Piacenza, Italy, January 2, 2017. LPR Volley PIACENZA will play their first match of the New Year on Wednesday night when hosting Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK of Austria in the first round of the 2017 CEV Volleyball Cup – Men 16th Finals.

The players coached by Alberto Giuliani made it through the opening round by virtue of their 3-1 home and away victories over the reigning national champions of Belarus, Stroitel MINSK. However, after that PIACENZA lost three matches in a row in the Italian national league – to Sir Sicoma Colussi PERUGIA, Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA and Calzedonia VERONA – and as a result they dropped to seventh place in the standings. The last home match they contested in 2016 – with Exprivia MOLFETTA – brought back some confidence and positive vibe with a three-point victory taking PIACENZA back to sixth place in their national league.  

On Wednesday, January 4 PIACENZA will be hosting Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK – the Austrian champions failed to make it to the group stage of the CEV Volleyball Champions League after losing to their German arch-rivals VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN. Hypo Tirol will travel to Piacenza with a group including a bunch of well-known people, such as outside spiker Stefan Chrtiansky jr. and assistant coach Francesco Cadeddu. Hypo Tirol are currently ranked second in their national league, with as many ranking points – 39 – as current leaders SK Posojilnica AICH/DOB.  

“The more we progress in this competition, the more difficult become the opponents we get to play,” said LPR Volley PIACENZA team captain Hristo Zlatanov. “We know the match with INNSBRUCK won’t be an easy one, but I think the victory is within our reach. Most probably our next match in the Italian national league with TRENTINO Diatec will be more difficult, but we just take it one match at a time.”