Allianz Vero Volley Milano vying for victory

Sunday 5th May will be a historic day for Allianz Vero Volley Milano as they contest the CEV Women’s Champions League SuperFinal for the first time in the team’s history.

This season is just the Italian side’s third participation in Europe’s showpiece event, and is the first time they have progressed past the quarter-finals. When they take on A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano in Antalya on Sunday, they will look to become the 27th team to lift the prestigious trophy, and the first first-time finalists to win the competition since fellow Italian side Igor Gorgonzola Novara won in 2018/19.

 This does not mean, however, that Allianz Vero Volley Milano have not experienced success on the European stage. The Italians won the 2018/19 CEV Challenge Cup and the 2020/21 CEV Cup, under current head coach Marco Gaspari. They are a team that knows how to win European finals, and they now have the biggest one in their history to look forward to.

So far this season, Allianz Vero Volley Milano have won eight of their ten matches in the CEV Champions League. Their two defeats in the competition thus far were a 3-2 loss to European juggernauts VakifBank Istanbul in the group stage, and a 3-1 loss at Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul in the semi-final second leg. That defeat forced a golden set, which Vero Volley won 15-11 to seal their place in the final.

This will be just the second time that Allianz Vero Volley Milano have faced Italian opposition in the CEV Champions League. The only previous occasion they have faced a domestic rival was when they faced Sunday’s opponents, Imoco, in the 2021/22 quarter-finals, coming up short as Imoco went on to reach the SuperFinal.

Vero Volley and Imoco have faced off four times this season, in two finals and twice in the Italian Serie A1. Unfortunately for the Milanese, they have lost on all four occasions, 3-1 in the Supercoppa Italiana, 3-2 in the Coppa Italia Final, as well as 3-1 and 3-0 defeats in the league. It’s safe to say they are out for revenge.

We have been treated to a new-look Allianz Vero Volley Milano side this season. After coming up short in their hunt for the Italian Serie A1 title in the last few seasons, Milano brought in reinforcements. The biggest name of which was Italian superstar Paola Egonu.

Egonu has experienced incredible success in the CEV Champions League, winning three of her previous four SuperFinals, and she was the best scorer in each of those four finals. She currently sits in third place in the season’s scoring charts in the Champions League, and has been the best scorer when the teams have met this season.

Add to that libero Brenda Castillo, Dutch sensation Nika Daalderop and American outside hitter Kara Bajema, and this is an Allianz Vero Volley Milano side built for success.

Can Allianz Vero Volley Milano’s superstar line-up see them to the European summit when they face Imoco in Antalya on Sunday 5th May? Tune in to find out.