC Mondovì is in sixth place with 19 points, tied with Tuscania. They will face on the home turf Kemas Lamipel Santa Croce, a team from Tuscany who will face former players Paoletti and Parusso. After a false start in Pool Promozione, Lupi had a couple of great games, like last tie break win versus Civita Castellana.

Ceramica Globo Civita Castellana needs points to step up after the tie break loss at PalaParenti versus Santa Croce, to move from 17 points in the standings. Sigma Aversa is in last place of the Pool Promozione standings with 10 points, but with confidence and enthusiasm after last win, the first in Pool Promozione after four losses.

Caloni Agnelli Bergamo is in fourth place with 22 points, able to react after the loss versus BCC Castellana Grotte, with a convincing home win at PalaNorda versus Emma Villas Siena. Bergamo, running with a great hammer Hoogendoorn terrific in attack, will try to keep the rhythm of win versus Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania, in a real playoffs contenders game. Tuscania won at tie break versus VBC Mondovì. For Maury’s, there is Shavrak who will need 11 points to reach 1000 in Regular Season.

Monini Spoleto, after the loss at PalaEstra versus Emma Villas Siena, now is 4 ponts behind the top of the standings, but now they will have the chance to gain some points by facing leaders BCC Castellana Grotte, already defeated in first game of Pool Promozione. BCC is coming from a convincing home win versus Bergamo.

 

4th round UnipolSai Serie A2 Pool Promozione

Wednesday 1st march 2017, -20.30

Caloni Agnelli Bergamo – Emma Villas Siena live on Lega Volley Channel

(Pecoraro-Pozzi)

Video Check: Conti

5th round Unipolsai Serie A2 Pool Promozione

Saturday 4th march 2017, -20.30

Conad Reggio Emilia – Emma Villas Siena live on Lega Volley Channel

(Luciani-Cappelletti)

Video Check: Libardi

VBC Mondovì – Kemas Lamipel S. Croce live on Lega Volley Channel

(Canessa-Bassan)

Video Check: Viale

Sunday 5th march 2017, -12.00

Ceramica Globo Civita Castellana – Sigma Aversa live on Lega Volley Channel

(Mattei-Turtù)

Video Check: Bolognesi

Sunday 5th march 2017, -18.00

Caloni Agnelli Bergamo – Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania live on Lega Volley Channel

(Piperata-Sessolo)

Video Check: Bartesaghi

Sunday 5th march 2017, -19.30

Monini Spoleto – BCC Castellana Grotte live on Lega Volley Channel

(Cerra-Del Vecchio)

Video Check: Arcangeli

Standings Pool Promozione

BCC Castellana Grotte 29, Emma Villas Siena 26, Monini Spoleto 25, Caloni Agnelli Bergamo 22, Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania 19, VBC Mondovì 19, Ceramica Globo Civita Castellana 17, Conad Reggio Emilia 16, Kemas Lamipel Santa Croce 12, Sigma Aversa 10

Pool Salvezza

Golden Plast Potenza Picena earned points in every each game in Pool Salvezza,, now in fourth place with 20 points. Potenza Picena, who lost at tie break in Veneto by Montecchio Maggiore, is more comfortable on the home turf, where they will face Pool Libertas Cantù, 5 wins and 2 losses for Cantù in the previous matches versus GoldenPlast. Pool Libertas is fifth with 19 points, and in trouble in Pool Salvezza, with only two points, after losing in last game versus Lagonegro.

Sieco Service Ortona lost 3-0 at PalaGrotte in last game, now in third place with 21 points, one point behind Brescia in the standings. Ortona will face on the home turf Sol Lucernari Montecchio Maggiore, who’s playing some good volleyball, after the road win versus Lagonegro, and the comeback at home versus Potenza Picena, a tie break win who gave the tie with Materdomini in the standings.

Basi Grafiche Geosat Lagonegro is the leader of the standings with 28 points, with a six points lead on Brescia. Lagonegro coming from a great win in Lumbardy versus Cantù, and now they will face on the home turf Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia, who needs a win to cut the deficit on Lagonegro, and needs to keep the distance to Ortona and Potenza Picena, behind them in the standings. Cisolla needs 24 points to reach 6000 in Serie A.

Aurispa Alessano suffered last sunday a big comeback in Grottazzolina. Alessano is tied with Cantù at 19 points, and will face Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte, third to last with 15 points. Materdominivolley.it will find on the other side of the net three former players, Bulfon, Marzo and Muccio.

Club Italia Crai Roma is in trouble in this Pool Salvezza. With only 4 points in the standings, and with 18 points remaining in the Pool, they will need to win almost all the games to avoind relegation. Club Italia will face Videx Grottazzolina, in seventh place with 17 points, after the tie break win on the home turf versus Alessano, with the chance to climb the standings with a win.

5th round Unipolsai Serie A2 Pool Salvezza

Saturday 4th march 2017, -20.30

Golden Plast Potenza Picena – Pool Libertas Cantù live on Lega Volley Channel

(Zingaro-Oranelli)

Video Check: Ercolani

Sunday 5th march 2017, -16.00

Sieco Service Ortona – Sol Lucernari Montecchio Maggiore live on Lega Volley Channel

(Talento-Gasparro)

Video Check: De Orchi

Sunday 5th march 2017, -18.00

Basi Grafiche Geosat Lagonegro – Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia live on Lega Volley Channel

(Caretti-Carcione)

Video Check: Di Scipio

Aurispa Alessano – Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte live on Lega Volley Channel

(Merli Toni)

Video Check: Chiriatti

Club Italia Crai Roma – Videx Grottazzolina live on Lega Volley Channel

(Giorgianni-Marotta)

Video Check: Gasparrini

Standings Pool Salvezza

Basi Grafiche Geosat Lagonegro 28, Centrale del Latte McDonald’s Brescia 22, Sieco Service Ortona 21, GoldenPlast Potenza Picena 20, Pool Libertas Cantù 19, Aurispa Alessano 19, Videx Grottazzolina 17, Materdominivolley.it Castellana Grotte 15, Sol Lucernari Montecchio Maggiore 15, Club Italia Crai Roma 4

Media Program

SuperLega UnipolSai

Live Web TV starting from 20.30

Saturday 4th march 2017

Azimut Modena – Calzedonia Verona

Sir Safety Conad Perugia – LPR Piacenza

Live Rai Sport 1 starting from 15.00

streaming on www.raisport.rai.it

Sunday 5th march 2017

Cucine Lube Civitanova – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia

Commentary Marco Fantasia and Claudio Galli

Live Web TV starting from 20.30 Domenica 5 marzo 2017

Diatec Trentino – Gi Group Monza

Serie A2 UnipolSai

Live Web TV starting from 20.30

Saturday 4th march 2017

Conad Reggio Emilia – Emma Villas Siena

VBC Mondovì – Kemas Lamipel S. Croce

Golden Plast Potenza Picena – Pool Libertas Cantù

Live Web TV starting from 12

Sunday 5th march 2017

Ceramica Globo Civita Castellana – Sigma Aversa

Live Web TV starting from 16

Sunday 5th march 2017

Sieco Service Ortona – Sol Lucernari Montecchio Maggiore

Live Web TV starting from 18

Sunday 5th march 2017

Caloni Agnelli Bergamo – Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania

<p style="