Cucine Lube Civitanova and Imoco Volley Conegliano secure Italian double in FIVB Volleyball Club

Lube claimed the men’s title with victory in Betim, Brazil, whilst Imoco marked their debut appearance in impressive fashion by wrapping up the women’s equivalent in Shaoxing, China.

After suffering defeats in the gold medal matches in 2017 (to Russia’s Zenit Kazan) and in 2018 (to fellow Italians Trentino Volley), Cucine Lube Civitanova made it third time lucky by winning the previously-elusive men’s world title. In front of a partisan crowd of 6,000 at the Ginasio Poliesportivo Divino Braga in Betim, Brazil, the Italian side overcame the home court advantage of hosts and three-time world champions Sada Cruzeiro Vôlei to record a 3-1 set win (25-23, 19-25, 31-29, 25-21).

The victory seals a near-perfect for Lube as the team also won both the Italian championship and the European Champions League. Head coach Ferdinando de Giorgi used 12 of his 14 available players during the gold medal match, but outside hitters Osmany Juantorena, who won his fifth world title, and Yoandy Leal, who became a world champion for the fourth time, were the ones to carry the team’s offensive load with 20 points each.

Speaking afterward, de Giorgi said “It’s unbelievable. This has been a perfect season for us and this is a title the team didn’t have, so this is a big victory for us.

“Sada Cruzeiro is a great team and it was a very tough match, but all of our players helped us to get this win and that makes it even more special.”

Zenit Kazan finished third in the tournament after the Russians downed Qatar’s Al-Rayyan Sports Club 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-17) in the bronze medal match. The team claimed its sixth medal in eight appearances adding to one gold, two silver and two bronzes they had previously won.

In the FIVB Women’s Club World Championship in Shaoxing, China, Imoco Volley Conegliano of Italy marked their debut at the championship in some style by beating Eczacibasi Vitra Istanbul of Turkey 3-1 to take the title.

The Italians overcame an early scare but rallied from one set down to beat former twice champions Eczacibasi 22-25, 25-14, 25-19, 25-21. It was also the second victory for Conegliano over Eczacibasi during the week-long tournament as the three-time Italian national champions also beat their Turkish counterparts by the same scoreline in the championship curtain-raiser on 3 December. Paola Ogechi Egonu scored a match-high 33 points with Raphaela Folie adding 11 for Conegliano, while Tijana Boskovic led Eczacibasi with 24 and Natalia Pereira also contributed 17.

In a thrilling opening set, Eczacibasi, the former winners in 2015 and 2016, rallied from 8-16 down to overtake Conegliano and win it 25-22 following a 13-2 scoring spree initiated by both Natalia and Boskovic.

However, the Italian champions in 2016, 2018 and 2019, displayed their prowess by taking a quick second set 25-14 to level the score, and rushed ahead to take the command of the match, winning the following two sets to wind up their victory.

In the third place match, defending champions Vakifbank Istanbul of Turkey swept Igor Gorgonzola Novara of Italy 26-24, 25-23, 25-21.

Earlier, two Brazilian clubs battled it out for the fifth place with Itambe Minas beating Dentil Praia 18-25, 25-14, 18-25, 25-22, 15-9.

In the seventh place match, Guangdong Evergrande beat fellow Chinese club Tianjin Bohai Bank 28-26, 25-20, 25-21 in a low key affair given that both squads rested their key players due to the tight schedule of the Chinese national league.