Following the weekend in Trieste, which concluded with President Gino Sirci’s club winning their seventh Super Cup, a new week has begun, ushering in the most exciting phase of the season. The Scudetto playoffs are underway, and the Block Devils, who won the regular season, will face Monza in the quarterfinals, starting their journey at home to secure a spot in the semifinals! The Perugia-Monza match will open the season with the early evening game on Saturday, March 7th at 9:00 PM, while the other three Game 1 matches will all be played on Sunday, March 8th, starting with Trento-Lube at 5:00 PM, followed by Verona-Milan at 6:00 PM, and finally Modena-Piacenza at 8:30 PM.
The Bianconeri are preparing to face the most exciting phase of the season, strengthened by their Super Cup victory, which came at the end of a match that confirmed their team’s solidity, mental toughness, character, and determination.
Winning the trophy is a source of pride for the club: it’s a record-breaking Super Cup, as has been emphasized several times. A record not only for the club, but also on a personal level for some of the team’s key players, such as Massimo Colaci, who on Sunday evening established himself as the player with the most Super Cup wins in volleyball history—nine! Nine, equal to the number of consecutive seasons the Juventus libero has worn the Perugia jersey, breaking all records both personally and for the club itself, in terms of his tenure with a single club. Max Colaci was there in all 17 of Perugia’s trophies since reaching the top flight!
But at Sir Susa Scai, this year’s Super Cup is a special trophy, even for those who have lifted it to the skies for the first time. Among them was middle blocker Federico Crosato, who started the Final Four and finished the final against Verona with 11 points, including two blocks, and a 69% offensive efficiency rate. The young 2002-born player, who arrived in Perugia after four consecutive seasons in Padua, has increasingly found his feet in recent months, as the middle blockers have been impacted at various times by the absences of starters, most notably Loser, who is recovering from recent meniscus surgery. Crosato has always been ready, first and foremost to help the team, and then to make the most of this great opportunity for personal growth: “It couldn’t have ended any better. These were two really intense days, but we played great volleyball, and I’m happy about that, especially to have contributed. I’m so happy!”
