Lube v Trentino (source: legavolley.it)

There are a number of interesting fixtures in the programme of the 19th leg of Italy’s SuperLega Credem Banca regular season, offering midweek action on Wednesday, February 14. In one of the most anticipated games, defending champions Itas Trentino Trento will host 2023 runners-up Cucine Lube Civitanova in another remake of last season’s final. In another high-level meeting, Rana Verona will try to continue their rise as they welcome Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza. The match between Allianz Milan and Mint Vero Volley Monza will constitute not only a face-to-face encounter between Japanese stars Yuki Ishikawa and Ran Takahashi, but also a direct duel for the sixth place in the current standings. That is the only game that will start at 20:00 local time (19:00 UTC). The other five matches of the 19th leg will get underway half an hour later.

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Itas Trentino Trento lead the standings comfortably on 49 points and a 17-1 win-loss record, eight points clear at the top. Cucine Lube Civitanova are in fourth place on 35 and 13-5, arriving at this encounter on a four-game winning streak in the SuperLega.

The reigning champions achieved an emphatic shutout of Lube in Civitanova, when they last met in early December, in an eighth-leg fixture. Alessandro Michieletto led the winners with a match-high 16 points. Trentino also won the best-of-five championship series in May in the deciding fifth match. However, Lube lead the overall head-to-head series by 53-43.

Civitanova vs. Trentino | Highlights | Superlega | 8a Giornata

“The match against Civitanova has always been a high-level classic of the Italian championship. Cucine Lube, thanks to the many successes achieved recently, are fully in the running to conquer at least third place in the standings and in the Champions League they have secured a ticket to the quarterfinals, winning the pool well in advance. I expect a very close match against a team full of talent, which can make life difficult for any opponent. We are happy to play in front of our fans again, confident that their support will give us a great boost. The meeting will require a determined, quality and continuous performance in all fundamentals.” Fabio Soli, head coach of Itas Trentino Trento
“We want to make life difficult for the league leaders and redeem ourselves after the first match. On the court I might even have a bit of a headache thinking back to the final lost in Trento, but I will look ahead and focus on our game! It will be a good challenge. Lube is now more united thanks to the work in the gym and the bond that is being cemented between us, players. Trentino are a complete and solid rival. It will be essential to focus on the necessary attention to detail in order to create opportunities.” Mattia Bottolo, outside hitter of Cucine Lube Civitanova

Rana Verona have lost only one of their 10 most recent SuperLega matches, to leaders Trentino, and have risen to fifth place on 30 and 11-7. Their next opponents, Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza, on the other hand, have won only one of their four most recent games, but have managed to hold on to the third place on 36 and 11-7.

In early December, Brazilian outside Ricardo Lucarelli led Gas Sales to a home win over Verona with 17 points. With that, the club from Piacenza edged further ahead in the head-to-head, now leading the series by 10-3.

“We have reached the stage, in which the points are crucial for the playoffs. The next two or three matches can change many things and we can go up or down. So it is essential to keep our attention high. Piacenza play well and are very strong at serving. They do a lot of damage with players like Lucarelli, Brizard, Romano... We need to find the right key so as not to waste the chances that arise. It won't be easy at all. We need a lot of positive energy around the team and the support of the fans.” Radostin Stoytchev, head coach of Rana Verona
“Verona are certainly the strongest team in the championship physically. They play excellent volleyball and are strong in every fundamental. It's a young team that has grown a lot over the course of the season and we know that a very difficult match awaits us. We are working to be at our best in the crucial moments of the season. In Verona we will have to fight for every ball.” Andrea Anastasi, head coach of Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza

Allianz Milan are currently sixth on 30 and 9-9, while Mint Vero Volley Monza are right below them, in seventh place on 27 and 9-9. That means that if Vero Volley take the three points from their visit to Milan on Wednesday, they will surpass their opponents in the standings.

Allianz lead the head-to-head by 14-10. They took home a convincing victory from their visit to Monza in December, with Argentinean middle blocker Agustin Loser and Cuban outside Osniel Mergarejo leading the way with 11 points each. Back then, the highly anticipated encounter between the two teams’ Japanese stars did not occur as Ishikawa did not take part in the game. Now the fans are eager to find out if Takahashi has already recovered from his recent injury to face his compatriot on Wednesday.

“We want to do well in tomorrow's match, given that in the first leg Milan put us in great difficulty in all the fundamentals and we were unable to react. It is an opportunity that we want to make the most of, against a very strong team. Typical of such a derby, we feel the drive, the motivation and the desire to succeed.” Massimo Eccheli, head coach of Mint Vero Volley Monza

In the remaining three games of the leg, ninth-placed Cisterna Volley (22, 7-11) host second-placed Sir Susa Vim Perugia (41, 13-5), eighth-placed Valsa Group Modena (22, 9-9) welcome 11th-placed Gioiella Prisma Taranto (11, 2-16), and 12th-placed Farmitalia Catania (5, 1-17) entertain 10th-placed Pallavolo Padova Padua (16, 6-12).

SuperLega Credem Banca 2023-2024 19th leg:
Feb 14, 20:00 local (19:00 UTC): Allianz Milan v Mint Vero Volley Monza
Feb 14, 20:30 local (19:30 UTC): Farmitalia Catania v Pallavolo Padova Padua
Feb 14, 20:30 local (19:30 UTC): Cisterna Volley v Sir Susa Vim Perugia
Feb 14, 20:30 local (19:30 UTC): Itas Trentino Trento v Cucine Lube Civitanova
Feb 14, 20:30 local (19:30 UTC): Rana Verona v Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza
Feb 14, 20:30 local (19:30 UTC): Valsa Group Modena v Gioiella Prisma Taranto