Volleyball: women’s A-1, Conegliano folds Novara, Milan takes full loot in Chieri

Chieri-Milan 0-3 (23-25, 20-25, 17-25) Vero Volley Milano conquers a sold-out PalaFenera winning 0-3 against a Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri who fights for most of the sets, but who pays with lucidity in the decisive moments, suffering above all the opponent’s service. The first set begins with a perfect balance, in which the two formations still seem to study each other. In the central phase it was Chieri who broke the balance twice by conquering three lengths, but always then filled up by the opponents. The partial starts again from 19-19 with Milan pushing from nine meters. This time it is the landlords who fill the two points behind; but after returning from the time-out on 23-23 there is no room for the blue-and-whites who have to surrender 23-25, with the decisive ace from the newcomer Davyskiba. The fight in the second set already starts from the first exchanges, Chieri immediately overturns the disadvantage with an important break; however, his +3 is immediately canceled by Milan. From 9-9 the away team manages to conquer, one point at a time, a fair margin to manage until the end of the partial which ends 20-25, on a heavily revised Chieri in the roster on the pitch. Decisive set for the balance of the match and which starts again in perfect equality. On 7-7 Chieri’s game makes itself felt again, trying to extend. Upon returning from the time-out Milan mends the gap, puts the arrow and overcomes the hills. Once again, however, the guests make up for the mistakes on serve with numerous aces and close the score 17-25 on a Chieri who seems tired in the final exchanges, perhaps more mentally than physically. Jordan Larson wins the MVP award, on the scoresheet with 13 points and 55% in attack. (Gabriele Giovine)

Conegliano-Novara 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-13) Conegliano maintains the unbeaten run which has now lasted for 23 games and remains in first place with a 4-point lead over Scandicci, in view of next Sunday’s direct match at the Pala Wanny. The giallobù panthers, driven by the third sold out of the season at Palaverde, also beat Novara after winning six days ago in Milan. Santarelli shuffles the cards and lines up Wolosz, Haak, De Kruijf, Squarcini, Plummer, Gennari and De Gennaro. Lavarini starts with Battistoni, Karakurt, Danesi, Chirichella, Bosetti, Carcaces and Fersino. The start of Novara is robust, with Carcaces and Bosetti who regularly pass from place 4. The first direct point of Conegliano is from Haak (3-6), followed however by a sequence of errors by the Panthers (6-13). Just the Swede, supported by a beautiful sequence in the service of Squarcini, triggers the comeback that arrives at 19-20. In the final Karakurt passes twice and Conegliano commits two more fatal errors. It is Igor who becomes more foul in the second set, while the landlords sort things out on the second line (15-10). Novara shortens up to 16-15 with Chirichella, Karakurt, Bosetti and Carcaces, but it is the walls of Squarcini and Haak that bring Conegliano back into the game, despite the guests managing to cancel three set points. On both sides there are very few mistakes in the third set (3 on each side, half of them in service). Plummer and Haak on the one hand propitiate the 10-6, Karakurt and Bosetti make up for the 12-13. It’s Squarcini’s turn to serve (3 aces) who splits the balance and yields a run of 11-10. Karakurt finds a good sequence in the finale, but the gap remains unbridgeable. The Tuscan centre-back also repeats itself in the fourth set, propitiating the extension from 9-5 to 16-6 with two first times, a block and another winning serve. Novara accuses the blow and is unable to react in any way, to the delight of the 5344 of Palaverde. Now for both teams there are the first legs of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. On Tuesday Novara will be busy in Stuttgart, on Thursday Conegliano in Istanbul against Fenerbahçe. (Mirco Cavallin)

Perugia-Florence 3-1 (25-15, 27-25, 17-25, 25-20) Perugia gives itself a great victory, beating Florence in four sets at the PalaBarton and conquering three very heavy points in the fight for salvation. Matteo Bertini’s team offered proof of quality and continuity, allowing themselves a break in the third half, but then finding the strength to react to go on to win the match. In the first set Perugia (with Lazic preferred at the beginning of Guerra) took off after a phase of substantial balance, reaching 12-9 and then extending to 16-11 (magnificent ace from Galkovska), to then exploit the strength of the serve to consolidate the advantage (ace over Gardini’s 18-12) and to close the fraction (25-15) with a double ace from Santos. Same script in the second set with Bartoccini Fortinfissi who started with the right spirit (11-7) and building on that margin a more than ever favorable situation until 21-15. At this point there was a break for the Florentines until 21-20. In the Perugia ranks, the entry of the War became decisive, on the field in place of the injured Gardini (exit on 6-4), even if Carlo Parisi’s girls, after Perugia’s attempt to extend on 22-20 (attack of the Guerra), they reached parity at 24-24 and in the final a block by Polder on Herbots and a long attack by Sylvia Nwakalor were decisive to send Perugia into a double lead (27-25). In the third set (Perugia with Guerra confirmed from the beginning, Florence with Sylves and Knollema taking the place of Alhassan and Van Gestel) the Tuscans immediately found each other (5-9) and extended up to 10-15 and then with a Sylvia Nwakalor (7 points in the fraction, with an ace) protagonist dominated a Perugia that never entered the game, until closing (17-25) with an attack by Knollema. In the fourth set there is still initial balance (going from 4-4 to 8-8) and then the extension of Perugia on 11-8 and the comeback of Florence on 13-13. But then Bartoccini Fortinfissi extended with decision (also thanks to the many opponents’ mistakes) up to 22-17 and in the last stages we witnessed a dominance by Bertini’s girls, who went to close (25-20) the match with a deadly attack by Lazic (Mvp and best scorer of the match with 21 points). (Antonello Menconi)