Bocconi Volleyball and the Race to Promotion

THE BOCCONI MEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM HAS MADE GREAT LEAPS FORWARD DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND GETS READY TO START THE PLAYOFFS WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A PROMOTION TO B DIVISION. FIRST MATCH SCHEDULED ON MAY 18

In just two years the men's volleyball team of Bocconi University has passed from possible relegation from the D Division to the opportunity to access the B Division during the playoffs to be played this week. The first match will see the Pellicani face the Adolescere team on May 18 at 9:15pm at the Zaccaria Institute, located in via della Commenda 3. “The playoffs represent a significant achievement, considering that it is a university team. The Pellicani only train twice a week, while other athletes usually train four times. This makes the objectives we have achieved so far that more valuable", says Alberto Biffi, who teaches Statistics at Bocconi University and who is the President of Volleyball section in the Bocconi Sport Team .

"It all started five years ago, with the support of Alessandro Ciarlo, Vice President of the Bocconi Sport Team and Daniela Simionato, a member of the staff. Since then the team has experienced continuous and gradual growth. 2015 was the year of the promotion: after four years in D division we entered the C", continues Biffi, who is a national volleyball coach since 2004 and who has an extensive experience in mental coaching. "I work a lot on group motivation and team building. They are two fundamental aspects that, together with a good athletic training achieved thanks to the lead of the coaches, Cristian Guandalini and Mauro Camerota, make a group of players a real team".

"We are a very competitive team", says Marco Facchetti, captain of the Pellicani who obtained a Master in Strategy and Entrepreneurship at SDA Bocconi School of Management in 2013. Biffi describes him as "the perfect example of how to combine professional sport practice with a high-level career". Facchetti works in fact as an account manager for an important company. “We are an incredibly diverse team: Bocconians and externals, students and alumni", says the captain. "We are ready. What we’d like to see this time is a large audience who cheers for us".

by Benedetta Ciotto