After qualifying for the CEV Champions League Final Four obtained on Wednesday at the Palaverde against Resovia, Prosecco DOC Imoco Volley, still unbeaten in the season, already has its sights set on game-2 of the championship play-off quarter-finals against Volley Bergamo. It will be played on Sunday at 5 pm in the new Choruslife Arena in Bergamo which will be inaugurated for the occasion after a year played by the Orobic in Treviglio. The Panthers won game-1 3-0 last Sunday at the Palaverde and have the opportunity to close the series and qualify for the semifinals. Otherwise, game-3 would be played on Wednesday at the Palaverde.
Full team for coach Daniele Santarelli, it is played in the best of 3 challenges in the series.
SCENT OF RECORD: Isabelle Haak, Swedish opposite of Prosecco DOC Imoco, MVP of game 1 with 22 points, is -2 points from reaching and -3 from overtaking Robin De Kruijf in the ranking of points scored “all time” with the yellow-blue jersey: De Kruijf is currently at the top with 2567 points (in nine seasons), followed by Paola Egonu at 2566 (in two and a half seasons) and Isabelle Haak at 2565.
PREVIOUS AND EX: There are 30 previous meetings between the two teams, Volley Bergamo is one of the teams that Prosecco DOC Imoco has faced the most in its history, the Panthers have won 26 times. Former yellow-blue side will be Khalia Lanier, in the Orobic ranks from 2020 to 2023; the opposite Vittoria Piani played for the Panthers in the 2023/24 season and the setter Roberta Carraro in the 2022/23 season, now they play in the ranks of Bergamo
REFEREES: Saltalippi and Armandola
MEDIA: The match will be streamed live on Volleyballworld.tv, live updates and post-match interviews on Imoco Volley’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube channels.
COACH SANTARELLI STATEMENTS
“We are satisfied with the start of our post-season, we reached the final phase of the Champions League as we wanted after the two games against Resovia and we easily passed the first step of the Italian playoffs. On Sunday we try to close in Bergamo in a game2 that will present pitfalls, we will play in the new sports hall and there will be enthusiasm, I expect a lot of public and an environment that will try to push our opponents to the feat. It won’t be easy because every playoff game is a story in itself, so I preach to my team the utmost attention, it will take another good game on our part because in a best-of-three series you can’t make missteps. The team is doing well and we want to hit the semifinals, they will certainly want to put us in difficulty and we have to be ready, I think Montalvo will return who is an excellent terminal for them in attack, they have shown their qualities all season and they will certainly play a great game on Sunday in the new sports hall, it will be up to us to respond appropriately.”
THE TEAMS FOR THE CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
FINAL FOUR HAVE BEEN DEFINEDThe Champions League quarter-finals were completed yesterday. On the weekend of the Final Four in Istanbul on 3 and 4 May, the A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano Reigning European Champion will play the semi-final of the CEV Champions League against Numia Vero Volley Milano on May 3rd, yet another “derby” for a match that last year was the final in Antalya. In the other European semi-final facing a regular, Vakifbank Istanbul, and another Italian team, Savino del Bene Scandicci who will be debuting in F4.