Cucine Lube Civitanova demonstrated class and character by defeating the previous leader in the standings of the new championship, Rana Verona, with a 3:0 (25:20, 26:24, 26:24) score in the top clash of the sixth round of SuperLega Credem Banca. The two teams met in the Cup final in Bologna in January, when Lube triumphed with the trophy, and Verona was led by Radostin Stoychev.
In front of the ecstatic crowd at the Eurosuole Forum in Civitanova Marche, "the Cucine" played one of their most mature matches of the season, and Alex Nikolov was on fire \u2013 a leader in attack, an inspiration for his teammates, and freshly honored by the Serie A League as MVP for October.
The clash between the Cup holder and the surprising league leader offered not only top-class volleyball but also a celebration of sport, filled with emotions, symbolic returns, and historic moments.
" 🔥 Volleyball spectacle instead of Supercup
The match from the sixth round of SuperLega Credem Banca 2025/26 between Cucine Lube Civitanova and Rana Verona was a sort of substitute for the postponed Del Monte
® Supercup. And what a substitute it was \u2013 a top-of-the-table clash between the finalist from the 2024/25 championship and the current surprising leader in the standings. The atmosphere in the hall was festive \u2013 the fan club "Lube nel Cuore" celebrated its birthday with choreography and a joint celebration with Verona's visiting supporters.
🏅 Alex Nikolov \u2013 MVP and the main figure
Before the first serve, Lube president Simona Sileoni presented the Bulgarian star Alex Nikolov with the "MVP of October" award. The young outside hitter once again justified the recognition \u2013 he finished with 20 points (2 blocks, 1 ace, 57% attack efficiency) and now has 116 points since the start of the season. Precisely with an ace at 15:10 in the first set, Nikolov reached his milestone 100th point in the championship.
🧭 Symbolic return and anniversaries
Three well-known figures to the fans returned to Civitanova \u2013 Micah Christenson, Francesco D'Amico, and Marco Vitelli, who wore the Lube jersey in the past.
For setter Mattia Boninfante, the match was special \u2013 his 100th game in the SuperLega regular season, celebrated with an ace for a crucial set point in the second set.
🏐 Match chronology
First set:
Verona started better, but after 9:9, Lube set the pace. A series of three consecutive points by Alex Nikolov put the hosts ahead, and his ace made it 15:10. In the end, Kukhartsev successfully finished and brought the lead \u2013 25:20.
Second set:
An even start, but after 16:16, Darlan Sousa put Verona ahead with an ace. Lube responded through Nikolov and Porro, and Boninfante served an ace for 25:24. After a long rally, a block by the hosts decided the set \u2013 26:24.
Third set:
Lube maintained a slight advantage (18:15 after an ace by Loeppky). Darlan and Keita brought the score to 20:20, but a service error by Christenson and an out-of-bounds attack by the visitors after a video challenge ended the match \u2013 26:24 and 3:0 for the champions.
⚡ Key players and statistics
For Lube:
Alex Nikolov \u2013 20 pts (2 blocks, 1 ace)
Eric Loeppky – 14 pts. (2 aces, 2 blocks)
Mattia Bottolo – 8 pts.
For Verona:
Darlan Sousa – 15 pts. (3 aces, 1 block)
Nuomory Keita – 12 pts.
Rok Mozic – 11 pts.
Aces: 6:3 for Lube
Blocks: 5:5
Points from opponent's errors: Lube 27 – Verona 21
Lube demonstrated depth and maturity at the end of the sets – they did not succumb to pressure and utilized every inaccuracy of their opponent.
Alex Nikolov was the heart of the attack, combining a powerful serve and stability in offense.
Verona responded with aggressive serving and momentary flashes from Darlan, but the lack of consistency and 27 unforced errors proved decisive.
Thus, Lube topped the standings with one point more than the previous leader Rana Verona, showing that the championship spirit in Civitanova is once again at its peak, and Nikolov is establishing himself as one of the leading figures not only in the team but also in the entire Italian championship.
