De Gennaro: We should be ourselves and play our best Volleyball at the #SuperFinalsVerona

“One of the best liberos in the world!”, is what Volleyball fans often call Monica De Gennaro, libero of the reigning club world champions and newly crowned champions of Italy - A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano. De Gennaro, who joined the team in 2013, is a symbol of the Panthers’ spirit and approach to the game. Loved by the supporters of Conegliano and married to the head coach Daniele Santarelli, Imoco is more than a team for De Genaro, and she is always leaving her soul on the field. She is now preparing on doing the same on May 1, when her team will enter another important Volleyball battle - the one for the #CLVolleyW trophy. Monica and her teammates are already looking forward to the matchup with the Turkish powerhouse of VakifBank Istanbul - an old opponent that the Panthers have been looking forward to meeting again.

Monica plays a pivotal role in Conegliano, and is considered an opponent that others have reasons to be scared of on the field. Impeccable in her role, she is also a great motivator for her teammates, helping the Panthers to become one of the strongest women’s teams not only in Italy, but on the international stage, too. However, there is one trophy missing in the list of Conegliano’s achievements - the #CLVolleyW gold. To grab it on May 1, Conegliano will have to find a way to outclass their opponents from Istanbul. “We should just be ourselves and play our best Volleyball. This year, we have always pushed hard, and we will have to do the same in the #SuperFinal, too. We are aware of the strengths of the opponent, but I believe that by trying to limit to the maximum the interactions by the very strong players of VakifBank, we can win.”

Conegliano are on an impressive winning streak of 63 victories, an achievement that many teams dream of. Seizing that many victories in a row means high expectations of the performance of the team, but the Panthers are keeping it calm and enjoying the game to its fullest.

The #CLVolleyW title has been slipping through Conegliano's fingers for some time now. Losing to VakifBank in 2017 #CLVolleyW Final gives a greater motivation to De Gennaro and her colleagues. Not to underestimate is the fact that this time Conegliano will count on the unstoppable Paola Egonu, MVP of #CLVolleyW 2019. “Last year, we were unable to play for this trophy due to the pandemic. We really want this cup, we have been going after it for some years now."

On their way to the #SuperFinals, VakifBank lost one of their semifinals, but won storming out in the rematch, showing they don't joke. In this context, Monica expects that a difficult game at a very high level between the two best teams of Europe. “It will be necessary to remain concentrated even in the difficult situations. We will try to maintain a very high level of play during the whole match. We have been working a lot during this long season, and our aim is to arrive at the Final in Verona in our best shape.”