Cisneros La Laguna Eyes King's Cup Upset in Valencia

This weekend, Valencia hosts the King's Cup Volleyball, a major event featuring the top eight teams from the first half of the Men's Superliga. It's a crucial tournament for Cisneros La Laguna. The team from Tenerife will play Grupo Herce Soria Voleibol, who are currently second in the league, this Friday in the quarterfinals. The match is set for 4:00 PM at the Fuente de San Luis Pavilion.

Coach Miguel Rivera's team comes to Valencia in good form, having won their last two matches – one away against Asisa Tarragona and another at home against Unicaja Almería. This positive run gives them hope of doing well in the tournament. However, Rivera, who is from Madrid, stresses the need for caution, knowing how tough the competition will be. Still, Rivera believes his team can compete with the best. Club president Tomy López also shared his confidence in the squad, pointing to their high spirits and readiness to face any challenge. He hopes they can "pull off an upset."

The draw has given Cisneros a tough opponent. Grupo Herce Soria Voleibol is a strong team, sitting second in the Superliga with 47 points. They've won 16 matches and lost only two in the regular season. Soria showed their strength when they beat Cisneros 3-0 (25/15, 25/19, and 25/16) earlier in the league. Miguel Rivera has studied Soria, noting their quality play and coach Alberto Toribio's tactics. He also sees receiver Lindberg as a key player who makes a big difference. Interestingly, the two teams will meet again in the league on matchday nineteen, after the cup tournament.

Rivera says Cisneros' strategy is to play without pressure and trust in their best performance. The coach has a lot of experience in the King's Cup, having won it three times (twice as head coach with Teruel in 2018 and 2020, and once as an assistant in 2015). He understands that in a short tournament like this, the focus must be entirely on each individual match.

In the locker room, captain Sergio Noda's voice carries a lot of weight. At 38, the Spanish-Cuban player has been professional for over two decades. He's played in the King's Cup four times and even won it in 2009 with Almería. Noda, who also played in the cup with Elche and Cisneros last year, highlights how special the event is and what an honor it is for any player. He recognizes Soria's strength but points to his team's recent improvements and their drive to cause an upset. Noda says they aim to win the tournament, taking it "game by game."

Other quarterfinal matches include Guaguas against Teruel, Manacor against Leganés, and Melilla against Conqueridor Valencia, making for a very competitive tournament.