Europe
2013 CEV Cup
Final first leg
Andreoli Latina (ITA) – Halkbank Ankara (TUR) 1-3 (22-25, 26-24, 21-25, 21-25)
ANDREOLI LATINA – HALKBANK ANKARA 1-3 (22-25, 26-24, 21-25, 21-25)
ANDREOLI LATINA: Rauwerdink 13, Rossini (L), Gitto 6, Sottile 3, Jarosz 14, Patriarca 3, Verhees 8, Troy 1, Noda Blanco 2, Cisolla 7, Fragkos, Guemart 1. Coach. Prandi.
HALKBANK ANKARA: Abdelhay 18, Sahin (L), Priddy 14, Batur 14, Koc 3, Diaz Mayorca 9, Tekeli 16. DNP Eksi, Karaagac, YÜcel, Ayvazoglu, Coskun. Coach. Vukovic.
The Halkbank Ankara won the cev Cup final first leg in Latina. The Italians will now need to win in Turkey on Sunday in order to go to the Golden Set and have a chance to lift the trophy aloft. The Turkish side made it 10 consecutive wins in Europe.
Silvano Prandi (coach Andreoli Latina): “We did not play at a very high level, while they had an excellent performance. Hopefully the pressure we felt will go away because in three days we’ll have to be on a different level. We struggled to receive their serve and we did not get in our rhythm”.
Daniele Sottile (Andreoli Latina): “At times we have been dominated. But it’s not over yet, we knew the game that mattered most is the one in Ankara. Big thank you to the fans that supported us during the whole game”.
Luis Diaz (Halkbank Ankara): “It’s been a real battle from the first to the last point. We did well on the serve and managed to hang on to our leads when we have been ahead. We had an excellent performance in the block-dig area. Latina is a great team with a brilliant coach, the return game will be very tough”.
Final return leg
Sunday March 3 at 4pm (Italian time)
Halkbank Ankara (TUR) – Andreoli Latina (ITA) Live on Lazio TV (Sky 892)
(Georgouleas-Markov)
2013 Challenge Cup
Semi-final first leg
Copra Elior Piacenza (ITA) – Dukla Liberec (CZE) 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-16)
Ural Ufa (RUS) – Delecta Bydgoszcz (POL) 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 22-25, 26-24)
COPRA ELIOR PIACENZA – DUKLA LIBEREC 3-0 (25-14, 26-24, 25-16)
COPRA ELIOR PIACENZA: Marra (L), Corvetta 1, Papi, Fei 16, Ogurcak 1, Simon Aties 12, Zlatanov 13, Holt 7, Tencati 1, Maruotti 7, Vettori, De Cecco. Coach. Monti.
DUKLA LIBEREC: Kaminski 5, Hadrava 12, Burrow, Zajicek, Reznicek, Stanek 4, DÉmar 3, Hysky 4, Kopacek (L), VodvÁrka, Spravka 4. Coach. Nekola.
Piacenza met the expectations of its fans by beating Liberec 3-0 in the Challenge Cup semi-final first leg. Without their starting setter, the Czechs really struggled in attack (28%) and at the net. An hour and ten minutes were enough for the Italians despite a slow start to the second set.
Luca Monti (coach Copra Elior Piacenza): “The first set was too easy for us. Such set get us asleep easily. We did well to put pressure on them with Holt’s serve at the end of the second set even if we took too many risks. The return leg will definitely be harder: they’ll probably have their starting setter back, there will be a heated atmosphere but we’ll have to win it anyway to qualify for the final”.
Nekola Michal (coach Dukla Liberec): “We seemed to be in the game, we hanged in there at the beginning but then things quickly got complicated. In the second set, we had a chance to stay ahead until the end but in the clutch time we had a black-out, credit to Piacenza’s serve too. In the third set it was all one-way traffic, Piacenza played very well point after point while we totally lost our way”.
Semi-final return leg
Saturday March 2 at 6pm
Dukla Liberec (CZE) – Copra Elior Piacenza (ITA)
(Mitev-Lungu)
Serie A2
Round 20 postponed game: three crucial points for Matera. Sora stuck in third place
GLOBO BANCA POPOLARE DEL FRUSINATE SORA – COSERPLAST MATERA 1-3 (25-16, 19-25, 23-25, 23-25) GLOBO BANCA POPOLARE DEL FRUSINATE SORA: Paolucci 3, Marzola, Fortunato 3, Scuderi (L), Mazzone 5, Paris 5, Milushev 25, Patriarca 10, Mauti, Siltala 4, Anzani 14, Romiti (L). DNP Hendriks. Coach. Ricci.
COSERPLAST MATERA: Matheus, Casulli (L), Percoco, Postiglioni 8, Pinerua 23, Janusek 16, Suglia 10, Corsini 10, Di Tommaso, Rispoli. DNP Berni. Coach. Nacci.
League table
Gherardi SVI Città di Castello 56, Exprivia Molfetta 43, Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora 40, Sidigas HS Atripalda 37, Tonazzo Padova 33, Vero Volley Monza 32, Caffè Aiello Corigliano 31, Sieco Service Ortona 29, Conad Reggio Emilia 26, Coserplast Matera 21, B-Chem Golden Plast Potenza Picena 19, Elettrosud Brolo 19, Pallavolo Loreto 10.
1 game more: Tonazzo Padova, Sieco Service Ortona, Coserplast Matera, B-Chem Golden Plast Potenza Picena
Fixtures
serie A2 round 22
Sunday March 3 at 6pm
Exprivia Molfetta – Conad Reggio Emilia
Sieco Service Ortona – Elettrosud Brolo Differed on RAI Sport 1 Tuesday March 5 at 8pm
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – Tonazzo Padova
Caffè Aiello Corigliano – Coserplast Matera
Vero Volley Monza – Sidigas HS Atripalda
Pallavolo Loreto – Gherardi SVI Città di Castello
Riposa: B-Chem Golden Plast Potenza Picena
