Champions volleyball women: Scandicci stops in the quarterfinals. Challenge Cup: Novara triumphs

Scandicci stops in the quarter-finals. Nothing to do with the Turkish Eczacibasi and thus the Champions League semi-final dream fades away. Italy still has two cards to play: on February 29th Milan-Lodz will be played at 8pm and Conegliano-Vakifbank at 6.30pm. However, a European triumph arrives in women’s volleyball: Novara wins the Challenge Cup.

scandicci-Eczacibasi 2-3 (25-27, 25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 12-15)

—

The dream of reaching the semi-final of the Cev Champions League for Savino Del Bene Scandicci is shattered against Eczacibasi in the tie break. A match played well for Barbolini’s girls who, however, did not close the match in the fourth set, handing it over to the Turks led by a splendid Boskovic and the fundamental changes of Stevanovic and Voronkova who replicated the result of the first leg (2-3) and continue their European journey. The PalaWanny match begins without any major surprises in the starting six, Washington closes the first long exchange but it is immediately clear what match it will be. The two teams responded point for point until the score was 4-4, sealed by a service error from Boskovic. Scandicci makes a mistake and Eczacibasi hits thanks to Jack-Kisal’s fasts and the usual Boskovic which forces Barbolini to stop the game at 6-10. The break doesn’t help because Gray hits from the second line bringing the Turks to a temporary +5. Savino Del Bene shakes off her fears and on the wings of a supersonic Washington between block and serve, comes back and puts the arrow. The equalizer is also signed by the Denver native aided by the tape (14-14); Zhu Ting pipes in for the sixteenth point and Akbas stops everything. The time-out is not enough, Barbolini’s girls are perfect at the net with Zhu Ting very inspired for the monster block of 20-16. Eczacibasi tries to return, but the Chinese champion brings the score to +5 (22-17). However, it’s not enough because the end of the set is hot with Scandicci making a lot of mistakes and seeing the Turks get back to equal. The stalemate continues until 25-25 when first Boskovic and then a missed attack by Carol hand the score to Eczacibasi. The second set is a photocopy of the first, also for the performers. Washington takes the team on its shoulders after the initial Turkish lead (3-3), Herbots makes the double move and then Zhu Ting puts his signature on +3. Scandicci keeps Eczacibasi at a distance with a splendid Washington (8-5) and reaches a lead of 5 with Zhu Ting hitting the block forcing Akbas to stop the game. The leitmotif of the partial is the same with Zhu Ting rising to the top thanks to Carol (16-9) and then it’s all downhill. Or it should. Because from 19-13, Savino del Bene is hit by Boskovic and Baladin who try to bring the Turks back into the match (20-16). Barbolini’s girls close the set at 25-20. The third set is a carbon copy of the previous ones, with Savino insisting right from the start (6-3) and managing the advantage. Akbas wants to see clearly and stops the game, but the Tuscans are sure of themselves and hit the center with Carol twice (13-9). The entry of Stevanovic helps Eczacibasi, but despite the ex of the match on the pitch Scandicci forcefully extends thanks to a splendid Carol (17-13). The guests come back from behind (17-15), but Ognjenovic’s turn of serve is lethal for Baladin and her teammates (21-15). Savino Del Bene Scandicci overturns the result driven by Zhu Ting who also closes the set with a hands off for 25-18. The fourth set should tell us that the wind has changed, but it didn’t go that way. Antropova leads the charge in the Florentine arena (5-2) and takes center stage by destroying the Turkish defense (9-4). The “Kate will take care of it” sign goes up from the stands but Eczacibasi comes back at 9-7, forcing Barbolini to stop the game. Washington raises its arms (11-8) but Boskovic decides to make the public shiver by bringing the tie back to eleven all. The scenario is that of the first sets: point by point until fifteen all when first Antropova and then Zhu Ting surprise the opposing defense. (17-15). The Turks return to parity but Akbas goes crazy on 19-17 scored by Herbots. The visiting coach enters the field, waves his arms and receives the boos from the stadium. His girls are calmer and don’t mind (19-19). The Turks reverse the fate of the set driven by Boskovic (20-23), Carol tries to revive Scandicci for 22-23 but Boskovic closes the set. In the short set there is tension between Barbolini’s girls (1-4) who is forced to take time. The bad moment continues (4-7) with Stevanovic, but Herbots brings the home team back to the surface but at the changeover the guests are ahead 6-8. The music played by Eczacibasi is always the same, with a +2 advantage despite Antropova (8-10). The Turks extend to 9-14, but Antropova keeps the flame burning (12-14). What turns it off is a wrong serve from Kate which hands the semi-final of the Cev Champions League to Eczacibasi. For Savino Del Bene Scandicci and her fans, the hopes of the European dream were definitively extinguished at the end of the fifth set. Now the Tuscans only have the championship left to be able to put a new trophy on their showcase. (Stefano Del Corona)

challenge cup: nantes-novara 1-3 (25-23, 16-25, 20-25, 19-25)

—

Mission accomplished. After the 3-0 success in the first leg final, Igor Novara also wins the return match in France and puts a new trophy on the board: the Challenge Cup. Top scorer of the match Akimova. The opposite team finished with 25 points. For coach Lorenzo Bernardi, the first female trophy in his coaching adventure: “It is also the first international cup I have ever won. I am proud of these girls”. Igor therefore expands its trophy case: after a scudetto, three Italian Cups, a Super Cup, a Cev Cup and a Champions League (won in 2019 in Berlin by beating Conegliano in the final) here is the Challenge Cup.