Return to the cup to applause after a year of absence for Lube: French with no escape in a one-sided challenge. Nikolov mvp, Leoppky, Bottolo and Gargiulo in the chair
CIVITANOVA–MONTPELLIER 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-22)
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Soft landing for Lube on its return to the Champions League after a year’s absence. The Marche team eliminated Montpellier in three sets at the end of a one-sided match, where the superiority of the red and white emerged in all fundamentals. With the usual top scorer Nikolov going on to take the MVP award, but with good performances also from Leoppky and Bottolo as well as the punctual Gargiulo on the block. The French were very foul and in trouble throughout the match. For this European debut in pool E, coach Medei relies on a sextet with Marko Podrascanin paired with Gargiulo in the center, Loeppky-Bottolo the spikers, Boninfante-Nikolov the diagonal. Civitanova immediately started off strong as often happens at home: attacks from Nikolov and Bottolo made it 8-3. The Transalpines were not very incisive and so it was an easy game for Balaso & his teammates to have control of the partial with a very large advantage (14-6). The attention of the Civitanovese waned a little and the French with Lopez’s serve showed signs of raising their heads again with a 3-0 break. It didn’t take much for Lube to bring their opponents back into line upon their return, with Boninfante’s turn at serve being exploited to perfection in the attacking replays which then led the red and whites to close a storyless set with Nikolov. In the second, Montpellier sketches a reaction that leads the guests to play ball after ball without immediately losing contact with the Marche team at the start (13-13). Bottolo’s turn of service breaks the set: the blue hammer destroys the remaining hopes of Montpellier who collects the 18-13, with Civitanova who also takes home the second set without working overtime. The third opens with a wild Gargiulo on the block and in attack who leads his team to 9-5. Civitanova is regular in his game, Frenchmen who suffer and are also very foul and give themselves over to their opponents, only managing to cancel two of the four match balls built by Medei’s team.
Civitanova: Nikolov 17 points. Blocks team 10. Aces team 7. Nikolov 3 aces. Gargiulo 4 walls, Bottolo 3 walls Montpellier: Palacios 13 points. Team Blocks 1. Team Aces 2.