Serie A1
Round 15
Another weekend of volleyball ahead of us with Saturday’s game putting face to face Castellana Grotte and Modena. The southerners have lost twice on the bounce and are in for a tough task as Modena have gathered seven three-point victories in a row. The show will go on the next day with Cuneo versus Latina as the highlight game. Not bad either the contest between Vibo Valentia, which stayed dry in the last four, and Piacenza, which played well in the Challenge Cup on Thursday in Bulgaria but had a difficult trip back as they were stuck by the snow in Munich.
Serie A1 Round 15
Saturday January 19 at 5.30pm
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Casa Modena Live on RAI Sport 1
Live on streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
(Cesare-Vagni)
Sunday January 20 at 5.30pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Andreoli Latina Live on RAI Sport 1
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
(Castagna-Sobrero)
Sunday January 20 at 6pm
Itas Diatec Trentino – Altotevere San Giustino
(Piana-Braico)
Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata – CMC Ravenna Live on Sportube.tv
(Goitre-Balboni)
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Copra Elior Piacenza Live on Sportube.tv
(Puecher-La Micela)
Marmi Lanza Verona – Sir Safety Perugia
(Sampaolo-Zucca)
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 34, Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata 34, Copra Elior Piacenza 28, Casa Modena 27, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 26, Andreoli Latina 23, Sir Safety Perugia 23, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 20, BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 11, Altotevere San Giustino 11, Marmi Lanza Verona 8, CMC Ravenna 7
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Casa Modena
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 3 (Modena won them all)
Flavio Gulinelli (coach BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte): “We want to make the most of our two coming games in front of our fans, who will not have been satisfied with our recent outings. Both the club and coaching staff are expecting a reaction from the boys, we know they are capable of making it difficult for any opponent. Modena is in great shape, they are on a great run and full of confidence. We have to focus on the job in hand to try to disturb their routine and more importantly play as a team”.
Guillaume Quesque (Casa Modena): “We’re facing a very important but very difficult game. What we have achieved until now does not matter, the victory over Trento was a moment that is part of the past. Each game is different from the previous one, and we have seen that all the games in the Serie A1 are complicated. Castellana can play excellent volleyball, they are strong in block-dig, they need points and they always play at a higher level at home. We’ll have to be extremely focused and be patient. We’ve had a few physical problems this week, and in Castellana we’ll have to play as a team, as I always say, and think one set at a time”.
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Andreoli Latina
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 21 (15-6 Cuneo)
Daniele De Pandis (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “We’ll be back home Sunday after almost a month out, hopefully the fans will come in numbers. We’re hoping to keep doing as well as in recent games to move up the table and take revenge on Latina. Hardly two days later we’ll be in the Champions League, we really want to go through to the next round in which we might meet Macerata. If we play with the same focus and determination as in Slovenia, I am sure we can qualify without needing the golden set, which is always very dangerous”.
Daniele Sottile (Andreoli Latina): “We’re both on a positive run after a period in which we did not do much. It will be a tough game, we’re close in the table, we won the first meeting, so we expect Cuneo to be eager to take revenge, and they’ll be home. But our philosophy remains to give our best on court, one game at a time”.
Itas Diatec Trentino – Altotevere San Giustino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 1 (Trento)
Mitar Djuric (Itas Diatec Trentino): “Our home game against San Giustino is crucial, we need to bounce back after two consecutive defeats. We never look beyond the coming game, and this one will be fundamental to regain the momentum ahead of the Champions League return leg against Dinamo Moscow. It won’t be easy, because our opponent will come to Trento without any pressure, but we need to regain confidence and get this victory. We’ll do everything possible to clinch it”.
Alessio Fiore (Altotevere San Giustino): “Here comes another of these impossible games, Trento is the strongest team in the world. We’ll try to make it hard for them, we’ll try to make the most of their weaknesses. We’ll play our game, without any mental barriers, we’ll try to take advantage of every single mistake and lapses they might have. I am personally at the coach’s disposal, I do what I am being asked, ready to give my best at any moment”.
Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata – CMC Ravenna
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 3 (Macerata won them all)
Dragan Stankovic (Cucine Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “This game against Ravenna is even more important than the last two against Piacenza and Reszow, because after two nice wins like this, we’re expected not only to get the result but to play well too. We’ll therefore need maximum concentration and determination to take the three points, which we need to stay tied at the top with Trento. We’ve been doing well of late, each game we face is always a new important test for this team which can still improve a lot. Ravenna will play without any pressure, and that is an advantage for them”.
Mauro Fresa (coach CMC Ravenna): “The difference of level, physically too, between us and Macerata is enormous, everybody knows that. This game represents some kind of uncomfortable obstacle in the middle of the second half of season which we have faced with good spirit to try to win as many games as possible. This is definitely not one of those we can win, but I want to see the team with that same spirit seen in Verona, without using the quality of the opponent as an excuse”.
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Copra Elior Piacenza
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 19 (14-5 Piacenza)
Rocco Barone (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “This will be a tough one, like every game in this league. Piacenza is a top quality team that will not make it easy for us. We have to think one game at a time, recharge our batteries and start to get results. I don’t think we are playing that bad, last Sunday we played a good game in the defeat against Cuneo. It’s obvious that right now we’re missing the boost that only victories can give you, so we’re aiming at regaining that momentum which the series of losses has dampened. But I am confident, we have been training very well and we’re keen to give it our best shot at every game to get a victory, which is the most important thing”.
Luca Monti (coach Copra Elior Piacenza): “We know that Sunday’s game is an important one for us. Playing in Vibo is not easy, they have obtained great results but they been having a hard time of late, staying without a win in the past four rounds. After last Saturday’s defeat against Macerata, we’re keen to prove we’re better than Vibo. The game against Gabrov was only a confirmation that we have to keep going along this path. The fifth 3-0 victory in Europe gave us the strength to continue, more determined than ever. The trip back from Sofia has been very complicated yesterday: it took us over 20 hours to get home in Piacenza. We have been stuck all day at the Munich airport because of the snow, but this should not be any excuse for Sunday’s game. We are definitely motivated to get a result”.
Marmi Lanza Verona – Sir Safety Perugia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 1 (Perugia)
Bruno Bagnoli (coach Marmi Lanza Verona): “The boys are getting better from a physical standpoint so I am expecting an important reaction from the boys, who have to build on the good things seen in the home games against Modena and Macerata. The club is working hard to create a welcoming atmosphere for our fans and we want to be worthy of this situation and be able to play with excitement despite the fact we know we’re up against the surprise team of the season”.
Aimone Alletti (Sir Safety Perugia): “We’re facing a very difficult encounter in Verona. They’re coming off a home loss against Ravenna and will be keen to bounce back. They’ll try to prove it was just an accident, they’ll surely be aggressive from the start. We’ll need to be ready to fight play after play, with aggressiveness on the serve. This has to be the secret weapon that could help us work better than at the net and in dig. We’ve been doing well lately, testimony the ten points taken in the last four games. We’re full of confidence, we want to keep this positive streak going and we’ll go to Verona to get a win, as we believe in our chances and ability”.
Serie A2
Round 15
Caffè Aiello Corigliano – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora. The fight for first place has now become a two-man game with Sora chasing Città di Castello as it stands four points behind the leaders. Città di Castello has already been rested so if Ricci’s boys want to keep their chance alive, they’ll have to extend their winning streak to 9 by beating Corigliano. The latter has begun positively the second half of season with 4 points in two rounds (win vs Loreto and tie-break loss vs Ortona).
Vero Volley Monza – Pallavolo Loreto. Rested last week, Monza was able to prepare well its encounter against Loreto, which is coming off a home loss against Reggio Emilia.
Gherardi SVI Città di Castello – Tonazzo Padova. Still unbeaten after 13 games, Città di Castello plays host to Padova, which put together a run of two consecutive wins in 2013 with victories over Ortona and Brolo. Federico Moretti should be back in contention.
B-Chem Golden Plast Potenza Picena – Coserplast Matera. Potenza’s hopes to stay up have been boosted last week by their breakthrough on Atripalda. It moved up to 16th and will try to make another big step forward with a huge game against Matera, another client aiming to stay in the division. Potenza will be without Zampetti and Cacchiarelli but should have Dabid and Muzio back. As for Matera, some worries for Pinerua but there should be a full squad for the encounter.
Exprivia Molfetta – Sidigas Atripalda. Third place at stake as Molfetta and Atripalda are tied with 27 points. Both have lost in the last round (two consecutive defeats for Atripalda).
Conad Reggio Emilia – Sieco Service Ortona. Reggio Emilia showed great character in the two victories collected in this beginning of 2013 (vs Atripalda and Loreto) and are now chasing 9th place. Last week, Ortona put an end to a five-game losing streak by beating Corigliano.
Serie A2 Round 15
Sunday January 20 at 6pm
Caffè Aiello Corigliano – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora
(Prati-Marchello)
Vero Volley Monza – Pallavolo Loreto Differed on RAI Sport 1 (Tuesday January 22 at 8pm)
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