Superlega 2024/25 - News.

Sir v Lube (source: legavolley.it)

There will be no next match. This is it! Whoever wins the game will book the last ticket to the Italian SuperLega Credem Banca championship final, as Sir Susa Vim Perugia and Cucine Lube Civitanova go head to head for the fifth leg of their best-of-five semifinal series on Thursday, April 24. Meanwhile, the fourth leg of the fifth-place playoffs will take place on Wednesday evening.

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Sir Susa Vim Perugia v Cucine Lube Civitanova

Before the start of their semifinal playoff against Cucine Lube Civitanova, Sir Susa Vim Perugia were probably the slight favorites, based on their more stable performance during the regular season and the home-court advantage earned. However, now that is down to a fifth-match decider, after the two sides beat each other both at home and away, the outcome of Thursday’s encounter is as certain as that of a coin toss. With the result in the series standing at 2-2 in wins, Sir will entertain Lube at the Barton Energy hall at 20:30 local time (18:30 UTC), with the winner of that game set to take on Itas Trentino Trento in the championship playoff for the national title.

Sir hosted the first match of the series and hammered out a 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-22) shutout. In the second game in Civitanova Marche, a five-set battle also went Sir’s way as the Block Devils emerged with a 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-10) victory. In a nail-biting third-leg duel, Lube upset Sir in Perugia, surviving in the series with a 3-2 (25-23, 20-25, 30-28, 22-25, 16-14) away victory. With regained confidence, the squad from Civitanova mastered an emphatic 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-21) sweep of the fourth match at home, leveled the series and forced a fifth-match resolution. The two clubs are also very close in the long-running all-time head-to-head series, with Sir enjoying a slight 36-35 lead in wins.

“I am convinced that the pressure is there. Whatever there is in a challenge you must not push it away, but you must go through it. This team has won a lot and now in a week it finds itself ‘handling’ two defeats. It is a beautiful and demanding task to talk to the boys. We are not telling ourselves that everything is fine, but we are telling ourselves that every moment is something that puts you to the test. We have worked on certain aspects precisely in view of these moments and now these moments have arrived!” Angelo Lorenzetti, head coach of Sir Susa Vim Perugia
“Playing these semifinals is not easy. There is a lot of pressure both for the importance of what is at stake and for the level of play that must be expressed constantly. We are growing – with our attitude on the court, with the ability to stay attached to the match even in difficult moments. We keep these qualities and, above all, we try to bring them with us to the next challenge. We are convinced that we can go to Perugia and put everything we have on the court, convinced of our means. We will try to earn a place in the final.” Giampaolo Medei, head coach of Cucine Lube Civitanova
Fourth leg of fifth-place playoffs

The top two teams in the current standings will open the fourth leg of the fifth-place playoffs on Wednesday, April 23, at 20:00 (18:00). Rana Verona, who stand second on 6 points and a 2-1 win-loss record, will host undefeated table leaders Valsa Group Modena (9, 3-0).

The other two games are set to serve off at 20:30 (18:30), with each of the four participating teams standing on 3 and 1-2. Fourth-placed Cisterna Volley will welcome fifth-placed Sonepar Padova Padua, while sixth-placed Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina will entertain third-placed Allianz Milan.

The top four teams after the full round-robin will advance to the fifth-place semifinals.

SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 semifinal playoffs, 5th leg:
Apr 24, 20:30 local (18:30 UTC): Sir Susa Vim Perugia v Cucine Lube Civitanova

SuperLega Credem Banca 2024-2025 fifth-place playoffs, 4th leg:
Apr 23, 20:00 local (18:00 UTC): Rana Verona v Valsa Group Modena
Apr 23, 20:30 local (18:30 UTC): Cisterna Volley v Sonepar Padova Padua
Apr 23, 20:30 local (18:30 UTC): Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina v Allianz Milan