Alan Nine
Consoli Sferc Brescia lifted the first trophy of the Italian club season, while Vallefoglia held off a Scandicci fightback and Conegliano recorded another straight-sets win in the women’s top flight. In pre-season action, Trentino and Piacenza set up an all-Italian final in Cagliari.
Men’s Serie A2: Brescia sweep Pineto to lift Super Cup
Consoli Sferc Brescia avenged last season’s final defeat with a commanding 3-0 victory over defending champions Abba Pineto (25-23, 25-21, 25-17), claiming their second Del Monte Supercoppa A2 title in Roseto degli Abruzzi.
Manuele Lucconi led all scorers with 18 points and earned MVP honours, taking his tally for Brescia beyond 500 points. Julius Firkal contributed 11 on his Italian debut, while Gabriele Sanfilippo and Nicolò Ciccolella added three blocks apiece. Martin Licek led Pineto with 12 points, followed by Bram Van Den Dries with 11.
After holding off a late Pineto rally in the opening set, Roberto Zambonardi’s side took charge through their serving and blocking. Brescia wrapped up the victory in 87 minutes in front of 2,168 spectators.
Italian women’s leagues: Vallefoglia edge Scandicci, Conegliano power past UYBA
Megabox Ondulati del Savio Vallefoglia regrouped after surrendering a two-set lead to beat Savino Del Bene Scandicci 3-2 (25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 19-25, 15-13).
Bolzonetti spearheaded the victory with 27 points and took the MVP award, while Van Ryk scored 24 for Scandicci. After the visitors fought back to force a decider, Vallefoglia held their nerve to take the fifth set 15-13.
Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano swept aside UYBA Busto Arsizio 3-0 (25-9, 25-21, 27-25), racing through the opener before coming through a much tighter finish.
Haak led all scorers with 18 points, while Folie was named MVP. Conegliano outblocked UYBA 12-4 in front of 4,993 spectators.
In Serie A2, VBC Cremonese secured their first win of the season with a 3-0 victory over Altino (25-20, 25-21, 25-23).
Sara Loda and captain Populini scored 15 points apiece, with Loda collecting MVP honours. Sara Stival finished as the match’s leading scorer with 17 points for Altino, who stayed competitive in all three sets but could not match Cremonese’s composure in the closing stages.
SuperLega pre-season: Trentino and Piacenza set up Cagliari final
Itas Trentino and Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza will contest Sunday’s Sardinia International Volley Cup final after both won their semi-finals in straight sets.
Trentino beat Karlovarsko 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-23), finishing with 12 blocks and converting 55 per cent of their attacks. Jansons scored 12 points against his former club, while Flavio contributed five blocks. Marcelo Méndez’s side also showed their resilience in the third set, overturning a 21-18 deficit to close out the match.
Piacenza defeated Lüneburg 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-19), combining a 59 per cent attack success rate with just one direct attacking error. The final in Cagliari starts at 17:30 on Sunday.
Dermaux fires Milano into Jesi final
Allianz Milano reached the Jesi Volley Cup final with a 3-1 victory over Olympiakos Piraeus (25-17, 19-25, 25-21, 25-22).
Belgian opposite Basil Dermaux delivered 27 points, including seven aces, while Georgi Tatarov added 12. After dropping the second set, Milano strengthened their play at the net, with Rotty and Tenorio making valuable contributions off the bench.
Cisterna finish pre-season with four-set sweep
Cisterna Volley rounded off their preparations by winning all four sets of a training match against Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina (26-24, 25-23, 25-19, 25-23).
The scoreline belied a competitive contest, with three sets settled in the closing exchanges. Cisterna repeatedly worked their way out of difficult positions before finding the points that mattered.
Magalini finished with 18 points for Cisterna, while Guzzo scored 16 for Grottazzolina.
