ITALIAN PERUGIA DOMINATE CEV CUP

Women's CEV Cup Final Four

Luxembourg/Perugia, March 6, 2005. 2003/04 Indesit European Champions’ League runner-up Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA (ITA) took advantage of playing at home during the Final Four of the women’s CEV Cup, defeating Russian AES BALAKOVO in a straight set final match.

Following their clear victory over fellow Italians Vini Monte Schiavo JESI in the semifinal round of the previous day (3:0), the players coached by Massimo Barbolini clearly dominated the final encounter against the guests from Russia (3:0). Thus, after 65 minutes of play it was clear that the women’s CEV Cup would stay in Italian hands after Foppapedretti BERGAMO, who has qualified for this year’s Final Four of the Indesit European Champions’ League in Tenerife (ESP) from 19-20 March 2005, won the CEV Cup title last year.
"We are rejoiced to have won the CEV Cup", stated the home team's head coach Massimo Barbolini after the final match, "Now we can concentrate on the national Championship." BALAKOVO's coach Oleq Surtsev on the other hand commented: "It was difficult playing against PERUGIA, as they were the best team in this competition." 
Having reached the final of the CEV Cup 2003/04, where they unluckily lost to Foppapedretti BERGAMO in a tiebreak set, Italian Vini Monte Schiavo JESI was not as successful this year, having to admit defeat in the semifinal round against another Italian team, namely the later winner Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA. However, the team coached by Chinese Lang Ping still finished third when they beat Slovakian OMS SH SENICA 3:1 in the bronze medal match.

Individual Awards

Best Scorer	Marta Solipiwko (OMS SH SENICA)
Best Attacker	Yuliya Svistina (Balakovskaia AES BALAKOVO)
Best Blocker	Larissa Chamanaeva (PERUGIA)
Best Server	Taismary Aguero (Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA)
Best Setter	Hélia Rogério - Fofão (Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA)
Best Receiver	Hanka Pachale (Vini Monte Schiavo JESI)
Best Libero	Chiara Arcangeli (Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA)
Most Valuable Player	Dorota Swieniewicz (Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA)

More Final Four tournaments in the European Cups competitions are scheduled in the coming weeks with the Men’s Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup and the Women’s Top Teams Cup taking place next weekend in Piraeus (GRE), respectively Turin (ITA). The European Cups competitions final phase will conclude in Tenerife (ESP) from 19-20 March 2005 with the women’s Indesit European Champions’ League, whilst the strongest men’s club teams will battle for the Indesit European Champions’ League 2004/05 title in Thessaloniki (GRE) from 26-27 March 2005.

CEV Cup Final Four in Perugia (ITA)
Women’s results

Final

Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA (ITA) - Balakovskaia AES BALAKOVO (RUS)

3:0

25-14, 25-20, 25-18

65 mins

Classification match 3-4

Vini Monte Schiavo JESI (ITA) - OMS SH SENICA (SVK)

3:1

25-20, 24-26, 25-13, 25-13

85 mins

Semifinals

Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA (ITA) - Vini Monte Schiavo JESI (ITA)	3:0	25-22, 25-21, 25-23	76 mins
Balakovskaia AES BALAKOVO (RUS) - OMS SH SENICA (SVK)	3:0	25-17, 25-20, 25-18	71 mins

More on the web at www.cev.lu

Enjoy & Be There:

08-10 March 2005: Indesit European Champions League, Playoffs Men, Away matches.
11-12 March 2005: Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup, Final Four Men, Piraeus, Greece.
12-13 March 2005: Top Teams Cup, Final Four Women, Turin, Italy.
19-20 March 2005: Indesit European Champions League, Final Four Women, Tenerife, Spain.
26-27 March 2005: Indesit European Champions League, Final Four Men, Thessaloniki, Greece.
29 March-03 April 2005: Youth European Championships 2005, Boys Final Round, Riga, Latvia.
29 March-03 April 2005: Youth European Championships 2005, Girls Final Round, Tallinn, Estonia.

23-24 July 2005: European League, Final Four, Kazan, Russia.
26-31 July 2005: FIVB Grand Prix Qualification, Baku, Azerbaijan.
02-11 September 2005: Men’s Senior European Championships 2005, Rome (ITA) and Belgrade (SCG).
16-25 September 2005: Women’s Senior European Championships 2005, Pula and Zagreb, Croatia.