All-Italian duel to open Pool A action in Scandicci
Preview
The main stage of the women’s CEV Champions League Volley 2021 will resume this week with the first of two round-robin tournaments in Pool A. After Pool C and Pool E action got underway last week elsewhere in Europe, the Italian city of Scandicci is set to welcome six matches of the continent’s top-tier club competition from December 1 to 3 at the PalaRiadoli.
Pool A features the teams of Poland’s Developres SkyRes Rzeszow and Germany’s SSC Palmberg Schwerin and is highlighted by an all-Italian race between Unet e-work Busto Arsizio and tournament hosts Savino Del Bene Scandicci. The two sides are ready to open the event with a direct clash between them on Tuesday at 17:30 local time.
Savino del Bene started their third Champions League campaign from the first round and to reach the pool stage achieved four impeccable straight-set victories, two each over Serbia’s TENT Obrenovac and Ukraine’s Khimik Yuzhny, all played at the PalaRiadoli home venue.
In the pool stage of their rookie 2019 Champions League season, the team from Scandicci had a similar set of rivals – Germany’s Palmberg, a team from Poland and another team from Italy. On a 4-2 win-loss record and 12 points, Savino Del Bene topped the pool standings. One of their two defeats came upon their visit to Schwerin, where they lost in four sets, after having shut out the German opponent at home. In the quarterfinals, the Italians lost twice to Turkey’s Fenerbahce Opet Istanbul. Last season, Savino Del Bene made the quarterfinals again, only this time the competition was prematurely interrupted because of the pandemic. In their pool they finished on a 5-1 record, but second to Turkish giant VakifBank Istanbul in the standings.
Luna Carocci“This is a special feeling for me. 10 years ago, with Busto I made it to the Final Four of Coppa Italia and to the semifinals of the league. With Schwerin I became champion for the first time. The three days of Champions League are like a championship in itself. We have to push from the outset until the very end. This requires energy, joy and willingness to win. We are loaded!”
Libero of Savino Del Bene Scandicci
In the current standings of the Italian league, Savino Del Bene are placed fourth on an 8-3 record, while their first Pool A opponents, Unet e-work Busto Arsizio, are 10th on 3-7.
Unet e-work had a very complicated start of the season. They were hit by numerous injuries and coronavirus cases, which affected their results in the Italian championship. Although libero Giulia Leonardi and Cuban middle blocker Liset Herrera Blanco are recovering from injuries and their participation in the upcoming tournament is still under a question mark, the Butterflies see it as an opportunity for redemption. They are already back on the winning track after hammering out a 3-2 away victory over Bartoccini Fortinfissi Perugia in their last domestic match on Saturday.
The team from Busto Arsizio are about to launch their fourth campaign in the Champions League, a competition where they have achieved some excellent results – silver in 2015 and bronze in 2013. They are also three-time winners and reigning holders of the trophy in the CEV Volleyball Cup.
Alessia Gennari"After a very complicated start of the season, the Champions League represents a great stimulus for us. Playing in Europe against big teams is every player's dream and it will be exciting again. In these three days in Scandicci we will have to try to put what we’ve prepared well in training into practice and find that consistency in our game that we have lacked so far."
Outside hitter and captain of Unet e-work Busto Arsizio
Developres SkyRes Rzeszow arrive in Scandicci as the current leaders of the Polish league standings and last season’s silver medallists. On an 11-0 win-loss record, they are the only unbeaten team in their national championship this season.
The club from Rseszow made their Champions League debut in the 2017-2018 edition and finished third in their pool after two wins over France’s ASPTT Mulhouse. French coach Stephane Antiga’s squad will launch their second participation in Europe’s top-tier competition on Tuesday evening at 20:30 local time against Palmberg.
Jelena Blagojevic“It will be a tough tournament for sure, but I believe that we will show our character on the court. All three rivals are strong and ready to fight to the end. We are glad that we have such an opportunity to play despite the current situation in the world, and to compete with teams that show the highest level of volleyball. Our club returns to the Champions League and this is the most important thing. We want to present ourselves as well as possible and prove that we can compete with the best.”
Outside hitter and captain of Developres SkyRes Rzeszow
The club from Schwerin has a long history in the European Cups. In 1978, they won the European Champions Cup, the predecessor of the Champions League. Three years earlier, they triumphed with the second-tier Cup Winners Cup trophy. Their showcase from that era also features two bronze medals from the most prestigious continental club tournament. When they last participated in the Champions League in 2019, Palmberg finished third in their pool on a 3-3 record.
The 19-time national champions were table leaders when the 2020 German Bundesliga season was prematurely interrupted. They have won six of their eight league matches so far this season and hold third place in the current standings.
The club website announced that Palmerg’s German international middle blocker Marie Scholzel is injured and likely to miss the games in Scandicci.
While the general public is not allowed to enter the PalaRiadoli because of the coronavirus-related regulations, all matches in Scandicci will be streamed live on EuroVolleyTV.
Go to Pool A’s full schedule with match centres.