The Emilians conquer 3 points and chase the 5th place. Real Volley is easy with Romagna. Salvation points for the pontini
Piacenza-Padua 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-19)
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Exactly one month after the last victory Piacenza returns to success. On January 16 in Modena came a thrilling victory in the quarter-finals of the Italian Cup; was the last smile followed by two defeats in Super League interspersed with a long stop caused by Covid. It’s up to Padua to bow 3-0 to Gas Sales Bluenergy, which also avenges the setback of the first leg that came after the red and white had found themselves 2-0 ahead. Bernardi has to do without Lagumdzija and Stern, struggling with physical problems, and proposes three spikers on the field with Russell attacking mainly from zone one and Rossard from two, while Recine remains in place four. Just the Frenchman demonstrates to appreciate the scheme that sees him diagonally to the setter and puts the balls on the ground also finding two consecutive aces that allow Piacenza to recover after a start from Padua. An attack out of Bottolo gives the double advantage (12-10) to the red and white who defend him for a long time. An excellent Loeppky with the service brings the match back in a tie, but Recine becomes the protagonist in the final until 25-20. At this point the match decisively takes the direction of Piacenza which grows against the wall, when Padua stops for 10-8, then greets the opponents with Rossard until 19-15. Bottolo gives the next point and is called back to the bench by Cuttini who gives space to Petrov. But now the hosts are launched towards the 2-0 which comes a few exchanges later. The third set begins with ace, Weber and Russell sign the 5-5, then once again it is Gas Sales Bluenergy to take the reins of the game until 11-7. The guests try to stay hooked to their opponents but Cester’s block pushes back the players from Padua and then again the high ball attackers well managed by Brizard give a final of absolute tranquility in Piacenza that closes 3-0. (Matteo Marchetti)
Monza-Ravenna 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-20)
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Monza hits the fifth consecutive success, the third in Supergega after those against Cisterna and Padua, beating Ravenna 3-0. At the Monza Arena the rossoblù take just under an hour and a half to bring home the full stakes in the recovery of the fourth return day. The film of the match is all in the Monza escapes in the initial stages of the first and second set, well interpreted by Eccheli’s team with a wild Grozdanov (Mvp of the challenge with 14 points, 4 blocks and 71% in attack) to give continuity in offensive phase together with Grozer and Dzavoronok, with Orduna and Federici very lucid in their respective roles. Above 2-0, the guests cling to pride, Klapwijk’s inventions and some flashes of Vukasinovic to put his head ahead 8-7 and keep the challenge alive until 14-14. It is a break driven by Grozer’s serve, however, to trace again the plot of the first two partials, consolidating the Lombard descent, well conducted also by the entrances of Davyskiba, Karyagin and Calligaro, up to the success of the Vero Volley brand.
Vibo Valentia-Cisterna 2-3 (17-25, 21-25, 25-21, 25-17, 14-16)
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Hunchback shot of Cisterna in Vibo. Soli’s team makes the match at the tie-break after an authentic marathon lasting more than two and a half hours. Crazy game at PalaMaiata with the pontini ahead 0-2 before the Giallorossi comeback. In the fifth set Vibo, with his best man in the field Borges together with Saitta, fails two match-points and it is Cisterna who rejoices for a victory and two points that mean salvation. Great balance at the beginning of the match with the two teams that immediately give great rhythm to the set. Vibo misses a lot in serving (9 errors in the first set), while Cisterna is more concrete with Dirlic from nine meters: the ace of the slvoeno, former on duty, is worth the break: 8-10. Nishida goes into counterattack and immediately finds parity. This time the Giallorossi serve (Flavio’s float jump) is on the pitch and the counter-appearance counts, 12-11. Nishida, without a wall misses a penalty, and Soli’s team moves forward 12-14. Borges walls Dirlic, 14-14. Cisterna is more bad in the service and with Dirlic in counterattack it comes back 15-17. Nishida does not pass and Bossi passes again in counterattack, 15-18. Outside Candellaro, inside Gargiulo. Maar finds the ace, 15-19, and Baldovin runs for cover calling him back. The Canadian is a fury and still finds a winning line, this time on Basic which in the meantime had taken over from Fromm. Zingel walls Flavius, 16-24. Nishida’s mistake in serving gives the set to Baranowicz and his teammates. The second set is also played point to point with the same script as the first set: woody Vibo and with well-marked Nishida, Cisterna more concrete. The Japanese pass however and finds the point that is equal to 8-8. Dirlic responds and the Lazio players find the break, 8-10. Vibo responds immediately with Fromm, 10-10. The German also finds good ideas in the serve, ace over Maar, and Vibo ahead 12-11. Cavaccini flies in defense and Cisterna takes the lead again, 14-15. Rizzo, free from home, is no less keeping two balls alive, but Cisterna finds two consecutive walls and moves forward 15-17. Baldovin plays the Nelli card instead of Nishida. Dirlic finds the ace in place 5, Cisterna ahead 17-20. The visiting coach Soli calls a preventive time-out before Nelli’s serve and the Tuscan opposite first sends the ball into the net and then attacks out, 19-23. Bossi Borges walls, 19-24. The baby Nicotra in serving cancels a set ball, 21-24, but on the next service he sends the ball on the belt. Cisterna ahead 2-0 (with a superlative Dirlic, 9 points in the set and 78% in attack). The match script does not change even in the third set with the two teams chasing each other point by point, 8-8. Cisterna wraps up on Nishida’s service and Vibo moves forward 11-8 after Saitta’s wall on Raffaelli (who entered in place of Rinaldi). The Lazio with two consecutive aces by Baranowicz (the second with the help of the tape) placed a 5-0 break and recovered from 14-10 to 14-15 (time-out Baldovin). Nishida, still dry of winning beats, finds two consecutive aces, 20-18. Basic, entered in place of Fromm, attacks the ball which is worth the maximum advantage, 22-18. Borges attacks the 25-21 ball and Vibo reopens the game. Immediately ahead 2-0 Vibo in the fourth set. Ace from Nishida and the Giallorossi ahead 4-1. Hands and out of Maar and Cisterna finds parity, 4-4. Flavio blocks the seven of Bossi and Borges in counterattack finds two textbook attacks bringing his forward 9-5. Dirlic shortens on 12-9. Basic brings Vibo forward 14-9. Nishida now batting is a sentence, ace that brings the Calabrians to 16-10. At 20-12 Soli thinks about the tie-break by pulling Baranowicz out of the dispute (long conciliabolo between the Piedmontese setter and the Emilian coach after the substitution) Maar and Dirlic for Giani and Raffaelli and Saadat. Vibo ends easy, 25-17, and it goes to the tie-break. Cisterna ahead 2-4 and Baldovin immediately time-out. Two errors by Maar bring Vibo ahead 8-7 at the change of field in a PalaMaiata which turned into a bedlam despite only 435 spectators present. Basic, 12-11, blows up the building. Borges on the hands of the wall, 14-12 and two match balls. Raffaelli cancels the first and the Brazilian hammer does not find the pitch on the decisive ball, 14-14. Wiltenburg walls Borges twice and places the sensational coup, 14-16. (Francesco Iannello)
February 16, 2022 (change February 16, 2022 | 22:23)
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