Diatecx Trentino win 2018 FIVB Men’s Club World Championship in Poland

In an all-Italian Final Trentino defeated Cucine Lube Civitanova by three sets to one in an absorbing contest.

The 14th edition of the eight-team tournament was held in Poland for the second successive year across three venues from 26 November to 2 December and featured the top professional teams from South America, Europe, and Asia, as well as four wild card entries.

2018 Polish Champions Skra Bełchatów were the hosts, and they were joined by 2018 European Champions Zenit Kazan from Russia, 2018 South American Champions Sada Cruzeiro from Brazil and 2018 Asian Champions Khatam Ardakan from Iran. The four wildcard teams consisted of the two finalists plus another Russian team, Fakel Novy Urengoy, and six-time Polish champions Asseco Resovia.

The eight teams were divided into two pools of four, with each team playing each other and the top two from the round-robin format qualifying for the semi-finals.

Pool A saw Lube top the group winning all three games with Fakel Novy Urengoy taking the runner-up spot to progress to the semi-finals. Pool B was dominated by Trentino who also went through as unbeaten group winners, dropping only one set in the process of their three matches. They were joined by Asseco Resovia in the last four who edged out Sada Cruzeiro from Brazil for second spot.

The semi-finals saw identical results as Lube came from a set down to beat Asseco Resovia by three sets to one by 104 points to 87, whilst Trentino overcame Fakel Novy Urengoy also came from a set down to win by three sets to one by 97 points to 74.

The Final was a typically keenly contested affair and a reflection of the dominance of Italy’s SuperLega. Trentino took out the first set 25-20, before Lube fought back to level the match by taking the next set 25-22. However Trentino stepped up their game and took the third set 25-20 before wrapping up the match and title with the fourth set 25-18 for a three sets to one victory (97-83).

The victory was revenge for Trentino who had lost in five sets to their rivals in a SuperLega match early last month. Lube has now lost in two consecutive finals, falling to Trentino just a year after being swept by Zenit Kazan in the 2017 Men’s Club World Championship final.
Trentino’s Aaron Russell also claimed the honour of the Most Valuable Player title for the champions.

Russia’s Fakel Novy Urengoy claimed the bronze medal by defeating Asseco Resovia in the third place match by three sets to one, 97 points to 94.

Attention now switches to the 2018 FIVB Women’s Club World Championship which will be held in Shaoxing, China from 4 to 9 December.