Volleyball, Super League: Piacenza and Verona, heavy successes for the playoff grid

The 19th day of Superlega with the top challenge between Trento and Perugia

PIACENZA-MILAN 3-1 (27-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-19) In the play-off for a good position in the playoffs Piacenza smiles, while Milan after a good first fraction in which it doesn’t take advantage of three set points raises the white flag and sees Gas Sales Bluenergy escape in the standings. The first set is balanced from the kick-off to the last point: Piacenza, who sends starting Lucarelli onto the field after almost two months, has the best approach, but from the halfway point it is Milan that appears in the fast lane despite a very deficit. At 20 the two teams are still shoulder to shoulder, then the guests find the leap that allows them to earn three set points, but a super Lucarelli first in attack and then with the decisive ace gives the red and white a 1-0 lead. The second set is the opposite of the initial one and is decided after a few exchanges. Spotlight on Romanò, formerly of Milan that President Fusaro has confessed to wanting to bring back under the Madonnina; the blue in the service digs the gap and then increases it in attack. Brizard understands that the opposite is on fire and serves him continuously until 8-15. Piazza replaces Ishikawa with Ebadipour and then also tries the double substitution, but the fraction is now decided for the hosts 2-0. In the last four matches Piacenza has always been comeback and when Porro finds the ace of 11-8 Botti decides to stop the game immediately trying to avoid risks. It’s not needed: the director of the Lombards continues his series until 16-8 and in fact launches the challenge towards the fourth fraction after a partial all from the Lombard brand. At the change of sides Milan makes a lot of mistakes in the serve, but always remains attached to the match, so much so that at 15 the set has not yet found one of the two teams capable of making even a mini draw. Then Romanò and Simon take the chair, protagonists of the 20-16 Gas Sales Bluenergy prologue to the final 3-1. (Matthew Marchetti)

Padua-Verona2-3 (21-25, 22-25, 25-20, 29-27, 17-19) Tension, emotions, spectacle. The Veneto derby offers more than two and a half hours of pure battle. In the end, Verona wins and after dominating the first two sets, it drops in all the fundamentals but cancels three match-balls in Padua and thanks Keita for the double ace which on 17 all gives the victory to the Scala family. For Padova some regrets for the too many mistakes in the tie-break serve but the satisfaction for having put a point in the farmhouse that could be fundamental in the fight for salvation. The entry of Gardini is exemplary (20 points in three sets), the direction of Spirito is excellent, as is the contribution in attack of all the “tenors” of Stoytchev who puts two very important points in the safe in the race for the play-offs. The record. Padova gets off to a better start (7-3), then a couple of mistakes by Petkovic immediately put Verona back in the game (10-11). The bianconeri try a new extension (17-15), the gialloblù service puts another piece in place for Stoytchev’s team (17-19). It’s the break that decides the set, because the Paduan ball change is no longer effective. The difficulties in attack of Cuttini’s team are also evident at the start of the second set and Verona, driven by Keita, immediately starts ahead (6-8). A set that Verona commands without problems in all fundamentals. Cuttini benches Saitta and Petkovic, really subdued, and sends Zoppellari and Guzzo onto the field. But the inertia of the set is marked, despite the 5-0 run with which, on Zoppellari’s serve, Padova goes back up to 22-24, before Keita’s winning attack. The third set is a concentrate of emotions with Verona getting very nervous due to a couple of alleged referee errors, but with Padova revolutionizing the formation by inserting Guzzo for Petkovic and Gardini for Asparuhov. Padova starts badly (6-8), but then reacts, dragged by Gardini and Takahashi (25-20). In the fourth set, the bianconeri lead from start to finish but have to deal with the great reaction of Verona which finds in Keita the weapon in more species in serve and impacts on 24-24, before the final break, culminating with the attacking mistake by Mozic. In the tie-break Padova leads up to 8-6 and then 13-12, but Sapozhkov and Keita cancel three match-balls for the hosts. On 17 all it is a double ace from Keita to close the account. Verona rejoices, but Padua does not cry. (Maximum Salmaso)