Lube Civitanova stunned three-time winners Sada Cruzeiro on opening day
Opole, Poland, December 13, 2017 – Poland’s Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle and Italy’s Cucine Lube Civitanova will race for their second straight win, following their respective victories on opening day in the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Men’s club World Championship in Pool A.
Head-to-head
• ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle and Lube Civitanova will meet for the first time at the men's club world championships.
• Italian sides are unbeaten against Polish teams in the competition. Diatec Trentino beat Skra Belchatów twice (2009 and 2010) and also claimed one victory against Jastrzebski Wegiel (2011), all in the final.
ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle
• Hosts ZAKSA enjoyed a strong men’s club world championship debut with a thrilling 3-2 win over Sarmayeh Bank Teheran VC in front of a raucous Opole crowd. They came back from being down two sets to none.
• There have been four men’s club world championships with Polish participation. All four of these Polish teams won at least their first three matches in their respective seasons. This time around, ZAKSA and Skra Belchatów started off victorious as well.
• Maurice Torres was the top scorer in the match against Sarmayeh Bank with 26 points. Mateusz Bieniek contributed four kill blocks.
Cucine Lube Civitanova
• Lube Civitanova stunned the three-time club world championship winners Sada Cruzeiro Vôlei on Tuesday, winning in straight sets while conceding only 55 points.
• The tournament debutants became the second Italian team to beat Sada Cruzeiro Vôlei at the men’s club world championship, after Diatec Trentino achieved this in both the preliminary round and in the final in 2012.
• That 2012 final win by Diatec Trentino indicated also the last men’s club world championship gold medal for an Italian team to date.
• Tsvetan Sokolov scored 20 of Lube Civitanova’s 75 points against the Brazilians, including no less than six serve winners.