Two sub-in players took charge to lead Rana Verona to their first win of the Italian SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 season. Noumory Keita and Aidan Zingel stepped in to help their team please the home crowd with two comebacks from a set down against Cisterna Volley in one of the six second-leg matches that unfolded over the weekend.
Superlega 2024/25
Keita and Zingel step in to drag Verona to first win in Italy
Recap of Italian SuperLega’s second-leg matches
Published 06:10, 07 Oct 2024
Noumory Keita receives his MVP of the match award
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Coach Radostin Stoytchev used Keita as a substitution during the first set, but then left him among the starters for the next four as the move paid off with an impressive 28-point match high from the Malian outside hitter towards a 3-2 (20-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-14, 15-13) victory. Keita spiked 27 points at a 60% success rate and added a kill block to his game tally as he earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) nomination. Australian-born middle blocker Aidan Zingel’s entrance also proved very helpful for his team’s success in this match. He was subbed in during set three and stayed on as a starter in sets four and five, chipping in four kills in attack at a 100% success rate, one ace and one kill block towards Verona’s win. Danish opposite Mads Kyed Jensen and Czech outside Donovan Dzavoronok reached the double digits with 15 and 13 points, respectively, for the winners, while Spanish outside Jordi Ramon and French opposite Theo Faure helped Cisterna stay competitive with 23 points apiece, supported by Turkish outside Efe Bayram with another 14. It was Verona’s first win of the season that placed them eighth in the current standings on 2 points and a 1-1 win-loss record. Cisterna are 11th on 1 and 0-2.
“There were many ups and downs in this match. We played two sets at a very high level and managed to impose ourselves. Verona played very high-level volleyball. Such a long match was tough for both sides, but in the end they got the better of it,” commented Cisterna’s libero Domenico Pace.
💛💙 CHE BATTAGLIA AL PALA AGSM AIM: RANA VERONA MANDA K.O. CISTERNA AL TIE-BREAK
— Verona Volley (@VeronaVolley) October 6, 2024
💪💪💪 Prima vittoria stagionale per gli scaligeri, che sbloccano il proprio campionato: https://t.co/esA7uyqHvv#RanaVerona #VeronaVolley #NoiVerona #volleyball #Superlega pic.twitter.com/AQzjw4Enmo
In another five-setter on Sunday, reigning club world champions and defending Italian champions Sir Susa Vim Perugia survived a tough battle at Sonepar Padova Padua, squeezing out their second win, but also losing their first point of the season. Japanese outside Yuki Ishikawa led Sir with 16 points, including two kill blocks, on the way to a rollercoaster 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 21-25, 26-24, 15-10) victory and claimed the MVP honours. Argentinean middle Agustin Loser and Polish outside Kamil Semeniuk added 14 points each. On Padova’s side, Serbian opposite Veljko Masulovic hammered out a 22-point match high, while outsides Marko Sedlacek of Croatia and Luca Porro added another 13 and 12 points, respectively. After this leg, the team from Perugia is in third place on 5 and 2-0, while their opponents from Padua are 10th on 1 and 0-2.
“Many things worked. Otherwise we wouldn’t be here talking about a fifth set,” said Padova’s head coach Jacopo Cuttini. “The boys played exceptionally well. They were splendid in applying the game plan. We had prepared the match very carefully, hoping to be able to take advantage of some of their weaknesses, because we know their strengths well. I'm sorry about the fourth set, because we played at a very high level.”
🎥 Gli highlights della seconda giornata di Superlega!
— Sir Safety Perugia (@SIRVolleyPG) October 6, 2024
👉 https://t.co/VQvPfpS6rd pic.twitter.com/0DEbkJbhho
The other four matches of the leg were resolved in straight sets.
Most surprisingly, last season’s silver medallists Mint Vero Volley Monza failed to take a set at home against Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza. In Saturday’s leg opener, Gas Sales’ Cuban middle Robertlandy Simon raised four kill blocks and spiked at a 62% success rate to finish with 12 points towards his team’s hard-fought 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-23) sweep and earn the MVP recognition. Canadian outside Stephen Maar added another 12 points for the visitors, while his compatriot, Vero Volley’s opposite Arthur Szwarc, produced the match high of 15 points.
Gas Sales improved to 6 and 2-0 and stand second to Itas Trentino Trento on point ratio. Trentino scored their second win in a home game against Gioiella Prisma Taranto, in which outside Alessandro Michieletto led the European champions to a 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 26-24) victory with 17 points to his name.
Last season’s bronze medallists Allianz Milan bounced back from the straight-set loss of their season opener in Taranto with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-22) home win over Cucine Lube Civitanova. Belgian opposite Ferre Reggers was the best scorer of the match with 18 points for the winners. On 3 and 1-1 each, Allianz and Lube are fifth and seventh in the standings, respectively, with Gioiella Prisma in between.
Above them in fourth place, also on 3 and 1-1, are Valsa Group Modena, who delivered a 3-0 (25-16, 26-24, 25-14) shutout of SuperLega rookies Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina. Austrian opposite Paul Buchegger contributed a match-high 17 points towards the home team’s first win of the season.
The third leg will take place next weekend, with two games on Saturday, October 12, and another four on Sunday, October13.
SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 3rd leg:
Oct 12, 18:00 local (16:00 UTC): Valsa Group Modena v Sir Susa Vim Perugia
Oct 12, 20:30 local (18:30 UTC): Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina v Rana Verona
Oct 13, 16:00 local (14:00 UTC): Cucine Lube Civitanova v Mint Vero Volley Monza
Oct 13, 17:00 local (15:00 UTC): Gioiella Prisma Taranto v Sonepar Padova Padua
Oct 13, 18:00 local (16:00 UTC): Cisterna Volley v Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza
Oct 13, 19:00 local (17:00 UTC): Allianz Milan v Itas Trentino Trento
