Volleyball: A-1 women, Milan continues the race, Chieri defends fourth place

Vallefoglia-Chieri 1-3 (25-15, 22-25, 18-25, 21-25) After two consecutive defeats, Reale Mutua Fenera returned to success by clearing the PalaCarneroli in Urbino. Megabox starts with the turbo, giving the impression of being able to overcome the listed opponents, but Chieri comes out at a distance and closes the practice in four sets. In front of the blue city Mazzanti in the stands, it starts with great balance: 4-3, then the clubs accelerate to 10-6 thanks to the green-and-white wall. It is 15-8 with ace from Kosheleva, Vallefoglia has detached the opponents and extends with super Drews (17-10). On 22-12 the practice is archived, Mafrici’s girls fly on 25-15 with a diagonal from Kosheleva. Second set: 5-3, then 8 all with many mistakes. You can see excellent defenses, he’s 12-9 on Hancock’s batting. Weitzel goes up, like Villani and is 14-14 with a reception from the Marches that leaks. On Drews’ service and with its American axis, the Megabox is back ahead (17-14). The Marches tear but Reale Mutua Fenera mends with Villani (17-17). Chieri becomes dangerous and with Weitzel grows a lot: 21-21, 22-23, up to 22-25 which closes the games. In the third set, a refreshed Reale Mutua starts better (0-3, 1-5). The blue-and-whites take the monkey off their shoulders and fly (4-9), Mafrici’s girls go down a level. The guests take control of the ball (8-16, 11-19) and limit errors to a minimum. Vallefoglia extends the set, which ends 18-25, with the block continuing to smile at Bregoli’s formation. The fourth set is a movie already seen: 1-5. The Megabox goes up again (7-7), but Chieri doesn’t worry (8-11, 13-18). Vallefoglia is too discontinuous: 14-20. New break, this time internal, for 19-21 which gives hope to the green-and-whites. Chieri pushes, decides to close and thus ends the contest: 21-25 with Villani, MVP of the match. Clear and deserved success, Vallefoglia remains with some regrets. (Camilla Cataldo)

Milan-Cuneo 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-15) Milan gets back up in the championship after Istanbul, crashing Cuneo 3-0. Gaspari’s girls suffer only one set, the first, in which they keep their opponents afloat until the end due to many mistakes. But the 11 walls and 6 aces help the clubs to melt in the following sets. Mvp is Dana Rettke (11 points with 13 attacks), but Stysiak (14) and Sylla (11) are also in double figures. For Cuneo 10 for Szakmary and Gicquel, but Signorile and her companions are struggling against the opposing wall. Now for Milan it’s head to the Champions League: Vakifbank arrives at the Allianz Cloud on Tuesday, and Orro and his teammates are called upon to make up for the 0-3 of the first leg. Gaspari starts with Orro-Thompson diagonally, Sylla-Larson spikers, Stevanovic-Folie in the center, Parochial free. Bellano begins with Signorile in the control room opposite Gicquel, Szakmary and Drews in the band, Hall and Cecconello in the center with Caravello free. I start with very wet powders. Milan immediately tries to escape (6-2), which becomes 8-7, but Gaspari’s team is already 7 errors between serve and attack. Cuneo relies on Szakmary, with Kuznetsova and Gicquel kept at bay by the home defense, but the guests start to get in and overtake (14-17). Milan has Rettke (5 points with 2 blocks and 2 aces), but above all Sylla (7 points) and Stysiak (6) with their plays to bring the clubs back. In the decisive final, the home American central defender, who first propitiates the break (23-21 after a block) and then closes with the ace of 25-22. A set won despite 10 errors and 29% in attack seems like a bargain, but in the second the music changes. Milan, decidedly less foul, immediately breaks away (9-5, 15-7), taking advantage of Szakmary’s offensive mistakes. Again Rettke protagonist (5 points, all in attack in as many attempts), with Sylla and Davyskiba to support. For Cuneo the entry of Drews (for Kuznetsova, after two almost consecutive blocks suffered by the Russian) does not change much, and Milan closes 25-17 for 2-0. Bellano bets on Diop for Gicquel and confirms Drews, but the third set for Milan is dominated by Candi (in for Stevanovic), who with 5 practically consecutive blocks lets Monza escape (11-5). Cuneo sinks 16-9 (when Caruso replaced Hall and Gicquel returned for Diop), reacts with 3 consecutive points, but surrenders 25-15 on Begic’s acute (entering in the final for Davyskiba). (Rodolfo Palermo)

Casalmaggiore-Florence 3-2 (25-19, 19-25, 25-21, 19-25, 17-15) Casalmaggiore wins the clash with Florence, which in the most beautiful moment forgets to maybe get on the last playoff train, almost hit instead (missing one point) by Heavy Transport. Eternal challenge at the PalaRadi in Cremona, in a match that – in fits and starts – said everything and the opposite of everything. Casalmaggiore commands immediately, finding Frantti again and above all taking advantage of the many fouls by Florence: when Trasporti Pesanti makes a mistake, Frantti makes up for it with the first ace of the match. But in general it is the local wall that works: when it doesn’t close in on someone else’s field, it forces Florence to make very high and difficult attacks and, in the case of 14-8, Graziani to tear away the net. Wide victory of the roses. The second partial is inversely proportional to the first: Florence goes 11-8 with Sylves’ block and with Herbots blocks 16-14. In general it is precisely the subnet that the Tuscans get into, placing blocks in series (they will be 11 after a set and a half) and taking advantage of Dimitrova’s mistakes: 19-25 and everything is even. The third set is the most beautiful and not only for the green card (fair play) for Melandri, who changes a point, conceding a touch from him. Florence always commands, even by 3, Casalmaggiore – which up to 18 attacks with 33% – settles things relying on the bench and in particular on Perinelli and Malual. The latter signs the first overtaking (21-20), the first instead puts the two blocks that nail the 2-1, with Nwakalor who is no longer able to pass. In the fourth set Florence goes 13-9 with Casalmaggiore struggling a lot in reception, allowing many reconstructions of Tuscan wings. Heavy Transport clings to the challenges, but they don’t say well and so there is a tie break air. Also because Nwakalor has adjusted his aim and starts playing with the block when needed. We play up to a new 19-25, but the fate of the partial has long since been sealed. Van Gestel leads Firenze to a very first break, but such a balanced match can only be resolved in the sprint: it also applies to the passage from 9-13 to 14-13 which forces Parisi to call two close time outs on Lohuis’s block and Frantti’s shots in attack. Dimitrova dominates the advantages. John Gardani