The Italian Volleyball League decided that a minute silence would be respected before every league game on Saturday and Sunday in memory of the victims of the flood that hit the Messina area.
Serie A1 TIM
Fourth round
Revival of the league final 2009 at the PalaBanca on Saturday evening as Piacenza hosts Trentino on its tricolour court. Treviso entertains Macerata, with Alberto Cisolla coming back to the PalaVerde gym for the first time as opponent. Defeated by the newly promoted Loreto away from home, Verona wants to bounce back against Taranto, while Monza will play its first ever home game against Cuneo. Forli hosts Pineto, while the third leader Modena will try to stay top as it faces Loreto. Perugia is rested, while Latina challenges Vibo Valentia.
4th round
Saturday 10 October at 4pm
CoprAtlantide Piacenza – Itas Diatec Trentino Live on Rai Sport Più –
(Pasquali-Perri)
Sunday 11 October at 6pm
Sisley Treviso – Lube Banca Marche Macerata live on Rai Sport Più
(Bartolini-La Micela)
Marmi Lanza Verona – Prisma Taranto
(Saltalippi-Cipolla)
Trenkwalder Modena – Esse-ti Carilo Loreto
(Cesare-Padoan)
Acqua Paradiso Monza – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
(Castagna-Giani)
Yoga Forlì – Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto
(Santi-Sampaolo)
Andreoli Latina-Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
(Cinti-Ippoliti)
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia – RESTED
League table
Sisley Treviso, Lube Banca Marche Macerata, Trenkwalder Modena 7, Prisma Taranto, CoprAtlantide Piacenza, Itas Diatec Trentino, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 6, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia, Esse-ti Carilo Loreto 4, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia, Marmi Lanza Verona 3, Acqua Paradiso Monza 1, Andreoli Latina, Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto, Yoga Forlì 0.
Note: 1 game in hand: Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia, Acqua Paradiso Monza; Yoga Forlì; 2 games in hand: Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto.
CoprAtlantide Piacenza – Itas Diatec Trentino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 27 (14-13 Trento).
Marco Meoni (CoprAtlantide Piacenza): “Two teams of a very high level will meet on Saturday. Hopefully, this will be a good game, won by the team who will boast more conviction and determination, as it is often the case in modern volleyball. They changed their setter, they have brought in a great one with different characteristics compared to the previous one. We worked to face the consequent changes, we’ll see if we have studied enough”.
Andrea Bari (Itas Diatec Trentino): “This will be a great feeling to get back on the tricoulour mondoflex, because this will inevitably reminds us last year’s league final and in particolar game 5 of the 17th of May which, apart from the final result, has been a really important experience for everyone. There won’t be big conclusions to draw from Saturday’s encounter but both team will surely understand where they stand. Piacenza lost in Cuneo, which can happen given the strength of the opponent, while we gathered a nice 3-0 home win against Monza. This will therefore be a hard-fought game and a nice one to play in”.
Sisley Treviso – Lube Banca Marche Macerata
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 50 (25 each).
Samuele Papi (Sisley Treviso): “It will be definitely strange to see Alberto with a different shirt than ours, I think the crowd will feel that too. This will be a particular game because it will put face to face two competitive and determined teams. Macerata is well-organised, while we started well even if we could have taken full points in Loreto and Vibo. Still, we’re starting to see what we are made of, we’re trying to be a team that fights right through games and tries to entertain the fans. For all these reasons, Sunday’s game could be a great show. Technically? The serve has become number one, all the teams base their effort on this fundamental and serve hard. Whoever manages to keep the level high will put the other under pressure, which could be key”.
Martin Lebl (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “We obtained an important win in Perugia, but we saw there was still a lot of work to do to improve. We can’t afford to fade, like we did against Perugia and in Modena in the first round, which allowed them to come back from two sets down. Treviso away is surely the best test that we could have wished for right now to see where we stand, and hopefully this will underline our improvements. The fact that the top spot is at stake will motivate us further. A win would give us even more confidence, necessary to face the following two games against Trento and Piacenza, which will also be very important. Treviso changed a lot, but it’s a well-balanced team. They already proved they will be in the pack fighting for the biggest prizes”.
Marmi Lanza Verona – Prisma Taranto
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 8 (5-3 Verona).
Maurizio Latelli (Marmi Lanza Verona): “The team has to keep its feet on the ground. We are a strong team that just has to found its identity back. As opposed to us, Taranto has already found its physiognomy. The setter is always well-assisted by his spikers”.
Paolo Montagnani (Prisma Taranto): “We’re facing two consecutive away games (Verona on Sunday and Pineto on Wednesday). This will be an interesting test for us. Verona possesses physical players that hit it hard, especially on the serve. They will try to bounce back after their two initial defeats. At home, they will really test our potential”.
Trenkwalder Modena – Esse-ti Carilo Loreto
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 5 (Modena won them all).
Marco Cosimo Piscopo (Trenkwalder Modena): “After two consecutive wins, we are up fori t. But at the same time, we know that every game is very difficult and this will be the case against Loreto: they were promoted, they will need points and are in good shape given that they managed an excellent result, beating Verona 3-0. Still, we are fine, the level of play is improving, this is a period in which the all staff is working extremely hard, focusing on every single detail: be that physical technical or tactical. On Sunday we’ll be in front of our amazing fans again: We’ll do everything possible to win and stay up there”.
Cristian Vigilante (Esse-ti Carilo Loreto): “We are going to Modena with the right motivation following the win against Verona on Wednesday. We know our opponents are very strong and that they have the outside hitter Angel Dennis as their main offensive ammunition. Still, we are in great form too, we will give our all not to be defeated and take important points home. We get along well in the group, we proved it until now and we’ll try to show that again in this game”.
Acqua Paradiso Monza – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
PAST ENCOUNTERS: None as Monza is new this year.
Mauro Berruto (Acqua Paradiso Monza): “We’re facing another top team of our league. Another team built to fight for the league title. We must not forget our targets: the short term is to find our rhythm and consistency, which we’ve had only for few sets so far. Cuneo does not seem to have any weaknesses, but like any team, you can always make it difficult for them, but we need to be humble, aggressive and capable of playing on our strengths”.
Luigi Mastrangelo (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “We will meet a team hungry for the win. They will do anything to take some points with a game based on aggressiveness, especially in attack and on the serve. An effective serve is the only way that the opponent can get us in trouble. They will surely try to limit Grbic and our game on the middleblockers”.
Yoga Forlì – Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 4 (2 wins each).
Marco Loglisci (Yoga Forlì): “whatever did not work against Cuneo worked in taranto and viceversa. We’re trying to get everything together, and hopefully we will be at our best for Sunday. It’s a game we can’t afford to lose. Our fans will be there, we have to do a little extra to send them home happy at the end of the game. Still, it’s a tough game, and this is why we find the choice of so important referees significant”.
Massimo Di Franco (Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto): “This will be a particular game for me as ex-Forli player. Our aim will be the same as usual: focus on the game, on playing. The fact that we rested on Wednesday could be a little advantage for us, although it’s also true that our opponent prepared properly during the off-season, which is not our case. Still, we trained well this week, except for me, let’s hope Ravellino will be back so that we can have all the middleblockers at our disposal”.
Andreoli Latina – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 6 (4-2 Vibo Valentia).
Andrea Giovi (Andreoli Latina): “This will a game to take one point at a time. They proved they were a good team against Trento and Treviso. We’re still trying to reach our best level. We have to express a different volleyball compared to the previous games and take advantage of the home court, which we didn’t do against Taranto. I know the crowd will warmly support us”.
Claudio Torchia (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “In Latina, we will find an extremely motivated ready to fight. They suffered two consecutive losses and they will put everything in the game against us. We are aware of our level, we showed our worth against Trento and Treviso, so I’m sure we’ll play a good game”.
Serie A2 TIM
Third round
Five teams are standing high above the others in the A2. The cameras of Snai Sa twill be in Roma, where Castellana Grotte is the guest (8.20pm). Both teams got off to good starts. Roma will take the opportunity to organise a big countdown event for the World Championships 2010, which will start at 5.30pm. A three-point victory and a tie-break win is the record of Cavriago, Bologna and Crema. The first two will respectively face Isernia and Padova, while the third will be rested this weekend. Sora and Versalia is the clash of newly promoted teams, while the other squad from Tuscany, Santa Croce, will go after its first points of the season away in Ravenna. With one point in the table, there is Gioia del Colle which will play host to Mantova, while Città di Castello entertains Bassano.
3rd round
Sunday 11 October at 6pm
Zinella Bologna – Pallavolo Padova
(Marchello-Puletti)
Nava Gioa del Colle – Canadiens Mantova
(Valeriani-Costantini)
Katay Geotec Isernia – Edilesse Cavriago
(Gentile-Guerra)
Marcegaglia Ravenna – Codyeco S. Croce
(Cappello-Zucca)
Città di Castello Pallavolo – Bassano Volley
(Bartoloni-Frapiccini)
Quasar Massa Versilia – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora
(Longo-Gini)
Samgas Crema – RESTED
Sunday 11 October at 6.30pm
M. Roma Volley – BCC – NEP Castellana Grotte Differed on SNAI Sat from 10.20pm
(Tanasi-Ravallese)
League table
M. Roma Volley, Samgas Crema, Edilesse Cavriago, BCC – NEP Castellana Grotte, Zinella Bologna 5, Marcegaglia Ravenna, Pallavolo Padova 3, Quasar Massa Versilia, Canadiens Mantova, Bassano Volley, Città di Castello Pallavolo 2, Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora, Nava Gioia del Colle, Katay Geotec Isernia 1, Codyeco Santa Croce 0.
Note: 1 game in hand: Marcegaglia Ravenna, Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora.
