The Lombard team beats Florence and keeps the danger zone at a distance. Vallefoglia overwhelms Busto
Two advances for the sixth return day of the women’s A1 championship. Tomorrow the Conegliano-Milan super challenge with the Palaverde sold out
casalmaggiore-florence 3-0 (25-21, 34-32, 25-18)
—
Casalmaggiore had never won two races in a row this season. He does it by overcoming Florence and giving himself further oxygen, also putting on the cover coach Lorenzo Pintus, who arrived as Musso’s deputy and now leader of a team that appears transformed (three victories in the last four matches). After the sack of Cuneo, Trasporti Pesanti also took full spoils against Florence, repeating the 3-0 of the first leg match. It must be said that the Tuscans throw away the second set in particular, when they seem to do everything they can to avoid getting back into the match. The first partial is balanced, Leonardi’s miracle does not frustrate Perinelli’s desire who does not tremble and scores 14-13. It’s not a break, but it becomes a signal, because Casalmaggiore extends 17-14 and, even if Perinelli defeats them with some overly aggressive attacks, the advantage remains, also due to some errors by Kipp, which is discontinuous. The second set is very particular, because from Mazzaro’s break, led by Kipp, up to Mazzaro’s block on Smarzek which is worth 20-16 for Florence, the 1-1 now seems to be written, also because Florence continues to lead with authority. This is not the case, because first Kipp blocks Lee, then when the two Americans exchange roles, Casalmaggiore understands that a break is possible and, following Lazic’s missed attack, he hooks at 23 (with a 4-0 score). Florence eats its hands when it doesn’t take advantage of a long exchange with two free balls and Smarzek leads everyone to infinite advantages: he solves Lazic’s error for the incredible 34-32. In the third set Florence is ahead only up to 5, then it is the middle of the night: Casalmaggiore is confident, Hancock is inspired, Smarzek hits the taraflex and at 17-10 the final credits are already about to roll. Cagnin also participates in the party and Casalmaggiore takes another three decisive steps forward towards a salvation that until a month ago seemed to be able to be defined as miraculous. Giovanni Gardani
Vallefoglia-Busto Arsizio 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-22)
—
Megabox wins by dominating the match against the busts. The green-and-white tigers start with their foot on the accelerator, immediately going 5-0, when Busto stops the game to try not to let the hosts go away: Boldini is in the control room as Busto tries to accelerate, Dijkema responds and Aleksic closes for 11-6. Cichello also uses the double substitution, Lualdi’s block blocks captain Kosheleva, but Mingardi closes for 16-11. Giovannini replaces Kosheleva in reception, but it is Pistola who stops the game at 18-15; Mingardi manages to recover and close for 20-15, when Busto stops the game again. Two winning blocks from Mancini and Mingardi allow the hosts to go up 24-17 and close the first set. Change of court in the wake of the conclusion of the previous set, but the busts don’t fit and recover: 7-7, until the first overtaking (10-11); it’s then a great block from Aleksic that brings the match back to a draw. At 15-14 the match is stopped by Busto’s coach and after an error in attack, Bracchi is replaced by Carletti. Kosheleva serves at 17-14 and a block from the Degradi-Mancini duo brings the hosts to 18-15. The Banverdi Tigers try to move away but at 22-18 it is Pistola who stops the game; the serve is forced by both sides: Frosini cancels the first set point of the Megabox and a foul by Giovannini cancels the second; then it is the busts who make a mistake and also close the second set in favor of Megabox (25-21). Third set with good ball control by the green and whites, at 11-8 Busto stops the game, but the set proceeds point by point: an attack by Kosheleva and an error by Busto bring the green and whites to 20-18; so there is a red and white time out, but the race towards the conclusion has no brakes for the hosts, who leave the field satisfied. Novella Ferri