But look who shows up again. Two weeks after the last official release, the Delta Group Porto Viro is ready to return to the field for the quarter-finals of Del Monte Italian Serie A2 Cup: blackfuchsia’s opponent is an “old acquaintance”, the Puliservice Acqua S.Bernardo Cuneo, already crossed (and eliminated) in the playoffs, no later than a month ago. The first leg match is scheduled Wednesday 1 May (7pm) at the Palasport in Porto Viro, the return Sunday 5 May (always at 7pm) in Piedmont.
There is no “good match” but the Golden Set rule will apply: if the two teams finish the home and away matches with the same points (three points are awarded for 3-0 or 3-1 victories, two points for the victory in the tie-break and one point for the defeat in the tie-break), the passage of the round would be decided by a play-off set – precisely, the Golden Set – at 15 points. The winner of this quarter-final will challenge Siena and Brescia in the semi-final, the first act of the Final Four which will be held Saturday 11 And Sunday 12 May right at the Cuneo Palasport.
Since the time of Serie B, when it hosted two Final Fours in a row without managing to win the trophy, the Italian Cup has been a blessing and a curse for Porto Viro. In the first year of Serie A3, in 2019/2020, the Polesine team immediately achieved qualification for the then A2/A3 Italian Cup, but were ousted in the quarterfinals by Siena, leaders of the higher category. The following year, however, he was the protagonist of a sensational ride: he eliminated two cadet teams from the scoreboard – Taranto in the quarterfinals and Reggio Emilia in the semifinals – before surrendering to Bergamo in the final.
Even since it has been in Serie A2, Delta Group has always managed to qualify for the Italian Cup: in 2021/2022 it did the feat in Castellana Grotte in the quarter-finals but bowed to Cuneo in the semi-finals, while last year it went out in the first round in an unfortunate “remake” with Castellana.
In its glorious past, Cuneo has sewn the tricolor cockade onto its chest five times (the last in 2010/2011), but never after the birth of the new club in 2015. The blue and whites came very close two years ago ago when they lost the final at home against Reggio Emilia, in whose ranks they played Garnica, Zamagni And Morgesetoday in Porto Viro.
In the round of 16, the team coached by former black fuchsia player Matteo Clap eliminated Pineto with a double 3-0. After being surprised in the playoffs, the Piedmontese team will now try to take revenge on the Delta Group: the declared objective is to enter the Final Four and win the cup in front of their home fans.
There have already been five seasonal matches between Porto Viro and Cuneo, the Piedmontese are ahead by three wins to two, while the updated history of the previous ones in Serie A is six wins for each side.
Marco will referee the first leg match Colucci of Matera and Beatrice Cruccolini of Perugia. Tickets also on sale on Wednesday at the Porto Viro Palasport ticket office starting from 4.30 pm and at any time online on the Live Ticket platform. Free live streaming on Volleyball World TV.
