Gioiella Prisma Taranto secure salvation with surprise win in Piacenza

Gioiella Prisma Taranto earned their spot in Italy’s SuperLega Credem Banca for next season, while rookies Farmitalia Catania will be relegated. On Saturday, the team from Taranto claimed a stunning away victory over Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza, while the newcomers lost at Mint Vero Volley Monza, and these results settled the relegation question two legs ahead of the regular season ending.

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In the 20^th leg’s opening game, 11^th-placed Gioiella Prisma Taranto continued Gas Sales’ recent downfall, squeezing out a shocking 3-2 (25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 27-29, 15-13) win that was equivalent to salvation. They collected 14 points and a 3-17 win-loss record and opened a gap of eight points above Farmitalia, which can no longer be wiped out. Meanwhile, for the host team it was the fifth loss over the six most recent matches and they gave up the third place to Cucine Lube Civitanova, descending to fourth on 37 and 11-9.

Gioiella Prisma’s 22-year-old Cuban outside hitter Jose Gutierrez was the man of the match, leading his team to victory with a match-high 32 points, including six aces and two kill blocks. Former Italian international Filippo Lanza added another 13 points for the winners. Middle blocker Giovannimaria Gargiulo finished with 12. Opposite Yuri Romano led the home side with 21 points. Middle Edoardo Caneschi added 11.

“We knew that it would be an important match and that if we won it we would retain our spot in the SuperLega,” MVP Gutierrez said. “We were waiting for it for two weeks and we were training hard every day. This match is so important for us. With the team environment we have we can win any match.”

“We are in a difficult moment, this is evident, a difficult moment, especially mentally and hence also technically,” commented Romano. “We are technically good, but at the moment everything is difficult. The only remedy is to continue working hard in the gym as we are doing.”

Mint Vero Volley Monza showed no mercy for Farmitalia Catania and sentenced them to relegation with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-17) shutout, with Canadian outside Stephen Maar leading the way with 12 points. Farmitalia’s Austrian opposite Paul Buchegger produced the match high of 14 points. The squad from Catania is now hopelessly stuck at the bottom of the table on 6 and 1-19, while Vero Volley are sixth on 33 and 11-9 and already with a safe spot among the quarterfinalists.

Cucine Lube Civitanova took advantage of Gas Sales’ loss to take over the third place, but they were also on the verge of suffering an upset from visiting Cisterna Volley on Sunday. The home side were two sets down before they mounted a furious comeback to a 3-2 (23-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-18, 15-11) win, tying Gas Sales on points, 37 each, but surpassing them on number of wins, 14 against 11. Cisterna, on the other hand improved to 23 and 7-13 in ninth place, just a point below the last available vacancy in the playoffs, currently held by Valsa Group Modena.

Three players shared the top scorer honours of the match. Lube’s Turkish opposite Adis Lagumdzija and Cisterna’s Serbian outside Pavle Peric and French opposite Theo Faure all finished with 22 points each. However, it was Lube’s Cuban outside Marlon Yant, who was among the starters in the last three sets and instrumental to the turnaround, took the MVP award.

Japanese star Yuki Ishikawa shined with five aces and led Allianz Milan’s scorers with a total of 14 points to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-16) home victory over Rana Verona, which finally put an end to the opponent’s great run in the previous 11 matches, in which they had lost only once, to defending champions and table leaders Itas Trentino Trento. Verona’s Malian opposite Noumory Keita produced the match high of 15 points. The two teams are now tied on 33 points each. Rana Verona are still fifth on a 12-8 win-loss record and Allianz are seventh on 10-10, with Vero Volley in between on 11-9, a situation that promises an exciting race for better playoff positions in the remaining two legs.

The two table leaders Itas Trentino Trento and Sir Susa Vim Perugia did not allow any surprises on Sunday and are now sure of finishing the regular season on top of the standings, in that order. First-placed Trentino hammered out a 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-22) shutout of Valsa Group Modena at home, with Modena’s Belarusian opposite Uladzislau Davyskiba topping the charts with 14 points, followed by Trentino’s outside Alessandro Michieletto with 12. The champions improved to 55 and 19-1. Modena are eighth on 24 and 10-10, the only top-eight team still without a locked spot in the playoffs. Second-placed Sir Susa Vim Perugia mastered a 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-23) away win over Pallavolo Padova Padua with a 19-point match high from Tunisian opposite Wassim Ben Tara to improve to 47 and 15-5. Padova are 10^th on 18 and 7-13.

The 21^st leg is scheduled this weekend, with one game on Saturday, February 24, and five matches on Sunday, February 25.

SuperLega Credem Banca 2023-2024 21st leg:
Feb 24, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Pallavolo Padova Padua v Mint Vero Volley Monza
Feb 25, 16:00 local (15:00 UTC): Cucine Lube Civitanova v Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza
Feb 25, 17:00 local (16:00 UTC): Gioiella Prisma Taranto v Allianz Milan
Feb 25, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Valsa Group Modena v Farmitalia Catania
Feb 25, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Sir Susa Vim Perugia v Itas Trentino Trento
Feb 25, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Cisterna Volley v Rana Verona

SuperLega Credem Banca 2023-2024: full schedule and results

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