1st day of Group: Saturday at 20:00 Verona hosts Milan. Sunday at 18:00 Modena and Padova will be on the field, at 19:00 Cisterna will face Grottazzolina
The hunt for the pass for the Volleyball Challenge Cup 2026 opens over the weekend with the first round of the Credem Banca 5th Place Play Off Group. Competing in a one-way Italian tournament are the four teams eliminated in the Play Off Scudetto Quarter Finals, namely Verona, Milan, Modena and Cisterna, but also the two teams that finished the Regular Season in ninth and tenth place, namely Padova and Grottazzolina. At the end of this new phase, the top four in the standings will compete in the Cross-Semifinals in a single match on the field of the two best-placed teams in the Group. Similar criteria for the single Final between the two winners. The challenges, all with exclusive live streaming by VBTV, are inaugurated by the advance of tomorrow, Saturday 5 April, at 20.00, between Rana Verona, fourth force of the championship, and Allianz Milano, sixth at the end of the first phase. Two appointments on Sunday 6 April. It begins at 18.00 with the match between Valsa Group Modena and Sonepar Padova, respectively seventh and ninth in the final ranking before the direct clashes; the challenge between Emilia and Veneto is the n. 112 between the two teams and becomes alone the most played match ever in Serie A, leaving behind Civitanova – Modena (111). At 19.00, instead, it ends with Cisterna Volley – Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina, eighth and tenth seeds of the SuperLega Credem Banca.
1st Round – Play Off 5° Place Credem Banca
Sabato 5 aprile 2025, ore 20.00
Rana Verona – Allianz Milano
Arbitri: Cavalieri Alessandro Pietro, Papadopol Veronica Mioara (Cecconato Luca)
Video Check: Spiazzi Ivan
Segnapunti: Ferrara Federico
Diretta VBTV
Domenica 6 aprile 2025, ore 18.00
Valsa Group Modena – Sonepar Padova
Arbitri: Santoro Angelo, Vagni Ilaria (Pasquali Fabio)
Video Check: Fallica Davide Basilio
Segnapunti: Bergonzini Eleonora
Diretta VBTV
Domenica 6 aprile 2025, ore 19.00
Cisterna Volley – Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina
Arbitri: Salvati Serena, Serafin Denis (Grossi Dario)
Video Check: Diana Tommaso
Segnapunti: Moretti Nicolina
Diretta VBTV
Play Off 5° Place History
The Play Off 5th place has reached its ninth edition this year. Below is the history of the competition with the winner in relief.
2023/24. All the teams that did not qualify for the Quarter Finals (Cisterna Volley and Pallavolo Padova) participate, with the exception of the team that ranked 11th, and the teams eliminated from the Quarter Finals (Rana Verona, Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza, Valsa Group Modena, Cucine Lube Civitanova). The formula consists of a one-way round robin (5 games for each team). Then Semi-finals between the best 4 of the group and then Final, to be played in a single match at the home of the best-ranked team at the end of the group. The winner is qualified for the Challenge Cup 2024/25.
Participating: Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza, Cucine Lube Civitanova, Rana Verona, Valsa Group Modena, Cisterna Volley, Pallavolo Padova.
2022/23. The 9th, 10th and 11th ranked teams (Top Volley Cisterna, Pallavolo Padova and Gioiella Prisma Taranto) of the Regular Season participated in the Preliminaries, creating a round-robin round-robin. The Preliminaries qualify the best ranked team for the main draw of five teams, with Padova winning the Preliminaries and reaching the teams eliminated in the Scudetto Quarterfinals (Sir Safety Susa Perugia, WithU Verona, Valsa Group Modena and Vero Volley Monza). The five participants play a one-way round-robin of 5 days, then Semifinals and Final.
Participating: Sir Safety Susa Perugia, WithU Verona, Valsa Group Modena, Vero Volley Monza and Pallavolo Padova (Top Volley Cisterna and Gioiella Prisma Taranto eliminated in the preliminaries).
2016/17. 10 teams at the start. It starts with the Round of 16 best of 3 for four teams: Latina-Milan, Padua-Sora. Then the Quarterfinals with best of 5 with the addition of the four teams that came down from the Quarterfinals (Piacenza, Monza, Verona and Vibo) and the two waiting (Molfetta and Ravenna). In the Final Four in Verona, Ravenna beats the hosts and then defeats Piacenza to win the Challenge.
2015/16. In 2015/16 they are played by 8 teams. First a Pool of 4 is played between the teams that came 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th as a reclassification in 3 games. Then, with the new ranking, a scoreboard is made up with the 4 teams that came down from the Quarterfinals. Quarterfinals 2 out of 3, Final Four organized in Verona. In the final Piacenza will beat Latina.
2013/14. In 2013/14 they are played by 8 teams, with home and away matches with Golden Set. The formula provides a double possibility of scoreboard, depending on whether the participants acquire a European cup title during the course. Ravenna beats Cuneo in the single final, in what – only a few weeks later – will be discovered to be the last match of the Piedmontese team.
2011/12. The first edition of 2011/12 is conceived as a development of an innovative Play Off in the Olympic year of London 2012. The Play Off Scudetto divides the teams into 4 days of 3. And while the first classified go to the Semifinali Scudetto, the second ones participate in the Play Off Challenge which assigns the 5th place and therefore a European pass. Piacenza wins it.
