Women’s volleyball: Conegliano conquers Novara and is still in the championship final

Conegliano is in the championship final for the fifth consecutive time after match-2 in Novara. And wait for the opponent who could meet tomorrow evening, Sunday (8.30 pm) after the match between Vero Volley Milano and Savino del Bene Scandicci with the Tuscans who are leading 1-0 in the series.

Novara-Conegliano 1-3 (21-25, 18-25, 25-20, 23-25)
Imoco Conegliano is the first finalist of the women’s volleyball championship. After dominating race one in Treviso, Santarelli’s girls had to fight much more on the Novara field, but in the end the superiority of the Veneto team made the difference. For the Marca company it is the fifth consecutive championship final. The only change in the starting sextets compared to race one is the return of Cambi as director for Igor, while Karakurt, at the center of much controversy in recent days, is confirmed. It doesn’t take much for Imoco to downshift and immediately put the game on a pace that seems really difficult for Novara to keep up: 7-13, with Conegliano’s joke that undermines Igor’s reception, Haak and Plummer irrepressible and Fahr (6 points in set) goal factor. On Bosetti’s turn to serve, the hosts try to get back on track (10-13), but it’s an Igor popped in attack, with Karakurt confirming the negative moment (1 point, 2 errors and 2 blocks conceded so far). The shock comes from Adams and Chirichella, who open a partial that from 13-16 leads Novara to overtake at 17.

The comeback

—

The set heats up, Imoco pushes again with his serve and finds two breaks for 19-21 that make the difference until 21-25. The start of the second set is a photocopy of the first, with Conegliano starting off immediately, supported by a heavy serve that puts reception in enormous difficulty and, consequently, the construction of Novara’s game, and with Plummer and Haak who find huge gaps to strike into. 6-12 is the logical consequence. The last to give up is Danesi, who almost single-handedly builds the break that brings the two teams together at 13-14. However, Imoco has the medicine for every cure, and it’s an attack that has few equals, especially when Wolosz finds himself with the ball in hand: Robinson first, then Haak and finally Plummer reopen the gas and Conegliano also takes the second set 18-25, after a run of 4-10. A little less service than Conegliano and much more Karakurt (10 points in one set, after having scored 6 in the first two) for Novara and the third set is a completely different story: Igor is capable of taking the lead and pushing on 18-14, climb up to 22-17 resisting the reaction attempts of an Imoco, however, imprecise, to then close on 25-20 with Bosetti and Danesi. Having metabolized a set played under rhythm, Santarelli’s team returns to the field the attitude of the great team: at least four incredible team defenses and as many breaks “snatched” in Novara for a 4-8 that already seems like a sentence. Novara actually tries to come back, hoping until 9-10, but it now seems to have given up on 14-21 And instead, Lavarini’s girls proudly come one step away from the feat, going back up to 22-23. Conegliano conquers the match point with a great block by Fahr on Bosetti and at the second attempt closes it with Plummer 23-25.