TWO ITALIAN TEAMS REACH PLAY-OFF ROUND

Women's Indesit European Champions' League 2004/05

Luxembourg, January 6, 2005. The two Italian teams Foppapedretti BERGAMO and Sant’Orsola Asystel NOVARA have both reached the play-off round of the Women’s Indesit European Champions’ League. Both favourites won their matches in the seventh leg of the world’s strongest club competition, still remaining undefeated.

For Foppapedretti BERGAMO it wasn’t too difficult to claim a place in the six teams’ play-off round, nailing Turkish Günes Vakifbank ISTANBUL in three straight sets. The approximately 3,500 spectators witnessed a perfect playing Foppapedretti BERGAMO who were really focussed on winning this important clash.
Three Foppapedretti BERGAMO players reached ‘double figures’ in this clash with German Angelina Grün and Italian Francesca Piccinini both scoring 14 points each and Turkish Russian Lubo Kilic contributing 13 points.
In another clash in Pool A, French RC CANNES had difficulty in defeating Russian Uralochka EKATERINBURG but finally pulled through with a 3:2 victory which improved their chances of reaching the next round. The French formation need one victory from two matches to achieve this goal. Spanish Hotel Cantur LAS PALMAS, Turkish Günes Vakifbank ISTANBUL and Stal BIELSKO-BIALA from Poland will fight for the other play-off spot from this group.
The situation in Pool B is more evident as Italian Sant’Orsola Asystel NOVARA is sure of playing in the next round of the Indesit European Champions’ League after winning against Turkish Besiktas ISTANBUL. Again it was a hard match for Angelino Frigoni’s team, the favourite only claiming victory after five sets. The young Dutch spiker Manon Flier was the best player on court with 24 points.
Defending champion TENERIFE Marichal from Spain and Azerrail BAKU from Azerbaijan are the main candidates for the other two playoff places from this group. The Spanish team defeated Polish Calisia Winiary KALISZ (3:1) and is one victory away from playing in the next round. Azerrail BAKU also has to win one more match.
Action in the Women’s Indesit European Champions’ League continues on Tuesday.


Women’s Indesit European Champions’ League
Results seventh leg

Preliminary Pool A

Stal BIELSKO-BIALA (POL) - Hotel Cantur LAS PALMAS (ESP)	3 :1	25-23, 25-16, 18-25, 25-22
Uralochka NTMK EKATERINBURG (RUS) - RC CANNES (FRA)	2 :3	25-20, 25-27, 25-23, 15-25, 12-15
Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA) - Günes Vakifbank ISTANBUL (TUR)	3 :0	25-17, 25-13, 25-20

Preliminary Pool B

TENERIFE Marichal (ESP) - Calisia Winiary KALISZ (POL)	3 :1	25-17, 25-16, 24-26, 25-20
Besiktas ISTANBUL (TUR) - Sant'Orsola Asystel NOVARA (ITA)	2 :3	19-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-22, 13-15
Azerrail BAKU (AZE) - Crvena Zvezda BEOGRAD (SCG)	3 :0	30-28, 25-21, 25-23

Pool Ranking after 7th week

Pool A:

1. Foppapedretti BERGAMO 7-14 (21-4), 2. RC CANNES 8-13 (18-13), 3. Hotel Cantur LAS PALMAS 8-11 (13-18),
4. Günes Vakifbank ISTANBUL 7-10 (14-12), 5. Stal BIELSKO-BIALA 7-10 (10-14), 6. Uralochka NTMK EKATERINBURG 7-8 (6-20)

Pool B:

1. Sant'Orsola Asystel NOVARA 8-16 (24-4), 2. TENERIFE Marichal 8-13 (19-12), 3. Azerrail BAKU 7-12 (15-8),
4. Calisia Winiary KALISZ 8-10 (10-21), 5. Besiktas ISTANBUL 7-9 (10-18), 6. Crvena Zvezda BEOGRAD 8-9 (6-21)

Match schedule (all times are local)
Women’s Indesit European Champions’ League

Tuesday 11 January 2005

Pool A	18.00	Stal BIELSKO-BIALA (POL) - Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA)
Pool B	18.00	Azerrail BAKU (AZE) - Besiktas ISTANBUL (TUR)

Wednesday 12 January 2005

Pool A

15.30

Günes Vakifbank ISTANBUL (TUR) - Uralochka NTMK EKATERINBURG (RUS)

More on the web at www.cev.lu

More on the web at www.cev.lu

Enjoy & Be There:
11-13 January 2005:  Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup Men, 1/4 final Away matches.
11-13 January 2005: Top Teams Cup Women, 1/4 final Away matches.
18-20 January 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Women 9^th leg, Men 10^th leg.
20 January 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Men Drawing of Lots, Luxembourg.
25 January 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Women 10^th leg.
26 January 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Women Drawing of Lots, Luxembourg.
29 January 2005: Youth European Championships 2005, Drawing of Lots, Riga, Latvia.
08-10 February 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Playoffs Women & Men, Home matches.
15-17 February 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Playoffs Women & Men, Away matches.
01-03 March 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Playoffs Men, Home matches.
08-10 March 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Playoffs Men, Home matches.