The Italian champions continue their unstoppable march: they have not lost since 11 May 2023. Next up is a success for Trento against Cuneo: it is the first victory under Mazzanti’s management
FLORENCE-CONEGLIANO 1-3 (19-25, 25-22, 18-25, 22-25)
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Twenty matches and twenty victories: the championship run of Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano knows no obstacles. Even with Piani in place of Haak, Santarelli’s team was able to get the better of their opponents, in this case Il Bisonte Firenze. For their part, however, the Tuscan team can be happy with their performance. For large stretches of the match she was able to keep up with her opponents and even managed to win a set, the second, after losing the two seasonal matches (first leg in the championship and Italian Cup) already played against the Venetians by 3-0. First set that starts in a balanced way. In fact, to be honest, Il Bisonte is even preferred and thanks to a good initial contribution from Kraiduba (5 points) they reach 15-13. This is where Santarelli calls time out and asks his girls to change the way they play. All said and done, in a flash the deficit was reabsorbed and from 15-13 Florence went to 20-16 Conegliano. Robinson is loaded with springs and puts down one ball after another, including the one that makes it 19-25. In the second set, Parisi’s team started in a confident and convincing manner, while their opponents suffered a decline, immediately underlined at the first time out by Santarelli at 15-9. Three errors in a row, one in service and two in attack, put Prosecco Doc Imoco back into play. It is at this moment that Battistoni relies on his spikers, Alsmeier and Ishikawa to be able to bring home the second half. Kipp on the other hand is not at his best and it shows. However, it was the Japanese player who scored the score at 25-22 and re-established parity on the pitch. In the third set Santarelli’s team returns to be the protagonist. Robinson resumes his run after a moment of confusion and completely changes pace. She is the driving force behind her team, like Piani. De Kruijf is finally starting to play too, after two sets in which he did little or nothing and so the picture for the Venetians is complete. The Bisonte could not keep up with their opponents who managed to lead by up to nine points before winning 18-25 with De Kruijf having the final say. We are in the fourth set, the Bisonte girls decide to give everything to bring the match to the fifth. Parisi also decides to include the young Acciarri (19 years old) to improve in the center and to make his team more incisive also in batting. She attacks well but also makes a lot of mistakes on the Conegliano serve (in the end there will be 16 incorrect serves for the Panthers). At 17-17 two errors arrive that cost the home team dearly, first by Ishikawa at serve and then by Alsmeier in attack. Prosecco Doc scores a 4-0 run which basically closes the match. With a 22-25 the league leaders bring home another success, yet another of a season so far almost full marks. For Florence all that remains is the satisfaction of having held their own against their opponents, but it is also true that this is the third KO in a row for Parisi’s team which is currently out of the play off zone. (Stefano Del Corona)
BUSTO ARSIZIO-CASALMAGGIORE 1-3 (19-25, 25-21, 20-25, 22-25)
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Casalmaggiore confirmed its good form, winning the salvation derby in four sets against Busto, the fourth defeat in a row and overtaken in the ranking by Casalasche, with their third success in the series. With Frosini in Uyba’s made-in-Italy starting six, the start is all guest-branded: with an effective serve, TrasportiPesante immediately sends the locals’ reception into haywire (2-8) (17% perfect). The first set, in fact never in question (8-20) with Bracchi, Frosini and Carletti in the negative, ends with Lee’s attack (6 points like Smarzek) with a clear 19-25 in 25′. With Bracchi struggling to get into the game, Sartori keeps Busto afloat (12-13) who finds the key in Fields (17-15) to turn the momentum. Despite Lee (7 points like the American butterfly) the 25-21 in 25′ puts the derby back on equal footing. Coach Pintus, former on duty as well as Colombo on the pink front, sounds the charge: his actions, while continuing to achieve (2-6) and at times to undo (12-10), still give the impression of having the competition. And Colombo’s block of 16-19, despite a few moments of apprehension due to Hancock’s serve which hit Smarzek in the back of the head (7 points), ended with Perinelli’s winning attack: 20-25 in 26′. Bracchi tries to counter Lee’s dominance (15 points, although more disappointment than delight) but TrasportiPesante is unfazed and completes the feat: 22-25 in 31′. For the visiting fans who have come to Busto, the PRS (Passione Rosa Supporter), it is a big celebration in front of over 2 thousand people in the e-work Arena. In the final score, the top scorer is Lee with 25 points, followed closely by Smarzek (23), elected MVP. On the home front, the former Sartori and Piva were saved, with 14 and 11 points. (Mattia Brazzelli Lualdi)
CHIERI-BERGAMO 3-0 (25-20, 29-27, 25-22)
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After an even start with Bergamo, Chieri, having qualified for the semi-finals of the CEV Cup thanks to the hard-earned victory against Le Cannet, tries to get into the right gear. Breathtaking recoveries reveal, however, a Bergamo with character, which has every intention of doing well against the blue and white battleship. The hosts try to land a series of important points, but Bergamo always seems to have a ready response and the gap between the two teams becomes almost nil again. And it is at the end of the first set that coach Bregoli’s girls take everything back into their hands, taking home the first page of the match. The second set starts off uphill for Chieri, who suffers a series of attacks from Bergamo and doesn’t seem to be able to react properly. Chieri then draws from his squad, fielding Morello, Anthouli and Zakchaiou to attempt the comeback, while on the other side of the pitch Rozanski, former blue and white, enters (as well as Nervini, on the pitch from the starting whistle). The end of the second set was very sweaty and ended in favor of Chieresi. In the third set Chieri seems to have found the right feeling that he was looking for from the beginning of the match and gains an important advantage, determined to block it. Coach Bigarelli’s girls, however, risk recovery and are breathing down their opponents’ necks. Pressing that the hosts hear, but send back to the sender, ending the match with full points. (Elisabetta Testa)
ROMA-PINEROLO 3-2 (25-23, 19-25, 19-25, 25-21, 15-9)
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Great victory for Cuccarini’s team who won 2 golden points against one of the most beautiful teams of this championship, wash4green Pinerolo. Having consolidated eighth place in the standings, the Giallorossi can now aim for a more prestigious goal than salvation. For Pinerolo, without Adelina Ungureanu due to a bad cruciate ligament injury against Busto Arsizio, 1 point which allows her to stay within the playoff zone. The sextets started off at full strength from the first minute, with the Giallorossi holding off the firepower of the Piedmontese team point for point (Mason and Sorokaite above all with 5 points in the set). The balance was broken when Rucli, at serve, put in a series of winning serves that put the Capitoline ahead 24-23 (di Mario’s receiving error) and it was then a winning block from Ana Beatriz that gave the set to Rome. At the start of the second set the balance does not change (8-8). It is then Pinerolo who takes the lead with a 3-point break (17-20), to take the lead, aided by the many errors of the home team (9), the last one in attack by Rivero, who gives the set to the Piedmontese team (19-25). In the third it’s still an intense battle (10-10) that shows no signs of abating. Pinerolo extends the lead, thanks to excellent percussion from Akrari, Mason and Németh (5 points each in the set) and above all thanks to the excellent defense implemented by wash4green (16-20). The Wolves appear decidedly tired from a mental point of view and Pinerolo takes advantage of this by extending to 18-24 and closing with yet another error from the Capitolines, this time serving by Rivero (19-25). Rome seems to have regained its initial luster and at the start of the fourth set it takes a 9-4 lead. The Giallorossi’s push continues, extending their lead to 20-15. Pinerolo doesn’t let go and comes back with a double winning attack from Sorokaite and a point from Akrari (21-19). Akrari’s service error and Ana Beatriz’s winning attack close the set for the Giallorossi (25-21). At the tie-break Roma’s action is devastating. 3 errors by the Piedmontese and a double winning attack by Melli and Bici bring the result to 5-0. wash4green attempts a comeback, but at the change of court the score is 8-4. The determination of the Piedmontese did not weaken and they managed to shorten the break to 10-8. Roma doesn’t give up and doesn’t let itself be overwhelmed by the tension, increasing the gap and closing with Ana Beatriz and an attacking error by Mason (15-9). (Simone Corbetta)
CUNEO-TRENTO 1-3 (20-25, 18-25, 25-15, 19-25)
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Itas Trentino keeps hope alive, Cuneo is probably experiencing the most difficult moment in its history in the top flight. At the Palazzo dello Sport in Cuneo, the hosts Honda Olivero S. Bernardo lost against Itas Trentino, remaining in the red zone. Coach Bellano’s team from Cuneo, second to last in the standings, lost the match against the last team in a match with little entertainment and many regrets. Itas finds their second victory of the season – the first came in the first leg against the red and whites -, bringing home a bit of morale and a necessary victory in a highly prohibitive ranking, with the odds of survival still far away. For Cuneo it is a very heavy defeat, which leaves Signorile and her teammates right in the relegation zone with Bellano who will have to try everything to bring home important points. Meanwhile, the company had already moved on the market in search of a reinforcement and therefore expects to see the arrival in Cuneo of the Chinese spiker Yushan Zhuang, announced at the beginning of February. On the pitch, the Cuneo team seem to feel the pressure of the match and are unable to be incisive, suffering from the visitors’ play right from the start. On the other side of the net Mazzanti starts the new Iris Scholten, who arrived in Trento about ten days ago in place of Valentina Zago. The Dutch performs well with 12 points, best scorer of the match and MVP is Francesca Michieletto with 21. The first two sets belong to the guests, then in the third set with a lot of benches on the court the Cuneo team come out of their torpor, led by Haak to score with 11 points (19 in total, better than his) and try to reopen the match. But in the fourth, the most heated one, it is Trento who leads the game and brings home three fundamental points. Itas remains last but tonight they are smiling, Honda Olivero S. Bernardo is forced to change pace. (Ilaria Blangetti)
Gazzetta dello Sport
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