Lube Civitanova has just taken a very important step in guaranteeing it will continue to be one of the world’s best teams for the next two seasons. According to Ivolleymagazine.it, Giuseppe Cormio, the club’s president, has stated that Cuban superstar and Italian national teamer Osmany Juantorena has agreed to extend his contract with the team for the next two years (which also puts a definite end to all Juantorena for Wilfredo Leon trade rumors)
Juantorena has been with Civitanova since 2015, winning an Italian Championship with the club in the 2016-17 season, and being awarded MVP honors at the 2017 Coppa Italia and 2017 FIVB Club World Championship. Re-signing with Juantorena was a virtual no-brainer for Civitanova, as his name is seen in the league’s Top 10 in virtually all statistical categories: He is the league’s 7th highest scorer with 4.29 points per set, 7th best receiver at 30% efficieny, 6th best server at 0.46 aces per set, and 3rd best in spiker rating.
Lube is fighting hard to keep its core intact. Giuseppe Cormio has said in an interview that the club and Micah Christenson, Tsvetan Sokolov, and Davide Candellaro are very close to signing an extension. Team USA’s Taylor Sander‘s case is a little bit more complicated, though, as the president has expressed concern over his extensive injury history.
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32-year-old Osmany Juantorena is also one of the world’s top paid players. Having played for the Cuban national team from 2003 to 2006, he won a bronze medal at the 2005 FIVB World League. He then defected from Cuba on the same year to join Russian Club Ural Ulfa.
After many years playing in Italy, he applied for Italian citizenship, which was granted, and now is one of Italy’s national team most important players, having won a silver medal with the squad at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Juantorena is 6’7″ tall and is able to attack at over 12’5″. His list of accolades is astounding:
CEV Champions League
- 2009/2010 – Gold medal with Diatec Trentino – MVP
- 2010/2011 – Gold medal with Diatec Trentino – MVP
FIVB Club World Championship
- 2009 – Gold medal with Diatec Trentino – Best Server
- 2010 – Gold medal with Diatec Trentino – MVP and Best Spiker
- 2011 – Gold medal with Diatec Trentino – MVP and Best Spiker
- 2012 – Gold medal with Diatec Trentino – MVP
- 2017 – Gold medal with Lube Civitanova– MVP and Best Spiker
National championship
- 2009/2010 Gold medal at the Italian Cup Serie A with Diatec Trentino
- 2010/2011 Gold medal at the Italian Championship, with Diatec Trentino – Best Server
- 2011/2012 Gold medal at the Italian Cup Serie A with Diatec Trentino – MVP
- 2012/2013 Gold medal at the Italian Cup Serie A with Diatec Trentino
- 2012/2013 Gold medal at the Italian Championship, with Diatec Trentino
- 2013/2014 Gold medal at the Turkish SuperCup, with Halkbank Ankara
- 2013/2014 Gold medal at the Turkish Championship, with Halkbank Ankara – MVP
- 2014/2015 Gold medal at the Turkish SuperCup, with Halkbank Ankara
- 2014/2015 Gold medal at the Turkish Cup, with Halkbank Ankara
- 2016/2017 Gold medal at the Italian Cup, with Cucine Lube Civitanova
In addition, he was the 2005 FIVB World League’s best receiver, the Russian League’s MVP in the 2004-2005 season, the MVP of the Emir of Quatar Cup twice (2012, 2015), the MVP of the 2014 Italian Cup, and the Best outside spiker of the 2015 FIVB World Cup.
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