Piacenza crowned CEV Volleyball Cup champions with historic first European title

Piacenza lifted their first-ever European trophy after defeating SVG Lüneburg (GER) in the second leg of the CEV Volleyball Cup 2026 | Men final. The Italians sealed the title following a decisive performance (3-0) in the return match, completing their triumph after the aggregate result across the final series. After a dominant straight sets victory in the first leg, Piacenza confirmed their supremacy on Wednesday evening at a sold-out PalabancaSport, needing just two sets to secure the final win and spark celebrations in front of their passionate home crowd.

Under head coach Dante Boninfante, the Italian side delivered a complete performance, excelling in all key elements of the game and confirming their superiority on the night that mattered most. 

Gas Sales Bluenergy PIACENZA (ITA) vs SVG LÜNEBURG (GER) 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-21)

In the opening set, Piacenza established control early and never let it slip, building a steady lead from 12-8 to 13-9 and maintaining their momentum through 18-14 and 21-17 before closing the set comfortably at 25-20. Their performance was well-rounded, highlighted by strong serving pressure with three aces and solid net presence with two kill blocks, while posting an efficient 52% in attack. Despite SVG Lüneburg recording an impressive 64% attack efficiency and matching Piacenza with two kill blocks, their struggles with their own errors (eight to four) limited their ability to capitalise on offensive opportunities and ultimately cost them the set.

In the second set, the hosts came out even more dominant, quickly setting the tone with an early 4-2 lead that extended to 6-2 and 8-4. An ace from Alessandro Bovolenta pushed the score to 10-4, underlining Piacenza’s aggressive rhythm as they surged toward another convincing set-win that would bring them the trophy. Lüneburg attempted to respond through the middle, but Piacenza remained sharp at the net, with Efe Mandiraci showing great awareness to make it 14-9, followed by Robertlandy Simon delivering once again for 15-10. Even after a timeout at 18-12, Lüneburg struggled to shift the momentum, as Piacenza’s Gianluca Galassi continued to dominate in the centre. At 24-16, the home crowd in the PalaBanca was already on its feet anticipating the set point. Although Lüneburg managed to save the first opportunity, the inevitable came shortly after when José Miguel Gutierrez Suarez sealed the set with a sharp attack for 25-17, prompting standing ovations.

Piacenza’s dominance in the second set was further reflected in their outstanding efficiency, delivering an exceptional 83% in attack and a strong 67% positive reception, which allowed them to maintain complete control of the game, alongside adding one ace from the service line. On the other side, Lüneburg showed solid offensive numbers with 65% attack efficiency and improved reception at 45%, but it was not enough to match Piacenza’s near-flawless execution and consistency throughout the set.

In the third set, Piacenza once again imposed their rhythm after a brief 0-1 start, quickly turning the score around to 7-5 and 10-8 before breaking away decisively at 16-9. Although Lüneburg showed resilience late in the set, Piacenza maintained enough of a cushion to close it out 25-21 and complete a commanding straight-sets victory. Their performance remained consistent, with 65% efficiency in attack, 40% positive reception, one kill block, and two aces. Lüneburg responded with a respectable 56% in attack and 44% positive reception, but they were unable to shift the overall momentum of the match.

Individually, Alessandro Bovolenta led all scorers with 12 points, combining a strong 60% attack efficiency with three aces. He was closely followed by teammate Robertlandy Simon, who added 11 points with an outstanding 82% in attack, along with one ace and two blocks. For Lüneburg, Axel Enlund stood out with 10 points, hitting at 64% efficiency and contributing one kill block.

Piacenza’s path to glory

Their path to glory was anything but straightforward: Piacenza stumbled at the first hurdle in the Round of 16, losing 1-3 in the home match with Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice before responding with the same score in the away game, before edging through a dramatic Golden Set (19-17). From there, they built momentum with two 3-1 wins over Rio Duero Soria in the eightfinals, back-to-back victories against JSW Jastrzębski Węgiel (3-1, 3-1) in the play off, and commanding 3-0 sweeps over Berlin Recycling Volleys in the quarterfinals, before overcoming ACH Volley Ljubljana in the semifinals with 3-2 and 3-1 wins.