Champions League: Lube win tie-break against European champions ZAKSA, Perugia sweep Fenerbahçe

Only two matches of 2022 CEV Champions League were played on Wednesday and, given the current situation, Italy’s Cucine Lube Civitanova made a feat by beating Poland’s ZAKSA Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle in Pool C.
On the court of the European champions ZAKSA in Gliwice, in front of 6,000 home fans, Lube overturned the predictions and debuted in 2022 with a 3-2 victory. Thus, Gianlorenzo Blengini’s side, even though deprived of the help from Juantorena and Kovář, and with Zaytsev as a backup, partially redeemed for the defeat from ZAKSA in the Golden Set of the quarter-finals in 2021.
Thus, Lube maintained the leadership of the group, reaching 8 points (3-0), right in front of ZAKSA (7 points, 2-1), whose 14-game run counting all competitions came to an end. Cuban Robertlandy Simón top-scored the winning side with 19 points (4 of Lube’s 16 winning blocks!) through 71% attack (15/21), but MVP award goes to De Cecco.

Luciano De Cecco, setter of Cucine Lube Civitanova and MVP: “After two weeks in which many of us were locked up at home due to Covid, the first good news tonight is that we finally could get back to the court playing a game. The second is of course that we also managed to perform a good volleyball, giving our best and then bringing home some well-deserved and important points for the pool standings. We still have a lot to improve, this for sure, but tonight it’s definitely okay, given the circumstances. Playing in Poland is always beautiful, especially in a stunning sport hall like the one that saw us protagonists today together with Zaksa”.

Aleksander Śliwka, captain of Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle: “We are very happy because we could not play in the full line up , but despite that my team was very ambitious in this match. We knew that the rival would not let go until the very end, and even more so, it is a valuable win.”

Gianlorenzo Blengini, head coach of Cucine Lube Civitanova: “We didn’t get into the game well and made too many own mistakes in lost sets. We certainly cannot be satisfied with our game, especially in attack, but I must add that the visitors’ team played really well tonight.”

Lube’s compatriots Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia swept Turkey’s Fenerbahçe HDI İstanbul in Pool E, but the final outcome doesn’t show the fight that took place in each of the 3 sets, in a match closed by a great spike against one-man block, Matt Anderson.
The winners took two sets with a 2-point difference, being forced to turn the course of the opening set around.
About numbers, Perugia showed better game on the different counts: 49 to 44 winning spikes, five to three blocks, six to four aces.
Plotnytskyi with 52% positive reception was named for MVP of the match.

Oleh Plotnytskyi, Player of Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia: “I am very happy about the victory and the three points won. We were without four players, during the match Russo also had to stop, and some players played in different positions – like me and Ter Horst. But we are a team, and we play as a team. The life of the libero? Really difficult! “.

Dragan Travica, setter of Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia: “We had many missing players. We had to play with a “strange” formation, but we did a great job, and we remained united because tonight this was so much needed. This win that we are taking home, has this special meaning for us.”

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🏐| CEV Champions League 2021/22 – Pool Stage – Day 3 First Leg

🏐| POOL A

👉🏼 Wednesday 12th January
• Hebar Pazardzhik (BUL) – Knack Roeselare (BEL) POSTPONED

| Thursday 13th January, 2022
• VfB Friedrichshafen (GER) – JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel (POL)

| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Jastrzebski Wegiel 6
Knack Roeselare 2
Hebar Pazardzhik 2
VfB Friedrichshafen 2

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🏐| POOL B

| Tuesday 11th January
• Projekt Warszawa (POL) – VC Greenyard Maaseik (BEL) POSTPONED

| Thursday 13th January, 2022
• Ziraat Bankasi Ankara (TUR) – Dinamo Moscow (RUS)

| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Ziraat Bankasi Ankara 6
Dinamo Moscow 5
Projekt Warzawa 1
VC Greenyard Maaseik 0

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🏐| POOL C

| Tuesday 11th January
• Lokomotiv Novosibirsk (RUS) – OK Merkur Maribor (SLO) 3-0 (25:0, 25:0, 25:0)

👉🏼 Wednesday 12th January
• Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn Kozle (POL) – Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) 2-3 (17:25, 25:16, 18:25, 25:22, 12:15)

| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Cucine Lube Civitanova 8
Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn Kozle 7
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk 3
OK Merkur Maribor 0

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🏐| POOL D

👉🏼 Wednesday 12th January
• Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER) – Zenit Saint Petersburg (RUS) POSTPONED
• Sport Lisboa e Benfica (POR) – Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad (SRB) POSTPONED

| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Zenit Saint Petersburg 6
Berlin Recycling Volleys 6
Sport Lisboa e Benfica 0
Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad 0

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🏐| POOL E

👉🏼 Wednesday 12th January

• Fenerbahçe HDI Istanbul (TUR) – Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia (ITA) 0-3 (24:26, 25:27, 22:25)