Superlega 2023

What a weekend! Three clashes between top-eight teams in Italy

Watch the 15th leg of Italian SuperLega matches live on VBTV

Published 08:33, 19 Jan 2024

Gas Sales’ Yoandy Leal against Trentino (source: legavolley.it)

Gas Sales’ Yoandy Leal is expected to appear in a SuperLega match for the first time since November after recovering from his calf injury

A great weekend is coming up for the fans of the Italian men’s SuperLega Credem Banca. The 15th-leg programme offers as many as three head-to-head clashes between top-eight teams in the current standings on Saturday and Sunday.

  • Watch Italy’s SuperLega Credem Banca live and on demand on VBTV.

One match is scheduled on Saturday and that is the fixture between Valsa Group Modena and Sir Susa Vim Perugia, starting at 18:00 local time (17:00 UTC) at the PalaPanini. The home team is in eighth place on 19 points and an 8-6 win-loss record, while the reigning club world champions and Supercoppa Italiana trophy holders are second on 34 and 11-3. Last Sunday Modena put an end to an unpleasant four-game streak without winning a single set with a 3-2 victory at Mint Vero Volley Monza, while Sir extended their positive series without a set lost to four matches.

Within those streaks was the Del Monte Coppa Italia quarterfinal in Perugia in early January when the home team mastered a win over Valsa Group with a 14-point match high from Polish international Kamil Semeniuk. When the two teams met in November for a SuperLega fourth-leg fixture, also in Perugia, Sir claimed a victory with Tunisian opposite Wassim Ben Tara leading the way with 18 points. In fact, the club from Perugia is on an eight-game winning streak against the club from Modena, whose most recent success against Sir was achieved in April 2022.

Perugia vs. Modena | Highlights | Coppa Italia | Quarterfinals

“We must continue like this and move forward with the same style of play and attitude seen on Sunday in Monza. We know that it will certainly be a difficult game, but not impossible, because it is a term that does not exist in sports.” Filippo Federici, libero of Valsa Group Modena
“We face our first away match of the year at one of the most difficult venues of the SuperLega. Playing against Modena is always complicated. Previous matches count for little and what matters is taking to the court with the attitude and the attention we had in the last few games. We are aware of the difficulties of the match and the great quality of Modena's players, starting from Bruno and my friend Juantorena as well as all the others, but we will try to take important points for the standings.” Massimo Colaci, libero of Sir Susa Vim Perugia

Sunday’s competition day will start with table leaders Itas Trentino Trento’s visit to third-placed Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza at 16:00 local time (15:00 UTC). The defending champions have 37 points and a 13-1 win-loss record, while last year’s Coppa Italia winners are on 32 and 10-4. While Gas Sales are on a four-match winning run between the SuperLega and the CEV Champions League, this week Trentino ended their nine-game winning streak with a five-set loss at home to Poland’s Asseco Resovia Rzeszow, but still topped the final standings in their Champions League pool.

When the two teams met in Trento in November, the home side celebrated a win with an 18-point contribution from Alessandro Michieletto. The two clubs have met 20 times so far and Trentino have won 14 of those encounters. In the 2023 calendar year alone, they faced each other a total of eight times and Gas Sales have won on four occasions, including the Coppa Italia final in February. Trentino, however, celebrated in three of the five games of their SuperLega semifinal playoff series to advance to the final and go on to triumph as champions.

“Regardless of this week’s defeat, we must start again with our heads held high, also because the match at Piacenza awaits us on Sunday.” Jan Kozamernik, middle blocker of Itas Trentino Trento

Later on Sunday, at 18:00 (17:00), Cucine Lube Civitanova will welcome Allianz Milan to the Eurosuole Forum in an attempt to get back at them for the straight-set loss in November. Back then, Allianz produced a shutout of Lube. Their Belgian opposite Ferre Reggers led the team with 15 points, while Lube’s Turkish opposite Adis Lagumdzija delivered the match high of 16 points.

The two teams are neighbours in the table on 25 points each. The squad from Civitanova is fourth on 9-5, while the boys from Milan are fifth on 8-6. Earlier this week, they played matches in the European Cups. While Lube hammered out a straight-set victory over Belgium’s Greenyard Maaseik at home and finished on top of their Champions League pool standings to advance to the quarterfinals, Allianz lost to Poland’s Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie in straight sets, also at home, and were eliminated from the CEV Cup quarterfinals.

“We have to move forward. An important challenge awaits us on Sunday and this victory gives us morale to face it in the best possible way. We hope to fight with all our strength against Allianz Milan.” Luciano De Cecco, setter of Cucine Lube Civitanova

Also on Sunday, sixth-placed Mint Vero Volley Monza (21, 7-7) visit 11th-placed Gioiella Prisma Taranto (11, 2-12) at 16:30 (15:30). At 18:00 (17:00), seventh-placed Rana Verona (20, 7-7) host bottom-of-the-table Farmitalia Catania (4, 1-13), before ninth-placed Cisterna Volley (13, 4-10) and 10th-placed Pallavolo Padova Padua (11, 4-10) close the weekend with a game starting at 19:00 (18:00).

SuperLega Credem Banca 2023-2024 15th leg:
Jan 20, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Valsa Group Modena v Sir Susa Vim Perugia
Jan 21, 16:00 local (15:00 UTC): Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza v Itas Trentino Trento
Jan 21, 16:30 local (15:30 UTC): Gioiella Prisma Taranto v Mint Vero Volley Monza
Jan 21, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Rana Verona v Farmitalia Catania
Jan 21, 18:00 local (17:00 UTC): Cucine Lube Civitanova v Allianz Milan
Jan 21, 19:00 local (18:00 UTC): Cisterna Volley v Pallavolo Padova Padua

SuperLega Credem Banca 2023-2024: full schedule and results

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