Italy: Simón and Juantorena lead Lube to win at start of playoff finals vs. Perugia. Modena and Ravenna ok for 5th place.

Cucine Lube Civitanova snatched the home ground advantage in the 2020/21 Italian Superlega Credem Banca finals from Sir Safety Conad Perugia.
Even though there’s no audience on the stands, cancelling the home ground advantage in the playoff finals is always productive: that’s what the 2nd-seed did to regular-season winners Perugia in Game 1 of the Scudetto battle: 3-1 (25:23, 22:25, 25:20, 25:20).

The winners proved more precise in the key moments of the match, while the hosts made too many errors, especially from the service line, but also in attack on many decisive balls (45% against 55% of the winners.)
On Sunday Game 2 at Eurosuole in Civitanova will be played, with Perugia again in the uncomfortable position of being at a disadvantage in the series, as in all key moments this season, from the quarter-finals against Milano, but also against Modena in Champions League. Still today Atanasijevic was missing, with Ter Horst (7/16 in attack, 4 blocks suffered and therefore only 27% in attack) who, after a start as opposite, was used as outside-hitter, but even Muzaj does not do better: 3/11, 27%, 1 block suffered and an error.
Best scorer of Perugia was Leon with 17 points, while the MVP of the Game was elected the same role Osmany Juantorena who, with the Lube jersey, attacks at 52% and scores 1 block.
However, it doesn’t happen very often that a middle blocker ends the match as the top scorer, not only in his team but in the entire match!
Cuban Robertlandy Simón is everything but an ordinary middle blocker, as he scored 21 points (77% attack, 17/22) today!

In the matches of the serie for fifth place, Consar Ravenna defeats Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia in straight sets, while Leo Shoes Modena, despite Sabbi’s 32 points, wins at the tie break on the Top Volley Cisterna field.

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| Play Off SuperLega Credem Banca
| FINAL – Game 1 – April 14, 2021

• Sir Safety Conad Perugia – Cucine Lube Civitanova 1-3 (23:25, 25:22, 20:25, 20:25)
Sir Safety Conad Perugia: Travica 6, Leon Venero 17, Russo 7, Ter Horst 9, Plotnytskyi 9, Solé 8, Biglino (L), Vernon-Evans 0, Colaci (L), Zimmermann 0, Ricci 0, Muzaj 6, Piccinelli 0. N.E. Atanasijevic. Coach. Heynen.
Cucine Lube Civitanova: De Cecco 0, Juantorena 15, Simon 21, Rychlicki 13, Leal 18, Anzani 3, Larizza (L), Balaso (L), Marchisio 0, Kovar 0. N.E. Yant Herrera, Diamantini, Hadrava, Falaschi. Coach. Blengini.

| Game 2 – April 18
• Cucine Lube Civitanova – Sir Safety Conad Perugia 2-3 (25:21, 21:25, 25:27, 25:23, 12:15)

| Game 3 – April 21
• Sir Safety Conad Perugia-Cucine Lube Civitanova 0-3 (20:25, 18:25, 14:25)

| Game 4 – April 24
• Cucine Lube Civitanova – Sir Safety Conad Perugia 3-1 (25:20, 25:22, 21:25, 25:21)

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| Superlega CredemBanca Playoffs for 5th Place | Round 6

| April 14, 2021
• Consar Ravenna-Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia 3-0 (25:23, 25:22, 25:18)
Consar Ravenna: Redwitz 3, Recine 12, Grozdanov 10, Pinali 12, Zonca 12, Mengozzi 5, Giuliani (L), Arasomwan 0, Batak 0, Pirazzoli (L), Koppers 0, Grottoli 0. N.E. Orioli, Stefani. Coach. Bonitta.
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia: Saitta 0, Defalco 20, Chinenyeze 8, Dirlic 7, Corrado 6, Gargiulo 1, Fioretti (L), Drame Neto 1, Rizzo (L), Sardanelli 0, Cester 0, Chakravorti 0, Almeida Cardoso 0. N.E. Coach. Baldovin.

• Top Volley Cisterna-Leo Shoes Modena 2-3 (29:27, 24:26, 25:21, 23:25, 15:17)
Top Volley Cisterna: Seganov 1, Tillie 15, Szwarc 8, Sabbi 32, Cavuto 11, Krick 17, Rondoni (L), Cavaccini (L), Onwuelo 0, Sottile 0. N.E. Rossato, Rossi. Coach. Kovac.
Leo Shoes Modena: Christenson 4, Rinaldi 16, Bossi 11, Buchegger 9, Karlitzek 12, Stankovic 6, Mazzone (L), Porro 1, Grebennikov (L), Vettori 8, Estrada Mazorra 2. N.E. Petric, Gollini, Sanguinetti. Coach. Giani.

| April 15
• Allianz Milano-NBV Verona 0-3 (19:25, 17:25, 11:25)
• Kioene Padova-Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza 1-3 (25:23, 18:25, 19:25, 19:25)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

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| STANDINGS (updated on April 14)
Allianz Milano 13
Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza 10
Consar Ravenna 10
Leo Shoes Modena 9
Top Volley Cisterna 8
Kioene Padova 7
NBV Verona 6
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia 3.
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| NEXT ROUND

| Superlega CredemBanca Playoffs for 5th Place | Round 7

| April 18, 2021
• Leo Shoes Modena – Kioene Padova
• Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza – Consar Ravenna
• NBV Verona – Top Volley Cisterna
• Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia – Allianz Milano

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