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Cucine Lube Civitanova kicked off their home campaign in style, securing a commanding 3-0 victory over Pallavolo Padova in their second match of the SuperLega Credem Banca season. This win follows their opening-day success, maintaining their perfect start.
Civitanova Makes Home Debut Count
After an opening away win, Civitanova delivered a strong performance in front of their home crowd. The team, led by coach Giampaolo Medei, defeated Padova with set scores of 25-21, 25-15, and 25-21. The victory propels Lube to six points in the standings before their next away fixture against Acqua Sant’Anna Cuneo.
Civitanova started the match with intensity, particularly in the crucial moments of the first two sets. Alex Nikolov was instrumental early on, maintaining high efficiency. While Padova showed flashes of their game in the third set, Lube’s strong finish secured the match in just 76 minutes. Statistical analysis confirmed Civitanova’s superiority across all fundamental aspects of the game.
Individual Brilliance and Team Effort
Several players stood out for Civitanova. Outside hitter Alex Nikolov led all scorers with 13 points, including two aces and a block. Opposite hitter Loeppky also contributed 10 points, featuring two aces and a block. Middle blocker Gargiulo was named MVP, scoring 10 points with an impressive 60% attack efficiency, complemented by two aces and two blocks. Moni Nikolov also made significant contributions from the service line with four aces and at the net with two blocks, in addition to his attacking prowess.
For Padova, only Orioli managed to reach double-digit scoring with 11 points.
Pre-Match Recognition for Nikolov
Before the match, Lube President Simona Sileoni presented Alex Nikolov with two Lega awards for his achievements in the 2025/26 Regular Season. The Bulgarian outside hitter was recognized as the top scorer and for achieving the highest number of successful attacks during that season.
Lineups
Cucine Lube Civitanova fielded Moni Nikolov at setter, paired with his brother Alex Nikolov as opposite. Loeppky and Bottolo played as outside hitters, with Gargiulo and Klimes as middle blockers, and Balaso as libero.
Pallavolo Padova started with Behnezhad as setter and Golzadeh as opposite. Orioli and Leo Lukas were the outside hitters, while Kunstmann and Pellacani formed the middle-blocking pair. The former Lube player D’Amico served as libero.
Match Progression
The first set saw both teams applying pressure with their serves, each recording four aces. However, Civitanova’s 76% attack efficiency proved decisive. Middle blocker Klimes made an early impact with an ace to give Lube a 4-1 lead. Despite Padova fighting back to 8-6 with an ace from Orioli, Civitanova regained control, extending their lead to 12-6 following an ace by Moni Nikolov and a combined block from the Nikolov brothers and Klimes. Alex Nikolov’s ace further solidified Lube’s dominance at 16-10.
The second and third sets saw Civitanova maintain their strong performance, ultimately securing the straight-sets victory.
Sources: legavolley.it
