Cucine Lube Civitanova won the Jesi Volley Cup after beating Allianz Milano 3-1 at the PalaTriccoli in a friendly tournament final held one week before the SuperLega regular season, taking a closely contested pre-season final 25-23, 29-31, 25-21, 25-14. The Lega Pallavolo Serie A reported that Simeon Nikolov was named the tournament’s most valuable player, while Civitanova’s decisive shift came after Milano had levelled the match and then established an early third-set lead.
The result gave Civitanova their second Jesi Volley Cup success in four editions, according to Volleyball.it, and their second trophy in three finals at the friendly event. It was a friendly tournament held one week before the SuperLega regular season.
Milano took the final into a tight third set
Civitanova edged the opening set 25-23 after an even contest in which neither side was able to create lasting separation. The league said the score was level at 20-20 before Civitanova managed the final rallies more effectively, with Simeon Nikolov’s attack ending the set.
Milano responded in a second set that lasted 40 minutes and became the longest of the final. Civitanova recovered from 23-24 to create three set points, but Milano stayed alive on each occasion. The league reported that Milano eventually converted their third opportunity to win 31-29 after a Civitanova attacking error.
That recovery meant Milano had matched Civitanova set for set for more than an hour. Both reports identified Basil Dermaux as the final’s leading scorer and Milano’s only player to reach double figures, underlining how much of the side’s scoring burden fell on the opposite hitter.
Milano coach Guillermo Falasca said his team had played the first two sets at a very high level, but had then run short of energy. He linked that assessment to a demanding week which had included a training camp in Scheggino and the trip to Jesi without a full recovery day. That explanation remained Falasca’s view. The final two set scores, 25-21 and 25-14, are consistent with Falasca’s view that Milano’s level fell after the second set.
Nikolov’s service run changed the third set
The pivotal phase arrived in the third set. Milano moved 11-8 ahead, but Civitanova responded with five consecutive points to turn the score to 13-12. Both reports identified Simeon Nikolov’s serving as central to that run, with his brother Alex contributing in attack and Civitanova adding a block.
Civitanova did not surrender the advantage after that reversal. Bottolo extended the margin to 15-13, Klimes made it 19-16, and Milano’s error opened a 21-17 gap before Davide Gardini closed the set 25-21. The sequence represented a seven-point swing from Milano’s three-point lead at 11-8 to Civitanova’s four-point lead at 21-17.
Alex Nikolov finished with 16 points and Bottolo added 10 for Civitanova. Simeon Nikolov scored five points, but his role was wider than his personal total: the league report credited him with tournament MVP recognition and highlighted his control of the service phase that altered the final’s momentum.
Civitanova then used more of their available squad in the fourth set. The league reported that Alex Nikolov did not start the set, while Tonkonoh, Bisotto and later Zoppellari featured for the winners. Civitanova nevertheless started 5-1 and extended the advantage to 9-3 during another Simeon Nikolov service run. Gardini’s ace made it 17-8 before Civitanova completed a 25-14 finish.
What the numbers say before SuperLega
The league reported that Civitanova held an edge in attack, recording 57% to Milano’s 49%, and also an advantage in aces. Milano produced eight blocks to Civitanova’s six, so their defeat was not simply a failure at the net. Instead, Civitanova’s stronger attacking return and service pressure became increasingly influential once the third set turned.
Volleyball.it similarly reported an attacking advantage for Civitanova and said Milano’s reception and offensive effectiveness fell during the later stages. Both reports showed a clear serving advantage for the winners.
Civitanova coach Giampaolo Medei said the two-day event had been positive because the group was improving and its side-out game had worked well. He said the team still needed to develop certain mechanisms in the break phase, while adding that players need time in official matches. That qualification matters: the Jesi success is evidence of a useful pre-season performance, not a predictor of league standings. What it does show is that Civitanova recovered from a lost second set, changed the match through serving, and retained control despite rotating their line-up before the SuperLega campaign begins.