DISAPPOINTMENTS, BITTERNESS, BUT ALSO HOPES: THE DIFFICULT JOURNEY OF ITALIAN VOLLEYBALL IN EUROPE

Italian volleyball has been put to the test in Europe during the quarter-finals of the 2023 Champions League Volleyball: a negative outcome for the Italian teams.

On the men’s side, three Italian teams were competing for a spot in the semi-finals: Perugia, Trento, and Civitanova. There was considerable regret for the Trentino and Marche teams: the two teams had lost 2-3 and 1-3 in the first leg against their opponents, but later showed great courage and spirit in the return leg, winning 3-2 and 3-1 against their opponents, respectively. However, this was not enough: both teams found themselves having to give up their tickets to the semi-finals to their opponents, losing in the golden set (to 15 points). Despite the disappointments and bitterness, hope remains for the Umbrian team of Perugia, which will face the defending champions, the Polish team Zaksa, in the next stage of the competition. The road will be tough, but Perugia has demonstrated that it has the necessary qualities to challenge the best.

As for women’s volleyball, the situation is still open, as the quarter-final phase is not yet over. Currently, three Italian teams are still in the game: Milan, Conegliano, and Novara. However, the first two teams suffered a 0-3 defeat in their respective first-leg matches against Vakifbank and Fenerbahce, both from Istanbul. On the other hand, the Piedmont team of Novara achieved a victory against the German opponents Allianz MTV Stuttgart. The situation is therefore uncertain, and anything can still happen for the Italian teams competing in the 2023 Women’s Champions League Volleyball.

Good and encouraging news, however, comes from the CEV Cup: the Modena men’s team is in the final and will face the Belgian team Knack Roeselaere, which defeated Piacenza in the semi-finals. On the women’s side, the Florence team, Savino del Bene Scandicci, the tournament favorite, won 3-0 in the first leg against the Turkish team THY Istanbul, and they will only need to win two sets in the return leg to reach the final.

by Hu Zhuohao