Imoco Volley Conegliano celebrate 2017 Italian Cup title.
Lausanne, Switzerland, March 5, 2017 - Imoco Volley Conegliano won the first title of the season in Italy, shutting out Liu Jo Nordmeccanica Modena 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-23) in the final of the women's A1 Cup on Sunday evening in Florence. It was the first ever Cup title for Conegliano in the 38-year-old history of the competition.
Libero Monica De Gennaro was named MVP of the final for her 79 per cent receiving efficiency and exceptional digging performance that helped Serena Ortolani score 18 points and USA's Nicole Fawcett another 15 as Conegliano dominated the attacking. Jovana Brakocevic of Serbia was joint top scorer of the game with 18 points for Modena.
Earlier in the weekend, Conegliano had eliminated Igor Gorgonzola Novara 3-1 (23-25, 25-21 25-23, 25-23) and Modena had knocked out Savino Del Bene Scandicci 3-1 (26-24, 19-25, 27-25, 25-22) in the semifinals.
Red Rockets in Japan finalReigning Asian champions NEC Red Rockets of Kawasaki advanced to the final of the Japan V.Premier League after they finished top of the Playoffs standings with a 3-1 (20-25, 28-26, 25-22, 25-15) win over Toray Arrows of Otsu on the closing day. They will meet the winner of the double semifinal matchup between defending champions Hisamitsu Springs of Kobe and Hitachi Rivale of Hitachinaka for the 2017 title.
Sarina Koga with 17 points and Bulgaria's Emiliya Nikolova with 14 led the Red Rockets to their latest win.
The NEC Red Rockets join hosts Hisamitsu Springs in the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship, May 8 to 14. Also qualified to the event are the reigning South American champions Rexona Sesc Rio de Janeiro. One more berth will be filled by the winners of the European Champions League (23-24 April in Treviso), before four wild cards are awarded.
Rexona Sesc Rio win Brazil derbyNewly crowned South American champions Rexona Sesc Rio de Janeiro carried on in the domestic Superleague with a huge win over Volei Nestle Osasco 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 25-15) before 2,500 fans at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio's Olympic Park.
Match MVP and top scorer of her side with 19 points Monique Pavao was the leading force of Rio, as Gabi Guimaraes added another 16 to help the defending champions consolidate their lead in the table, 10 points ahead of the next best team with two rounds of play remaining until the end of the Regular Season. Ana Paula Borgo was top scorer of the game with 21 points for Osasco, but the home side totally outblocked the visitors 20 to 11.
The result allowed Dentil Praia Clube of Uberlandia to climb to second place in the standings (one point ahead of Osasco), after MVP setter Claudia Silva and top scorer on 21 points Alex Klineman of USA led them to a 3-1 (25-19, 26-24, 18-25, 25-20) win at home over Camponesa Minas Belo Horizonte.
VakifBank suffer first defeat in TurkeyTwo rounds before the end of the Regular Season in the Turkish League, VaikfBank Istanbul suffered their first defeat of the season after going down 3-0 (25-18, 26-24, 25-23) at home to Fenerbahce Istanbul - though the result has no impact on their lead in the standings.
Korea's Kim Yeon Koung led Fenerbahce 19 points and Brazil's Natalia Pereira scored another 13, as the visitor applied pressure with their serving and dominated on the net. Rio 2016 MVP Zhu Ting of China was top scorer of the game with 21 points for VakifBank.
Meanwhile, reigning world champions Ecacibasi VitrA Istanbul dropped yet another point when they were taken all the way by Seramiksan at Turgutlu. Eczacibasi did eventually win by the narrowest of margins 3-2 (25-21, 22-25, 25-21, 22-25, 21-19), led by Russia's Tatian Kosheleva (16 points), Neslihan Demir (15) and USA's Jordan Larson (14), to counter top-scoring Yamila Nizetich of Argentina of Seramiksan (25).
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