Women’s A-1 playoffs, semifinals: Scandicci beats Milan with super Antropova

Scandicci one step away from the championship final. The 3-1 with which Savino del Bene rules Milan in match 1 of the semifinal gives Barbolini’s team two match balls, the first available on Sunday at the Monza Arena. Mvp Antropova was decisive, achieving the season high with 30 points, but the whole Tuscan team played an excellent match, especially in serving and blocking (11 goals).

SCANDICCI-MILAN 3-1 (21-25 25-12 25-13 25-23)

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An excellent start for Milan with a blitz in the first set finale, with the usual Thompson (21 points in the end, better than the Lombards), but then the light goes out for two sets. Gaspari changes, and when he finds the square in the fourth fraction, he sees himself come back and pass on the woolen wire. At the start with the typical sextets: Di Iulio in the direction opposite Antropova, Zhu and Pietrini in the band, Washington and Belien in the center with Merlo free for Barbolini and Orro-Thompson diagonally, spikers Sylla-Larson, central Stevanovic-Folie, Parrocchiale free for Gaspari. Balance is expected and balance arrives right from the start, with the teams in contact right from the start. Orro keeps looking for Thompson, still hot after 31 pts in race 1, while Zhu is more fouled than usual (3 errors and 1 block suffered). Good guests in the break phase, Scandicci relies on Antropova and Pietrini. However, the Tuscans are fouled (6 errors), and in the long run, from 21 all, they break away with a break of 0-4 (there is also an invasion by Yao, entry for Antropova and a point from Stysiak, in for Orro ) and closes taking 0-1. Immediate response from Scandicci, who changes the face of the match especially when serving. Milan immediately in difficulty (7-1, 2 aces from Pietrini) and unable to reverse course, with Antropova who continues to rage and Zhu who, after the initial difficulties, grows like the gap (25-12 at the end for 1 -1). The host response is expected, but Scandicci is always the one to play the game, especially from 9 metres. Milan immediately goes down (6-2), tries to recover (13-11 with Davyskiba and Begic inside for Larson and Sylla), but gets confused and sinks 16-11 by committing 4 practically consecutive direct errors. Antropova continues to rage, ensuring fluidity in the home attack, and Scandicci flies 19-12, closing 25-13 and moving up to 2-1. Gaspari confirms Begic and Rettke, and Milan gradually finds reception and offensive fluidity. From 10-11 Rettke himself, with 4 points in a row, digs the furrow (16-11). Timeout Barbolini and Scandicci find order and put their heads back on (19-18). Point to point final, but the usual Antropova finds the ace that reverses the inertia and at the first match point, Larson’s mistake (25-23) gives the Tuscans victory. Sunday at 20.30 at the Monza Arena race 2.