Monza lose Italian Superlega finals

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/05/2024 (697 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Eric Loeppky’s club volleyball season came to an end April 28, as Mint Vero Volley Monza fell in the fourth match of the Italian Superlega finals.

The favoured Perugia were able to claim the title, winning game four and the best-of-five series 3-1.

Despite the loss, Monza played the role of underdog well throughout the finals, pushing Perugia to the limit in what will go down as the club’s best season in history.

Even in the decisive game of the finals, Vero Volley didn’t go down quietly, taking the first set, and scoring 23 and 25 points in their subsequent losses.

“We must be proud of what we did, of how we played and of this achievement,” a translated statement from Monza middle Gianlucas Galssi posted to the Vero Volley website reads.

“I think we should be really proud of what we have done, because every day with work and sacrifice we have managed to reach this goal and I can’t be anything but happy about it.”

Despite the game three loss on April 25, Loeppky was brilliant in attack for Monza. The former Steinbach Regional Secondary School standout led his team with 17 points, with the Vero Volley setters looking to Loeppky early and often.

At times in game three Monza looked completely outmatched, especially as veteran volleyball legend Wilfredo Leon came off the bench for Perugia to provide a scoring spark.

The 12-team Superlega is the top tier of the Italian volleyball pyramid, and widely considered the best volleyball league in the world.

The strong results this season have clinched the club’s place in next year’s champion’s league, the first time for a Vero Volley men’s team.

Loeppky’s focus will now shift to the international game, as the Paris Olympics are less than 90 days away. Loeppky should be a key member of Team Canada, which are ranked 12th in the world. Monza was full of Canadian talent, with Stephen Maar and Arthur Szwarc also seeing time in the Vero Volley rotation during the finals.