Intense weekend ahead in men’s volleyball. The league playoffs began on Wednesday with Trentino’s 3-0 win over Verona and the quarter finals will go on from Saturday with Modena versus Macerata. Angel Dennis will receive his “Gazzetta trophy” award before the game starts. On Sunday, there will be Treviso versus Monza and game 2 between Verona and Trento.
As for European Cups, this will be a crucial weekend with the Cev Cup and Challenge Cup Final Four. Cuneo and Piacenza will fight it out in the Cev Cup semi-final in Maaseik, Belgium, on Saturday. Meanwhile, Perugia hosts the Challenge Cup Final Four. In the semi-final, it will face Berlin. The final will be on Sunday at 4. The youngsters will be on court too. There will be the 15th edition of the Boy League Final Six (Under 14) in Sestola.
Playoffs quarter final schedule
Saturday 27 March at 4pm
Trenkwalder Modena – Lube Banca Marche Macerata GAME 1 – Live on Rai Sport Più
Sunday 28 March at 6pm
Sisley Treviso – Acqua Paradiso Monza GAME 1
Marmi Lanza Verona – Itas Diatec Trentino GAME 2 – Live on Rai Sport Più
Wednesday 31 March at 8.30pm
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Trenkwalder Modena GAME 2 – Live on Rai Sport Più dalle 22.15
Itas Diatec Trentino – Marmi Lanza Verona GAME 3
Thursday 1 April at 8.30pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – CoprAtlantide Piacenza GAME 1
Acqua Paradiso Monza – Sisley Treviso GAME 2
Sunday 4 April – Monday 5 April at 6pm
Marmi Lanza Verona – Itas Diatec Trentino Pos. GAME 4
Trenkwalder Modena – Lube Banca Marche Macerata GAME 3
CoprAtlantide Piacenza – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo GAME 2
Sisley Treviso – Acqua Paradiso Monza GAME 3
Thursday 8 April at 8.30pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – CoprAtlantide Piacenza GAME 3
Saturday 10 April at 4pm and Sunday 11 April at 6pm
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Trenkwalder Modena Ev. GAME 4
Acqua Paradiso Monza – Sisley Treviso Pos. GAME 4
CoprAtlantide Piacenza – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo Ev. GAME 4
POSSIBLE GAME 5
Thursday 15 April at 8.30pm
Itas Diatec Trentino – Marmi Lanza Verona
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – CoprAtlantide Piacenza
Sisley Treviso – Acqua Paradiso Monza
Trenkwalder Modena – Lube Banca Marche Macerata
PLAYOFFS SEMI-FINALS
Game 1 Semi-final: Sunday 18 April
Game 2 Semi-final: Wednesday 21 April
Pos. Game 4 Semi-final: Wednesday 28 April
Pos. Game 5 Semi-final: Sunday 2 May
LEAGUE FINAL
Final (V DAy): Sunday 9 may in Bologna
1ª- Itas Diatec Trentino |
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3-0 |
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8ª- Marmi Lanza Verona |
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4ª- Trenkwalder Modena |
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5ª- Lube Banca Marche Macerata |
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2ª- Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo |
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7ª- CoprAtlantide Piacenza |
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3ª- Sisley Treviso |
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6ª- Acqua Paradiso Monza |
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Gara 1
Trenkwalder Modena – Lube Banca Marche Macerata
Past encounters: 50 (28-22 Modena)
Past encounters in the playoffs: 10 (8-2 Modena)
Mikko Esko (Trenkwalder Modena): “We have trained as usual, with a lot of care and intensity. The big games are coming up, the ones we live for, there is something special in the air. Macerata is a very strong team, I don’t think their position in the table gives the real idea of its quality and they have two more players now in Stankovic and Swiderski. It is a very powerful team, they all serve very hard. I think we’ll have to be very aggressive, but with patience too. I want my team to play at its best”.
Sebastian Swiderski (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “It will be a tight series, all the games will be tight, I am convinced of that because the three games we have played against them so far have been decided on a couple of plays. The playoffs have nothing to do with anything that happened before. All the teams are on the same level. We have what it takes too to go all the way. We’ll also need a bit of luck to make it. Game 1 in Modena will not be decisive but things will be easier for whoever gets off to the better start, so hopefully it will be us”.
Game 1
Sisley Treviso – Acqua Paradiso Monza
Past encounetrs: 2 (1 each).
Rob Bontje (Sisley Treviso): “Our approach to the first playoffs game has been the same as usual, without any particular differences although, given the importance of the event, we have been training a little bit more and a little harder. Above all, we have studied Monza, in general with its overall run in the league, and more specifically looking at the two games we’ve played against them, to study the tactical side of things and take consequent decisions. This is a team that we know. We know who will start but the most important thing is that we’ll have the right fighting spirit because we have lost a very tight game in their gym earlier this season. I have not taken part in the playoffs for five years and, in Italy, I’ve only played in the post season with Padova. This time, I’d like to go further than the quarter-finals. We are all extremely motivated, we are working well and I feel a good atmosphere in the air. It’s important that we begin at home, I expect a nice welcoming and a lot of people to support us and create the right atmosphere. We have no targets nor limits. We’ll play one game at a time, starting with Sunday’s game which, I repeat, will be crucial for us”.
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