Italian SuperLega Credem Banca rookies Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina, who seemed doomed before achieving their first ever win in the first division less than a month ago, have already collected three victories in their last four matches and are no longer stuck at the bottom of the current standings. Led by their young Bulgarian outside Georgi Tatarov, they put together an away win over Sonepar Padova Padua for the most surprising result in the 15th-leg matches that took place on Sunday and Monday.
Superlega 2024/25
Tatarov on fire as Grotazzolina continue their rise
Recap of Italian SuperLega 15th-leg matches
Published 06:07, 07 Jan 2025
Grottazzolina’s Georgi Tatarov spikes over a three-man Padova block
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21-year-old Tatarov contributed a match-high 19 points, including one ace and one kill block, towards Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina’s 3-1 (19-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-22) victory at Sonepar Padova Padua and earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Canadian middle blocker Danny Demyanenko put up three stuffs towards a 16-point tally, outside Michele Fedrizzi fired four aces to finish with 14 points, while Croatian opposite Gabrijel Cvanciger added another 13. Another Croatian, outside Marko Sedlacek, led the home team with 14 points, while Dutch middle Fabian Plak and Serbian opposite Veljko Masulovic added 11 apiece. This win lifted Grottazzolina to 10th place on 12 points and a 3-12 win-loss record, just a point below Padova, who stand ninth on 13 and 4-10 with a game in hand.
“I can only say ‘thank you’ to the entire team that pushed so hard in every fundamental because we knew how important it was to win this match,” Tatarov commented. “Today we demonstrated the strength of this group, apart from the first set, in which we didn't start very well, but we did it at our best from the second to the fourth with many excellent plays. We are very happy to have achieved such an important result. All these positive results are fundamental in our goal to remain in the SuperLega.”
In the table, Grottazzzolina surpassed both Mint Vero Volley Monza and Gioiella Prisma Taranto, who lost their 15th-leg matches. On Sunday, Prisma could take only a set at home against third-placed Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza and dropped to 11th place on 10 and 3-12. The visitors from Piacenza claimed a 3-1 (31-29, 21-25, 25-23, 25-22) victory to improve to 32 and 11-4. Their Canadian outside Stephen Maar and his Prisma counterpart Tim Held shared the top scorer honours with 18 points each.
In a game between two of the teams that made the podium last season, bronze medallists Allianz Milan battled it out for a hard-fought 3-0 (42-40, 28-26, 25-23) home win over silver medallists Mint Vero Volley Monza on Monday evening. Allianz’s Belgian opposite Ferre Reggers and his Canadian counterpart on Vero Volley’s side Arthur Szwarc topped the scorers’ chart with 20 points apiece. While Allianz consolidated their place among the top six on 24 and 8-7, the team from Monza fell to the relegation zone at the very bottom of the table, 12th place on 9 and 4-11.
A straight-set outcome was produced in the most anticipated clash of the leg. In Sunday’s opener, hosts Cucine Lube Civitanova mastered a 3-0 (27-25, 25-19, 25-14) shutout of Rana Verona. The best scorer laurels went to two players in this match as well. Lube’s outside Mattia Bottolo and Verona’s Malian opposite Noumory Keita put away 13 points each. This result opened a three-point gap between the two teams. Lube are fourth on 30 and 9-5 with a game in hand, while Verona are in fifth place on 27 and 9-6.
Defending champions and table leaders Sir Susa Vim Perugia remained undefeated, now on 41 and 15-0, after a 3-0 (25-11, 25-20, 25-23) sweep on the road at Cisterna Volley, who are in seventh place on 15 and 5-9. Sir’s Japanese outside Yuki Ishikawa was the most prolific scorer of the match with 19 points.
In Monday’s closing match, second-placed Itas Trentino Trento also celebrated a win on the road, but in a hard-fought four-setter, 3-1 (23-25, 27-25, 25-22, 27-25) over Valsa Group Modena. Outside hitters Daniele Lavia of Trentino and Belarus’s Uladzislau Davyskiba of Modena led the match scorers with 16 points each. The reigning European champions improved to 36 and 12-2, while Valsa Group stand eighth on 15 and 5-10.
The games of the 16th leg will take place next weekend, with one match on Saturday, January 11, and five on Sunday, January 12.
SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 16th leg:
Jan 11, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza v Sonepar Padova Padua
Jan 12, 16:00 local (15:00 UTC): Mint Vero Volley Monza v Valsa Group Modena
Jan 12, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Rana Verona v Allianz Milan
Jan 12, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Sir Susa Vim Perugia v Itas Trentino Trento
Jan 12, 19:00 local (18:00 UTC): Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina v Gioiella Prisma Taranto
Jan 12, 19:00 local (18:00 UTC): Cisterna Volley v Cucine Lube Civitanova
