Lube repeats the 3-1 from the first leg and eliminates Halkbank Ankara. The Emilians lost 3-0 with Jastrzebski overturning the 3-2 of last week’s match. Tomorrow it’s Trento’s turn
At least one Italian is in the semifinals of the volleyball Champions League. Yesterday Civitanova celebrated, while Piacenza stopped in Poland. It doesn’t end here: there’s Trento to cheer against Berlin, on the pitch on Thursday evening.
Jastrzebski-Piacenza 3-0 (25-22, 26-24, 25-21)
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Piacenza had to win at least two sets (and possibly also the golden set) to access the Champions League semi-finals. He comes close to winning one, the second, which certainly could have reopened the match, but two serves from Gladyr sink the red and whites who then collapse in the first part of the third set and subsequently start an incredible comeback that only comes close. It ends 3-0 for Jastrzebski Wegiel who for the third consecutive year arrives among the magnificent four, while Gas Sales Daiko’s first adventure in the highest continental event ends in the quarter-finals. It’s a strange first set, in which both teams aren’t perfect. The Poles, however, almost always remain ahead, then extend their series with Fornal’s serve, while the red and whites cannot find the usual answers from the serve. When Jastrzebski manages to lead 22-17, the red and whites attempt a comeback, but it is now too late to reverse the inertia of the set which ends up with the hosts 25-22. The second fraction is even more difficult to read. Jastrzebski makes a lot of mistakes in their serve, Piacenza on the other hand finds good responses and well directed by Brizard goes ahead 13-9. Slowly the home team comes back, Anastasi introduces Recine for Leal and the Italian immediately finds two important points in attack, supported by Romanò who scores the 21-19. Gas Sales Daiko also leads 23-21, but in the final the equalizer arrives, then Gladyr with two serves on Scanferla gives him an unexpected 26-24. Anyone who thinks they’ve seen it all has to think again in the third set. With Recine and Alonso in the sextet the red and whites suffered the psychological blow of the defeat in the second half. On the pitch there are only the Poles who stroll until 19-11. Then at a certain point in Piacenza the lights come on and an unexpected reaction arrives which brings Gas Sales a distance away with a double winning attack from Simon which is worth 20-21. But an error at the net by Lucarelli and an ace by Fornal again against the Brazilian effectively closed the match and gave Jastrzebski access to the semi-finals. (Matteo Marchetti)
civitanova-ankara 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-15, 25-23)
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A stoic and very determined Lube breaks down the taboo of the Champions League quarter-finals and returns to play a semi-final that had been missing since the 2018-19 season. He did it at the end of a match where, in addition to the absence of Zaytsev, De Cecco was also added at the last moment, replaced by Thelle, captain who then returned in the decisive third set which closed the games for Civitanova. A test of great team sacrifice where the blocks of Anzani (mvp) were decisive in the decisive third partial where a wild Yant also shone. Balaso also did well dealing with the attacks of Abdel Aziz and especially Ngapeth who kept Halkbank’s qualification hopes alive. Civitanova lines up the sextet with De Cecco (who suffered gastrointestinal problems in the run-up to the match)-Lagumdzija, Anzani-Chinenyeze in the centre, Yant-Nikolov spikers, Balaso libero. Halkbank responds with Ma’a-Abdel Aziz, Matic-Tayaz central, Ngapeth and Perrin hammers, Done libero. However, after just two exchanges De Cecco was forced to give way to Thelle. Civitanova was very concentrated and immediately landed the shots (8-2). Ankara does not become disunited and relies above all on Ngapeth to overcome the initial disadvantage which is completely reopened when Abdel Aziz lands the point which is worth Ankara’s lead (18-18) in Civitanova. Final set played point by point: Nikolov and Yant lead the red and whites to 24-22, with Blengini’s team closing on the second ball on a serve fired out by Ma’a. In the already decisive second set Ankara is immediately very determined with Matic’s block (fundamental and decisive with 5 winning blocks) which makes it 3-6. Marchigiani chasing in this partial with the more lucid and concentrated Halkbank stretching away: it is above all Yant who makes the charge who brings Lube back within range of the Turks by taking advantage of Chinenyeze’s turn of service (14-16). Halkbank resists the attempts of the red and whites to come back whose ambitions are swept away by Abdel Aziz’s serve which gives the decisive acceleration for the equalizing set. In the third set De Cecco tries to return to the field again by taking over Thelle. If possible, even more competitive and balanced challenge: the blocks of Anzani (4 out of 5 of his winners) and Nikolov hurt Ankara who took the 13-10, with an immediate time out for Kovac. But it is still at the net that Lube does badly to a Halkbank which suffers a very heavy break (9-2) in the sign of a wild Yant (5 points with 71% in attack) which opens the way to success in the set and above all to the qualification of the Blengini’s team to the semi-final. The rest of the match was a formality with the Marche players rotating and bringing home the victory while the party in the stands of the stadium was already going crazy. (Mauro Giustozzi)
Gazzetta dello Sport
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