Italy – Superlega 2017/2018

  • Whatever the severity. I hope nothing of negative consequence happens. I've always been pro-players. The sport doesn't pay too well especially for men. Heard enough from Clayton Stanley's recent interview and so sad to hear a champion can't jump anymore without feeling some pain.


    Bulgaria sucks. Other national teams would probably have some control over their players' health conditions.


    I guess either he took the shot or Lube is really lying about his condition. That's just my hot take anyway.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • The 4th set was so suddenly dominated by Modena (from 13-13 to 25-27) that I missed the end of the set.


    After all Milano won 3-0 but with three set went to advantages (one won by Padova, two by Milano)

  • Seems to me that Giannelli or specifically Lorenzetti wanted to bring back the confidence of Vettori.


    Giannelli is still under-using Vettori. The number of balls he sent to Vettori is too low for an opposite and Lanza or Kovacevic depending on who passes the ball the less gets the most difficult sets and as obvious... the most errors in attacks.


    If I have to guess... Giannelli probably still doesn't trust Vettori but limiting the sets to him to only high percentage kills and forcing the out of system attacks to the OHs is the game plan.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

    Edited once, last by Rains_of_Castamere ().

  • I agree, and if you think about it last year it was practically the same even with Stokr and Nelli: all the trash to Lanza and Urnaut.
    Luckily (well, it's not a coincidence he was aired) Kovacevic is a master of trash balls. Lanza for me is great in that as well, but last season he was more effective than this one.

  • I agree, and if you think about it last year it was practically the same even with Stokr and Nelli: all the trash to Lanza and Urnaut.
    Luckily (well, it's not a coincidence he was aired) Kovacevic is a master of trash balls. Lanza for me is great in that as well, but last season he was more effective than this one.


    I won't say Giannelli gave all the trash balls to Lanza/Urnaut last year but it was definitely not a team reliant on the opposite.


    This time... it felt like Giannelli is limiting Vettori to the number of balls a defensive OH gets from their last two games that Vettori was a titular including the champions league loss to ZAKSA.


    I have to say however I am missing Giannelli's dump attacks. It's not that efficient anymore. Is it because the opposite is not also that as efficient? I feel Stokr and even Nelli are better than what they have this season. Not having enough threats from all corners of Trento's offense could be causing this...

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

    Edited 2 times, last by Rains_of_Castamere ().

  • I have to say however I am missing Giannelli's dump attacks. It's not that efficient anymore.


    I must admit I've never been a great lover of Giannelli second touches (except the real spiked ones one flying balls), I think they're often predictable and even if not quite 'diggable'. Only at the very beginning when he was still unknown I had the impression they were truly effective.
    Anyway I agree that it's getting a bit worst.
    Having said that, One or two matches ago he did something I don't remember I've seen him doing (probably I wrote it already), it was an Ognjienovic second tour style: he was setting from about 1 meters from the net and 'set' the ball (with two hands) in the middle of the other court. That was pretty nice.

  • Love him or hate him... Sirci going to Maldives to get married gives me life. :gone:


    https://youtu.be/DCjw0feYDpg :cup:

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Latina took a set away from Perugia.


    Perugia is playing without Russell. Currently a big lead for Perugia in the second set though.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Although the match between Perugia and Modena didn't mean anything at all for the standings... That still got to be the best match of the season in my opinion!


    I thought Bruno showed De Cecco the ropes. His decisiveness and acrobatics were the keys in that victory De Cecco may have better hands but that's just it for him. Bruno taking all kinds of risk paid off for Modena. I guess that's the difference between the two setters. Wish De Cecco can be more perceptive about the game.


    De Cecco's decisions make me want to scratch my head. Russell is your clutch hitter and you literally forget about him until it's too late. :white:

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • I missed the match... But it's incredible how Perugia can lose again and again against Modena even when they're at the top and Modena has to deal with the injuries... It gives another taste to Trento victories :P

  • so Lube is playing with sooooo injured Juantorena in a meaningless match.Is he really injured? I don't think so
    Perugia is also playing with full squad


    In the first set Sokolov started to serve when they were down 17-10 and served 12 times included 6 aces :what: They won the first set

  • So the only match worth watching tonight is Verona and Piacenza?


    Perugia is playing Berger by the way.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Final Standings



    Team Points Won Lost


    Sir Safety Conad Perugia 70 23 3
    Cucine Lube Civitanova 64 22 4
    Azimut Modena 60 20 6
    Diatec Trentino 51 18 8
    Calzedonia Verona 50 18 8
    Revivre Milano 44 14 12
    Wixo LPR Piacenza 42 15 11
    Bunge Ravenna 41 14 12

    Kioene Padova 35 11 15
    Gi Group Monza 28 9 17
    Taiwan Excellence Latina 25 7 19
    Vibo Valentia 13 4 22
    Biosì Indexa Sora 13 4 22
    BCC Castellana Grotte 10 3 23



    So, for me the biggest delusion was Vibo Valentia, while the biggest surprise was Ravenna which I didn't expect to grab the play offs. Milano isn't a surprise for me because I expected from them to be were they are, or may be behind Piacenza. But it's still a nice surprise that they managed to do that with so many injuries along the way.


    I expected something more from Modena in term of victories/points, but after all I would have bet on the third standing, and same goes for Trento as 4th (but at least – beside today match – they recovered decently from the bad beginning: since they woke up in the match vs Latina, they only lost against the top 2 – plus Monza today, but the tie break didn't matter).


    I would have also bet on Lube being first and Perugia second, but beside that and Milano/Piacenza the top 7 and the bottom 2 are how I thought they would have been. On the other hand, I thought Latina and especially Vibo would have been more competitive.
    EDIT: sorry, I hadn't realized that the last one is Castellana, not Sora! So also the top 2 is switched from what I expected.