League playoffs quarter-finals Game 5
Calzedonia Verona – Sir Safety Conad Perugia 2-3 (20-25, 24-26, 25-18, 25-23, 15-17)
CALZEDONIA VERONA – SIR SAFETY CONAD PERUGIA 2-3 (20-25, 24-26, 25-18, 25-23, 15-17) – CALZEDONIA VERONA: Zingel 9, Kovacevic 24, Pesaresi (L), Lecat, Spirito 2, Baranowicz 1, Starovic 19, Bellei, Sander 18, Anzani 3. DNP Gitto, Frigo, Bucko. Coach. Giani.
SIR SAFETY CONAD PERUGIA: Buti 7, Fromm 2, De Cecco 2, Kaliberda 10, Giovi (L), Russell 17, Dimitrov 1, Tzioumakas 2, Elia 1, Atanasijevic 23, Fanuli, Birarelli 8. DNP Holt, Franceschini. Coach. Kovac.
The 5120 supporters of the PalaOlimpia arena went home bitter, while a hundred went back to Perugia singing. At the end of a superb encounter, it’s indeed Perugia who prevailed at the tie-break and will play Civitanova in the semi-finals. Recently crowned European Champions in Siberia, this is a huge disappointment for Verona who made two great come backs (in the series and Game 5 from 2-0 down) but failed to finish it off when they had two match points.
Three of the four semi-finalists, Perugia, Modena and Trento are therefore the same as last season, while the newcomer is Civitanova, who takes Latina’s spot. Funnily enough, the semi-finals will be the remake of the last two year’s finals: Civitanova (named then Macerata) versus Perugia was the final in 2014, while Modena against Trento was the series for the title in 2015.
Andrea Giani (allenatore Calzedonia Verona): “We proved we were a great team. We never mentioned anything other than the game, like the road trip or others. We just kept playing our volleyball. It’s been a superb season, in which we created a fantastic group. We gave everything we had. But then you have to accept than even when you give hundred percent you can lose by two points”.
Simone Buti (Sir Safety Conad Perugia): “A series that works your nerves. Coming here and win it in front of this crowd and this top team is really something special. I have to congratulate Verona, they never gave up. This victory is huge. Credit to us, we went through ten days of terror. We did a great job of getting back on court ready to give it all from first to last minute. This series proves that if we play our game we can go to Civitanova and have our say”.
Fixtures
League playoffs, semi-finals Game 1 (on the best of 5)
Saturday 9 April at 6pm
Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova – Sir Safety Conad Perugia Live on Lega Volley Channel
Saturday 9 April at 8.15pm
DHL Modena – Diatec Trentino Live on RAI Sport 1
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
Semi-finals Game 2
Tuesday 12 April at 8.15
Sir Safety Conad Perugia – Cucine Lube Banca Marche Civitanova Live on RAI Sport1
Live streaming on www.raisport.rai.it
Tuesday 12 April at 8.30pm
Diatec Trentino – DHL Modena Live on Lega Volley Channel
Out of the League playoffs with the lethal Game 5 against Perugia, Verona enters the Challenge playoff draw. Giani’s men will take on CMC Romagna in the quarter-finals with game one on Saturday night.
Challenge Playoffs quarter-finals Game 1 (best of 3)
Saturday 9 April at 8.30pm
Calzedonia Verona– CMC Romagna Live on Lega Volley Channel
Sunday 10 April at 6pm
Ninfa Latina– Revivre Milano Live on Lega Volley Channel
Exprivia Molfetta – Gi Group Monza Live on Lega Volley Channel
Tonazzo Padova– LPR Piacenza Live on Lega Volley Channel
Quarter-finals Game 2
Wednesday 13 April at 8.30pm
CMC Romagna – Calzedonia Verona Live on Lega Volley Channel
Revivre Milano – Ninfa Latina Live on Lega Volley Channel
Gi Group Monza – Exprivia Molfetta Live on Lega Volley Channel
LPR Piacenza – Tonazzo Padova Live on Lega Volley Channel
Results:
Cassa Rurale Cantù-Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia 0-3 (27-29, 18-25, 19-25)
Conad Reggio Emilia-Globo Scarabeo Civita Castellana 3-1 (25-21, 25-16, 23-25, 25-20)
Potenza Picena-Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora 0-3 (21-25, 19-25, 20-25)
Emma Villas Siena-Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania 1-3 (18-25, 14-25, 25-21, 21-25)
CASSA RURALE CANTÙ – TONNO CALLIPO CALABRIA VIBO VALENTIA 0-3 (27-29, 18-25, 19-25) – CASSA RURALE CANTù: Monguzzi 4, Groppi, Rudi (L), Tiozzo 13, Gerosa, Preti 9, Krolis 15, Robbiati 6. DNP Molteni, Butti, Riva, Mazza, Cominetti, Gaggini. Coach. Della Rosa.
TONNO CALLIPO CALABRIA VIBO VALENTIA: Pinelli 1, Marra (L), Casoli 14, Michalovic 18, Vedovotto 11, Maccarone 6, Sardanelli, Silva De Araujo, Presta 4. DNP Korniienko, Ferraro, Corrado. Coach. Mastrangelo.
CONAD REGGIO EMILIA – GLOBO SCARABEO CIVITA CASTELLANA 3-1 (25-21, 25-16, 23-25, 25-20) – CONAD REGGIO EMILIA: Cetrullo 8, Dolfo 16, Tondo 8, Bevilacqua, Kody 20, Benaglia 7, Silva 4, Marchiani 2, Morgese (L), Douglas-powell 3. DNP Cargioli, Bonante, Scaltriti. Coach. Cantagalli.
GLOBO SCARABEO CIVITA CASTELLANA: Cesarini (L), Paolucci, Da Silva Costa 20, Tataru, Marinelli 12, Sacripanti, Marsili, De Matteis 7, Puliti 3, Alborghetti 6, Menicali 6. DNP Santilli. Coach. Spanakis.
VOLLEY POTENTINO POTENZA PICENA – GLOBO BANCA POPOLARE DEL FRUSINATE SORA 0-3 (21-25, 19-25, 20-25) – VOLLEY POTENTINO POTENZA PICENA: Cavuto 6, Codarin 3, Pierotti 8, Partenio 3, Cristofaletti 7, Calistri (L), Moretti 7, Ferrini, Biglino, Ippolito, Quarta 3. DNP Miscio. Coach. Graziosi.
GLOBO BANCA POPOLARE DEL FRUSINATE SORA: Fabroni 6, Mariano, Festi 2, Santucci (L), Bacca 8, Rosso 14, Hoogendoorn 15, Giglioli, Marrazzo 1, Sperandio 7. DNP Corsetti, Lucarelli, Buzzelli, Mauti. Coach. Soli.
EMMA VILLAS SIENA – MAURY’S ITALIANA ASSICURAZIONI TUSCANIA 1-3 (18-25, 14-25, 25-21, 21-25) – EMMA VILLAS SIENA: Fantauzzo, Di Marco 12, Majdak 4, Scappaticcio 1, Raffaelli, Tamburo 12, Pistolesi 3, Bortolozzo 4, Mengozzi, Braga 8, Snippe 7, Marchisio (L), Noda Blanco 8. Coach. Caponeri.
MAURY’S ITALIANA ASSICURAZIONI TUSCANIA: Calonico 10, Bonami (L), Vitangeli, Ottaviani 1, Mrdak 24, Mazzon 4, Monopoli 1, Shavrak 16, Esposito 10. DNP Straino, Hueller, Pieri. Coach. Tofoli.
Fixtures
Semi-finals Game 1 (Best of 5 games)
Wednesday 13 April at 8.30pm
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia – Conad Reggio Emilia Live on Lega Volley Channel
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania Live on Lega Volley Channel
Game 2
Sunday 17 April at 6pm
Conad Reggio Emilia – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia Live on Lega Volley Channel
Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora Live on Lega Volley Channel
