Volley Bergamo

Volley Bergamo is an Italian women's volleyball club based in Bergamo and currently playing in the Serie A1.

Foppapedretti Bergamo
Full nameVolley Bergamo
NicknameFoppa
Rossoblù (red and blues)
Founded1991
GroundPalaNorda, Bergamo, Italy
(Capacity: 2,250)
ChairmanLuciano Bonetti
Head coachStefano Micoli
LeagueFIPAV Women's Serie A1
2016–174th (Playoff quarter-finalist)
WebsiteClub home page
Uniforms
Home
Away

Previous names

Due to sponsorship, the club have competed under the following names:

  • Volley Bergamo (1991–1992)
  • Foppapedretti Bergamo (1992–2000)
  • Radio 105 Foppapedretti Bergamo (2000–2006)
  • Play Radio Foppapedretti Bergamo (2006–2007)
  • Foppapedretti Bergamo (2007–2010)
  • Norda Foppapedretti Bergamo (2010–2012)
  • Foppapedretti Bergamo (2012–present)

History

Beginnings (1991–1994)

Volley Bergamo was founded in 1991 by Mauro Ferraris and first played in the 1991–92 Serie B1 (third tier). In the following season (1992–93) it started a partnership with Foppapedretti and gained promotion to the Serie A2 (second tier). The club gain a second successive promotion in 1993–94 by winning the Serie A2 and being promoted to the Serie A1 (first tier).[1]

Major success (1995–2007)

In 1994–95, its debut season at Serie A1, the club finished in fifth position, earning for the first time qualification for a European competition (CEV Cup).[2] In the following season it won both the Serie A1 and the Coppa Italia for the first time. In the 1996–97 the club won the Serie A1, Coppa Italia, Italian Super Cup and the CEV Champions League.[3] For the next decade the club became one of the strongest women's volleyball clubs in Europe, winning another five Serie A1 (1997–98, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06), two Coppa Italia (1997–98, 2005–06), four Italian Super Cups (1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2004–05), four CEV Champions League (1998–99, 1999–00, 2004–05, 2006–07) and one CEV Cup (2003–04).[4]

Recent years (2008–present)

Despite not being as dominant as before, the club after 2008 won the Serie A again (2010–11), the Coppa Italia (2007–08 and 2015–16), the Italian Super Cup (2011–12) and the CEV Champions League (2008–09 and 2009–10).[4] It is the most successful Italian team in the CEV Champions League history with 7 titles and the second most successful team in Serie A history with 8 titles, having never being relegated since its debut in the 1994–95 season.[5]

Team

Season 2019–2020, as of August 2019.[6][7]

Number Player Position Height (m) Weight (kg) Birth date
1 Malwina Smarzek Opposite Spiker 1.91 80 (1996-06-03) 3 June 1996
2 Lucia Imperiali Libero 1.62 (1999-05-05) 5 May 1999
3 Rossella Olivotto Middle Blocker 1.84 (1991-04-27) 27 April 1991
4 Kiera Van Ryk Opposite Hitter 1.88 85 (1999-01-06) 6 January 1999
5 Immacolata Sirressi Libero 1.75 62 (1990-05-19) 19 May 1990
7 Vittoria Prandi Setter 1.80 (1994-11-04) 4 November 1994
8 Samara Almeida Opposite Spiker 1.85 62 (1992-07-16) 16 July 1992
9 Laura Melandri Middle Blocker 1.86 60 (1995-01-31) 31 January 1995
13 Slađana Mirković Setter 1.85 74 (1995-10-07) 7 October 1995
16 Giada Civitico Middle Blocker 1.88 81 (2000-12-05) 5 December 2000
17 Sara Loda Outside Hitter 1.78 75 (1990-08-22) 22 August 1990
22 Annie Mitchem Outside Hitter 1.92 (1992-04-22) 22 April 1992

Notable players

Retired numbers

  • 11 Giseli Gavio; the number was retired in 1999
  • 12 Francesca Piccinini; the number was retired in 2013

Head Coaches
  • Francesco Sbalchiero (1993–1995)
  • Atanas Malinov (1995–1997)
  • Marco Bonitta (1997–2000)
  • Giuseppe Cuccarini (2000–2002)
  • Mario Di Pietro (2002–2003)
  • Giovanni Caprara (2003–2005)
  • Marco Fenoglio (2005–2007)
  • Lorenzo Micelli (2007–2010)
  • Davide Mazzanti (2010–2012)
  • Stefano Lavarini (2012–2017)
  • Stefano Micoli (2017–present)

Honours

National competitions
1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2005–06, 2010–11
  • Coppa Italia: 6
1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2015–16
  • Italian Super Cup: 6
1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2004–05, 2011–12

International competitions
1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10
2003–04
1996
1998 (January)

References
  1. "Storia". Volley Bergamo (in Italian). Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  2. "1995/96 CEV CUP - Volley Bergamo". CEV. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  3. "CHAMPION WOMEN - EC 96/97 - Final". CEV. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  4. "ALBO D'ORO". Volley Bergamo (in Italian). Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  5. "Volley Bergamo - Squads by season". Lega Pallavolo Seria A Femminile (in Italian). Retrieved 19 December 2016.
  6. "Team". Volley Bergamo (in Italian). Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  7. "2017-18 Foppapedretti Bergamo Team". legavolleyfemminile.it (in Italian). Retrieved 4 September 2017.
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