The last round of the autumn half-season in the Italian Serie A1 determined the eight participants and the quarter-final pairings for the Coppa Italia. The Bulgarian presence in the elite will face extremely serious challenges, as their opponents are the reigning championTrentoand the European championPerugia.
All Coppa Italia quarter-final pairings
| No. | Team | – | No. | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Itas Trentino | – | 8 | Vero Volley Monza |
| 4 | Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza | – | 5 | Valsa Group Modena |
| 3 | Sir Susa Scai Perugia | – | 6 | Cucine Lube Civitanova |
| 2 | Rana Verona | – | 7 | Allianz Milano |
On paper, the toughest matchups appear to be Perugia – Lube with Alex Nikolov and Trento – Monza with Martin Atanasov and Zhasmin Velichkov, while Verona – Milano pits two of the most consistent teams of the half-season against each other.
Matches that directly influenced the standings:
Cucine Lube Civitanova – Allianz Milano
3:2 (22:25, 25:13, 25:15, 22:25, 15:7)
Itas Trentino – Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza
3:2 (22:25, 25:19, 15:25, 25:21, 15:9)
Rana Verona – Valsa Group Modena
1:3 (20:25, 24:26, 25:18, 22:25)
Cisterna Volley – Sonepar Padova
1:3 (27:25, 17:25, 19:25, 23:25)
Vero Volley Monza - Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina
3-2 (20:25, 30:32, 25:21, 25:19, 18:16)
Lube's and Trento's five-set victories proved crucial for the final standings. Particularly valuable was the champion Trento's win against direct competitor Piacenza, which secured first place on tie-breakers. Monza, with Bulgarian participation, showed character in their home win in the "Bulgarian" derby against Grottazzolina, but this was not enough for a more favorable draw.
Standings after the autumn half-season (valid for the Italian Cup)
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Itas Trentino | 26 |
| 2 | Rana Verona | 26 |
| 3 | Sir Susa Scai Perugia | 26 |
| 4 | Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza | 22 |
| 5 | Valsa Group Modena | 22 |
| 6 | Cucine Lube Civitanova | 19 |
| 7 | Allianz Milano | 17 |
| 8 | Vero Volley Monza | 12 |
Three teams finished with an equal standing of 26 points, with additional tie-breakers putting Trento at the top. The middle of the table – Piacenza and Modena – was also extremely balanced, which clearly demonstrates the high level of competition in Serie A1 this season. For the Bulgarian players, this means extremely tough elimination matches as early as the quarter-final stage of the Italian Cup.
