27/10/2014 08:35
Italian champions PIACENZA eager to start CL adventure
2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Piacenza, Italy, October 27, 2014. Italy’s champions Nordmeccanica PIACENZA will be starting their second adventure in the CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women on November 12 when they play France’s RC CANNES for the first round of action in Pool E. The other opponents for PIACENZA in the League Round will be Turkey’s heavyweight VakifBank ISTANBUL and Serbia’s champions Partizan Vizura BEOGRAD.
Many journalists attended a press conference held at Palabanca with head coach Alessandro Chiappini and team captain Manuela Leggeri. As they embark on their second adventure in Europe’s elite competition, Italy’s champions have changed a lot to their roster from last year. They have indeed signed players from almost every corner of the world, including Annerys Vargas Valdez of the Dominican Republic, Indre Sorokaite who came back to Italy after spending one season in Japan, Belgium’s Frauke Dirickx and Chiara Di Iulio, who last year had played in Azerbaijan. The latest addition to the roster was Arielle Wilson from Chicago, USA.
“I am very proud with the opportunity to lead PIACENZA in the CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League,” Chiappini said. “I know very well the importance of this competition and it is an honour for me to participate once again,” stressed the coach who has previous experiences in that tournament at the helm of teams from Poland and Azerbaijan. “I know that every match is going to be very difficult, starting with our debut in France versus RC CANNES. The second match will then be at home against VakifBank and Robin de Kruijf, a player who was here in Piacenza last year and knows very well the city, the team and everything here. I am confident that the players we have signed for this season will compose a strong team very soon.”
Manuela Leggeri, 38 and a world champion in 2002, is also excited about this adventure: “I have won many competitions throughout my long career but participation in the CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League is something truly special and the opportunity to play again in this competition is like a dream that comes true. Our group includes many new players but we are all working hard in order to achieve some great results. We are lucky to have a great group of fans and I am confident that they will be our additional player in every match we play.”
Click here for further information on the 2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women
|