Luxembourg, February 17, 2020. Two of Lube Civitanova’s most important players, Yoandy Leal and Robertlandy Simon, have re-signed with the Italian club for another 2 years, until the end of the 2021-2022 season. Despite the current campaigns not even reaching the playoffs yet, Europe’s top teams are already in an arms race for the world’s best players to chase Champions League titles in the upcoming seasons.
Outside hitter Yoandy Leal, an explosive athlete with a dangerous serve that consistently reaches above 120km/h is one pair of the duo. Last summer, he started for Brazil in a national team season that saw them qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics & win the World Cup. The other is middle blocker Robertlandy Simon, one of the most physical players in the sport at the net, reportedly touching above 370cm. He is the current captain of Team Cuba and led them to a NORCECA championships last September.
Together, they form one of the most effective serving and attacking cores in club volleyball. In the Italian Superlega, Leal is averaging 0.43 aces per set and hitting at 50.3%, while Simon leads the league in aces for middles at 0.48 per set, and hits at 71.5%. In the Champions League this season, Lube has gone an undefeated 5-0 so far in Pool A, averaging 53% attacking & 2.2 aces per set as a team. They have a guaranteed spot in the quarterfinals, and will know their opponent after the drawing of lots taking place at 1pm CET on Thursday, February 20th.
With setter Bruno Rezende leaving the Italian league after two years with Lube Civitanova, the extension of Leal & Simon brings a degree of stability to the team. And expectations are stratospheric after a 2018-2019 campaign which saw them win not only the Champions League, decisively dethroning the dynastic Zenit Kazan, but also Italian Serie A1 over perennial rivals Perugia. With the competition for elite volleyball talent growing higher & higher every year, locking up players of the caliber of Leal & Simon is invaluable for a club looking to maintain the crown of best team in the world.