Itas Trentino Trento got off to a perfect start to the Italian men’s SuperLega Credem Banca championship playoff and mastered a straight-set home victory over Cucine Lube Civitanova in Sunday’s opening match of the best-of-five series. Also on Sunday, the last leg of the round-robin phase in the fifth-place playoffs was held and Valsa Group Modena vs Sonepar Padova Padua and Allianz Milan vs Rana Verona emerged as the two semifinal fixtures in the continuing race for a ticket to Europe’s CEV Challenge Cup.
Superlega 2024/25
Michieletto fuels Trentino in perfect start to SuperLega final
Recap of Italian SuperLega playoff matches on Sunday
Published 05:36, 28 Apr 2025
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Itas Trentino Trento’s outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto spearheaded his team to a 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-21) shutout of Cucine Lube Civitanova in front of four thousand spectators on the sold-out stands at the ilT quotidiano Arena. He topped the scorers chart with a total of 20 points. Raising four kill blocks, firing an ace and spiking at a 54% success rate, Michieletto earned the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. American opposite Gabriel Garcia contributed another 11 points, including two blocks. Lube did better that Trentino in serving with three of the team’s seven aces authored by Turkish opposite Adis Lagumdzija. He also raised three kill blocks to finish with a total of 17 points, while Bulgarian outside Aleksandar Nikolov put away 13 points. The second match of the series will be played at the Eurosuole Forum in Civitanova Marche on Thursday, May 1, at 18:15 local time (16:15 UTC).
“We started right away with the right energy and enthusiasm,” said Trentino’s setter and captain Riccardo Sbertoli. “Even if we can't predict what awaits us during the series, it is certain that today we were very efficient in approaching the match in the best possible way and I think we were definitely concrete in the moments that required it most. So I am very satisfied.”
In next Saturday’s single-match semifinals of the fifth-place playoffs, Valsa Group Modena will host Sonepar Padova Padua and Allianz Milan will welcome Rana Verona. These fixtures were based on the final standings in the round-robin phase, which ended on Sunday with the matches of the fifth leg.
Valsa Group Modena secured the first place on 12 points and a 4-1 win-loss record with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-17) home victory over Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina, who finished bottom, in sixth place, on 3 and 1-4. Cuban outside Jose Gutierrez led Modena with 14 points, including two aces and two blocks, while Grottazzolina’s Croatian opposite Gabrijel Cvanciger topped the match charts with 15.
Allianz Milan earned the second place on 9 and 3-2 after a 3-0 (25-20, 28-26, 25-21) home win over Cisterna Volley, who remained below the cut-off, in fifth place on 5 and 2-3. Outside hitter Davide Gardini led the way with 15 points, including two blocks and an ace.
Sonepar Padova Padua booked a spot among the semifinalists after a tight 3-0 (26-24, 32-30, 25-22) sweep of their home game against Rana Verona. Padova climbed to fourth place on 7 and 2-3, while Verona dropped to third on 9 and 3-2, behind Allianz on set ratio. While Malian opposite Noumory Keita fired a match-high 23 points for the visitors, his counterpart Tommaso Stefani led the winners with 16 points.
SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 championship playoff, 2nd leg:
May 01, 18:15 local (16:15 UTC): Cucine Lube Civitanova v Itas Trentino Trento
SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 third-place playoff, 1st leg:
Apr 29, 20:30 local (18:30 UTC): Sir Susa Vim Perugia v Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza
SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 fifth-place semifinals:
May 03, 17:30 local (15:30 UTC): Allianz Milan v Rana Verona
May 03, 17:30 local (15:30 UTC): Valsa Group Modena v Sonepar Padova Padua
