AFTER CEV CUP FOLLOWS CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE TITLE

Women's Indesit European Champions' League 2005/06

Cannes, France, March 19, 2006. Champion of the women’s CEV Cup last year, Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA secured the Champions’ League title this season, beating RC CANNES 3:1. The bronze medal went to defending champion Foppapedretti BERGAMO who beat Vakifbank Günes ISTANBUL in straight sets.

The ‘Palais des Victoires’ didn’t bring the necessary luck to the organizers of the Champions’ League Final Four and the winners of the IECL 2001/02 and 2002/03 RC CANNES. Following their fourth place last year, the French team lost this year’s final against Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA. With the 3:1 victory the Italians have brought the fifth European Cup over to Italy, after the men’s and women’s CEV Cup as well as the men’s and women’s Top Teams Cup were won by Italian teams.

Since 1997, Foppapedretti BERGAMO has always attained a European Cups’ Final Four. This time they reached third place in the Indesit European Champions’ League after finishing first last year. The team coached by Marco Fenoglio beat the Turkish team from Vakifbank Günes ISTANBUL in straight sets.

Final: RC CANNES (FRA) vs. Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA (ITA) 1:3 (23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 20-25)
Best scorers: Mirka Francia (Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA/22 points), Malgorzata Glinka (RC CANNES/20 points), Antonina Zetova (Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA/19 points), Victoria Ravva (RC CANNES/18 points)

The first set already promised a close final match. Although PERUGIA kickstarted with a four-point lead (9-13), CANNES came back supported by their huge number of fans, of which many were forced to follow the match on TV as all tickets had been sold a week before the Final Four began. Whilst Malgorzata Glinka and captain Victoria Ravva scored for the French home team, Dorota Swieniewicz and Mirka Francia amongst others saved the lead for PERUGIA (16-19). Finally, it was also the latter named who secured the Italians’ first set point at 23-24 (23-25).

In the second set the home team didn’t manage to save the small two-point lead they had at 16-14. Although Latvian spiker Olga Tocko attacked to gain back the lead (18-16), Bulgarian Antonina Zetova, who was back in the final after an injury threw her out of the semi-final yesterday, as well as Brazilian Walewska Moreira de Oliveira were the key players for PERUGIA in the deciding final points of the second set. Together they blocked CANNES’ attack three times (19-24) and Walewska secured the Italian team’s second set point with a smash (20-25).
Increasing mistakes in PERUGIA’s team gave CANNES an important leeway in the third set (11-6). With the help of Jelena Lozancic the French home team advanced even further (16-10), but PERUGIA came back trailing only three points (16-13, 22-19). French blocks, as well as Glinka and Yaneva on attack secured CANNES the third set (25-22).
The beginning of the fourth set was crucial for the continuation of the fourth set. When PERUGIA took off 2-6, the team shared points, but the Italians were always a step ahead (6-9, 8-12, 13-15). CANNES came back tremendously (19-21) but the Italians were too secure in attack, finally striving forward in order to seize the 3:1 victory (20-25).

Dorota Swieniewicz (PERUGIA captain): “It seemed as if CANNES entered the court too confidently, knowing that we had a five set match yesterday and being supported by all their fans. However, we fully recovered from yesterday and played a great match, in particular Antonina Zetova whose injury from yesterday was nothing serious.”

Bronze medal match: Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA) vs. Vakifbank Günes ISTANBUL (TUR) 3:0 (25-19, 26-24, 25-20)
Best scorers: Neslihan Demir (Vakifbank Günes ISTANBUL/18 points), Angelina Grün (Foppapedretti BERGAMO/14 points), Francesca Piccinini (Foppapedretti BERGAMO/13 points)

The defending champion secured the first set fairly clear with Francesca Piccinini scoring the decisive points at the end of the set.
Up until 16-16 the second set was open. ISTANBUL strived ahead following an ace (18-19), then securing their first set point in the match (23-24). But Croatian Maja Poljak attacked successfully at the right moments (25-24), also proving insurmountable at block with her 1.94 m height (26-24).

Leading by four points in the third set (21-17), BERGAMO was on a sure way to the bronze medal. Although ISTANBUL came up close (21-20), Italians Jenny Barazza and Manuela Secolo scored (24-20) before Germany’s team captain Angelina Grün sealed the victory with a smash down the line (25-20).

Aysun Ozbek (ISTANBUL captain): “We feel that we are good enough to play in the Final Four of this competition. As this is our first time in the Champions’ League Final Four, we have less experience than some other teams here. We must build our team so that we can compete better in the future.”
Volodymyr Buzayev (ISTANBUL head coach): “I’m satisfied with fourth place. BERGAMO is simply a better team.”

Paola Paggi (BERGAMO captain): “We’re still disappointed following our semi-final defeat against CANNES yesterday. The bronze medal reconciles us.”
Marco Fenoglio (BERGAMO head coach): “Yesterday was a difficult match, especially because we didn’t find to our game until the third set. But we won today.”

Individual Awards:

MVP: Victoria Ravva (RC CANNES)
Best Scorer: Neslihan Demir (Vakifbank Günes ISTANBUL)
Best Spiker: Mirka Francia (Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA)
Best Server: Angelina Grün (Foppapedretti BERGAMO)
Best Blocker: Angelica Ljungquist (RC CANNES)
Best Libero: Yuko Sano (RC CANNES)
Best Setter: Helia Rogerio de Souza (Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA)

The European Cups competitions final phase will conclude with the highlight of the season, namely the men’s Indesit European Champions’ League Final Four in Rome (ITA) from 25-26 March 2006. The introductory press conference took place on Monday, 20th March 2006. For more information please view www.volleychampionsleague.it

Photo Gallery

Women’s Indesit European Champions’ League 2005/06
Final Four in Cannes (FRA)

Results, Sunday 19^th March 2006
Final

RC CANNES (FRA) - Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA (ITA)

1:3

23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 20-25

Bronze medal match

Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA) - Vakifbank Günes ISTANBUL (TUR)

3:0

25-19, 26-24, 25-20

Saturday 18^th March 2006
Semi-finals

RC CANNES (FRA) - Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA)	3:1	25-16, 25-20, 13-25, 25-23
Vakifbank Günes ISTANBUL (TUR) - Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA (ITA)	2:3	20-25, 25-22, 25-17, 17-25, 9-15

Confédération Européenne de Volleyball

AFTER CEV CUP FOLLOWS CHAMPIONS’ LEAGUE TITLE

Women's Indesit European Champions' League 2005/06