Serie A-1 women’s volleyball: Milan raises its head and beats Perugia. Scandicci doesn’t give up

Start the day of women’s A-1 with a series of 3 advances.

MILAN-PERUGIA 3-1 (24-26 25-20 26-24 25-11) Milan returns to success, which, not without worries, beats Perugia 3-1. Gaspari’s team gives up the first set, dissolves in the second and dominates the first part of the third, risking reopening it after squandering a 10-point lead. Ups and downs for Vero Volley who turns the team around by inserting fresh forces from the bench and takes the 3 points, on the eve of the big Champions match on Wednesday in Milan against Le Cannet. Mvp is a super Dan Rettke (18 points with 8 blocks), while for the guests an excellent debut by Galkowska, 19 points. Gaspari starts with Orro-Stysiak diagonally, Sylla-Larson spikers, Stevanovic-Rettke in the center, Parochial free. Bertini replies with the new diagonal that sees Santos in the direction opposite Galkowska, Guerra and Gardini in the band, Nwakalor and Polder in the center with free Armini. A slow start, with Perugia making a lot of mistakes (6 mistakes in 12-12), but Guerra keeping them afloat. Milan suffers in reception, and attacks at low percentages, while the guests find the right openings with Guerra and Gakowska. Milan tries to break away (20-18) with the first rings of Stysiak (who commits 3 errors in attack and 1 in serve in the set). Response from the Polish guest opposite (20-21), but to Rettke’s big block on Guerra (25-24) it seems made for the locals, but still Guerra and Galkovksa (15 points between two with over 60% in attack) overturn the situation, before Styisak’s mistake closes 24-26 for 0-1. Slow start for both teams also in the second quarter, lit by 3 points (2 blocks and an attack) from Rettke. Perugia attacks worse, while Orro involves the central players (11 points at the end of the quarter, 7 from the American) and managing the other attackers in the best possible way. From 15-14 the locals break away 22-17, protecting the gap until 25-20 which is worth 1-1, with Gaspari’s team scoring 7 point blocks. Lightning start from Milan (7-0) which closes the set before even opening it. Vero Volley allows itself the luxury of making a lot of mistakes (10 errors on 18-12), but when the guests get back on track Orro and teammates lose the thread, and Perugia, with Lazic and above all Galkowska, also puts its head ahead (20- 21), with Gaspari having already emptied the bench (Davyskiba, Thompson and Candi for Sylla, Stysiak and Stevanovic). High tension final, Perugia wastes a set point and the blocks of Rettke and Larson are worth the 26-24 for the 2-1 which makes you breathe a sigh of relief. Milan returns to the field with the team that closed the previous set, opening it in a similar way (9-1). On the other hand, there are the faces of the locals who are not distracted, and with Larson well in command of the operations. Milan doesn’t tremble and Perugia surrenders, sinking 25-11 for the final 3-1. (Rodolfo Palermo)

Novara-Busto Arsizio 3-2 (17-25, 26-24, 23-25, 26-24, 15-10) The Ticino derby perhaps does not offer a great volleyball show but it certainly offers an incredible swing of emotions, with Novara which for a long time seemed at the mercy of itself and of an excellent Busto Arsizio, but which at the distance was able to assert the higher rate of experience. Musso’s team certainly has a lot to complain about, for the opportunities they had especially in the second set, but they come out with their heads held high, with the monstrous performances of the former Rosamaria Montibeller and Degradi. Novara didn’t pay for the evening of many big names, above all a very foul Karakurt, but was able to come to the head of a match that seemed compromised at a certain point. Novara struggled right from the start to find his rhythm of play in attack, little supported by reception and also little attention to detail. And so the E-Work stretches up to 12-16. Lavarini changes his diagonal, inserting Ituma and Battistoni, but it is always Busto who dominates the set, with Rosamaria (6 points in the set) and Degradi to sign the 15-20. The final is a festival of mistakes for Novara, who makes every choice wrong and delivers the first set to Busto on 17-25. The start of the second set is even worse for Igor, who continues to provide an inexplicable performance: terrible in reception, giving up in attack and blocking. Busto on the contrary does everything right and runs away on 2-9. Bonifacio (in for a dull Chirichella) and Bosetti put the Piedmontese back in the wake, who complete the comeback at 18 altitude (Rosamaria invasion). Igor, however, quickly gets lost: Rosamaria at the service blows up the blue reception again and Busto escapes on 20-23. It seems the turning point of the set, but the finish is all blue: first Carcaces (in as opposite) and Bonifacio mend, then Adams cancels the E-Work set ball, Battistoni nails a big block on Omoruyi and finally the American closes the 26-24. The end of the second set does not demoralize a Busto who, on the contrary, continues to grind her volleyball, always thanks to the difficulties of Jgor (who restarts with Battistoni in direction) to maintain her level of play (5-9). Lavarini’s girls find themselves constantly chasing (11-15) an E-Work that sometimes swerves but never seems to lose its bearings. It takes the first real blaze of Karakurt to rekindle Novara, which finds the hook at 17. Busto, however, collects and starts again and puts his hands on the set, despite the “usual” final assault by Igor, who surrenders 23- 25. Novara tries to restart with a different attitude in the fourth set (8-4; 12-8) but continues to greatly lack her attention and Busto comes back into contact several times (16-15; 21-18) in a partial which certainly does not offer a great volleyball show, but which catches fire in the finale. Igor reaches 24-21 but Uyba cancels three consecutive set balls. Karakurt decides it with a great parallel from place two and with the block on Degradi for 26-24. The tie break opens immediately with a partial from Novara, who escapes on 4-1 (ace by Bosetti). E-Work seems to be in apnea, Montibeller, so far together with Degradi star of the match, sends out two important balls and we go to the change of field on 8-3 for the landlords. Adams blocks and then from P4 makes it 10-4, Bonifacio blocks Rosamaria and then again Danesi and Karakurt twice with blocks up Degradi makes it 13-6. Novara arrives at the match ball on 14-8 and on the third attempt it is Danesi who chases away the nightmares, closing the 15-10 which is worth the victory by two points for the Piedmontese blues. (Andrea Crippa)

Casalmaggiore-Scandicci 1-3 (25-17, 21-25, 22-25, 21-25) After ten consecutive points games, Casalmaggiore gives in to former Barbolini (with Champions won in 2016). Scandicci gets it all wrong in the first set, then changes face and clings above all to Antropova for the comeback. In the first set Casalmaggiore runs away relatively early, grabbing a +10 which weighs heavily on 22-12. The return of Scandicci, favored by a good turn in batting by Mingardi, shortens only slightly but not enough to keep up with the squad who, having found Nikolova, also find one more solution and good offensive continuity, despite Frantti’s 40% not exciting. On the other hand, Belien (66%) is precise but little solicited with Antropova who attacks on and off. The second set is full of upheavals and also presents some twists: the tricks of the bench were decisive and, to give verve and pathos, Casalmaggiore’s desire to stay on the comeback train on 13-16 Scandicci (tie at 16). The level is higher because Scandicci has found the right rhythm: Casalmaggiore misses with Frantti and with Melandri batting the new draw and Sorokaite on the other hand effectively gives the set to the Tuscans. We forgot about Carlini: at the beginning of the third set he is already at 7 points, with a couple of not bad spells that unhinge Scandicci’s desire to stretch. When Lohuis and Melandri return to play, Casalmaggiore goes 14-11. Two personal feats of Perinelli (attack from a stop) and Lohuis (block) reiterate the local advantage, until Washington and Sorokaite – in addition to the usual Antropova – do not respond in kind and overturn it. And this is perhaps the moment in which the game turns completely, confirming the Tuscan coldness in the key moments of the sets. A film already seen, and that we will see again shortly thereafter. Piva and De Bortoli from gregarious become protagonists between defense and counterattack and so Trasporti Pesanti is back in the race on 15-12, despite Zhu starting to fuel. A block by Antropova on Frantti convinces Scandicci that they can close from 3 points, and in fact from 20-18 to 20-21 here is the overtaking. Antropova takes the chair: heavy blows in attack, block, ace and a lot of leadership. Set and match she signs them. (John Gardani)