Volleyball, A1 women: super Da Silva, Bergamo beats Casalmaggiore at the tie break

The women’s A1 championship begins with the victory in Bergamo. Tomorrow the rest of the first day with Milan making its debut at the Allianz Cloud facing Busto while the Italian champions of Conegliano host Trento.

Casalmaggiore-Bergamo 2-3 (25-20, 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, 11-15)

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Even ten years ago Casalmaggiore-Bergamo opened the championship early: it was the squad’s absolute debut in the top flight and it was played in Viadana, where VBC will return this year for the Challenge Cup matches. In Cremona, however, at the PalaRadi , it’s the usual battle in one of the arenas that in recent years seems to have had a tie break subscription. Casalmaggiore is part of the team, Bergamo responds with Lorrayna, the double local gap is cushioned, but when Melandri plays two slashes in a row we are 15-12 and, with some flashes from Smarzek, who appears intermittently in front of his new fans, he closes 25 -18. Bergamo, however, begins to command from the second set, improving the defense and above all finding the counterattack again. Davyskiba breaks the ice and with the video check on Lorrayna which leads to 17-22 the set is effectively closed. Casalmaggiore dreams of a comeback with Lohuis’s block on Davyskiba, who seems to reverse the inertia, but Gennari’s magic makes it 1-1. The third set promises but doesn’t deliver: at least for Casalmaggiore who goes to +4 at the start and takes advantage of a block from Acosta to stay in front. Emma Cagnin also shines, but on the other side Rozanski is no different and the score is 18-17 for Bergamo’s first lead. Butigan punishes one of De Bortoli’s rare errors (percentage above 80% in reception) and at 22-19 the score is set for the visitors. In the fourth set Gennari as director seems to take a small break and in fact Casalmaggiore dominates: Bergamo’s mini break of 4 points with Lorrayna coming close to the hook (and approaching 30 points) but in the end they also reach the maximum advantage 18-9 , then improved towards the end. In the tie break, Bergamo’s initial 6-2 scores the mark thanks to Rozanski and Gennari’s usual lucid conducting. Lohuis tries to lift Casalmaggiore almost alone on the block, but Gennari stages a masterful lectio on the block too, taking the title of MVP and giving Bergamo success on their debut.