PROSECCO DOC IMOCO CONEGLIANO – EUROTEK BUSTO ARSIZIO 3-0
(25-15,25-22,25-14)
Prosecco DOC Imoco: Gabi 5, Seki, De Gennaro, Haak 15, Wolosz, Lanier 13, Lukasik, Chirichella 4, Fahr 10, Bardaro, Adigwe 1, Lubian ne, Eckl ne, Arici ne. All.Santarelli Eurotek UYBA: Howard 2, Pelloni, Piva 12, Olaya 5, Van Avermaet 4, Morandi, Lualdi ne, Sartori, Obossa 13, Frosini 2, Kunzler 1, Boldini 1, Scola. All.Caprara
Referees: Brunelli and Goitre
Spectators: 4,730
Set length: 25′,33′,24′ Notes: Batting errors Co 8,Bu 6; Aces: 6-3 ;Walls: 5-2.
MVP: Lanier
The championship season could not have started better at Palaverde, with Prosecco DOC Imoco respecting the prediction and winning the first match of the year against Eurotek UYBA Busto Arsizio, inside an afternoon full of emotions, five months since the last match played at home in the last championship final.
Emotions right from the start with the awarding of Olympic medals by the Panthers’ main sponsors and the winners of LVF’s 2023/24 awards coach Dniele Santarelli (Segio Guerra award for best coach) and young center Katja Eckl (best under-21 in A2, Arnaldo Eynard award), then it’s on to the excitement of the 5,000 at Palaverde.
On the court for Prosecco DOC Imoco at setter captain Joanna Wolosz, opposite Bella Haak, ak center Chirichella and Fahr, setters Gabi (absolute debut in the Italian championship for the Brazilian star) and Lanier, libero Moki De Gennaro.
Coach Caprara’s team instead replicates with Boldini – Obossa, Piva – Kunzler, Sartori – Van Avermaet, Pelloni free.
In the first set, the Panthers’ initial break (11-6) immediately exalted the Gialloblù crowd, with Asia Wolosz triggering her central players well; the rest was done by the wall-defense that made life difficult for the Bustoccan attackers.
Boldini and her teammates sell their skins dearly and try to get close again (12-9), but another spallata propiziata by Fahr and a nice wall by Lanier (6 points and 3/3 in attack in the set) allows Prosecco DOC Imoco to stretch again on 17-10.
From there it is a gialloblù monologue with Isabelle Haak (5 points in the set) and Gabi bombarding the host defense until 25-15 that closes the first partial.
In the second set with Obossa’s verve Eurotek stretches (4-6), De Gennaro and teammates’ operation-hooking materializes already at 8, then Haak overtakes. Piva and her teammates, however, are fierce and insist by fighting in defense and placing good shots that fool the wall of the Venetian: 12-15. Sarah Fahr swamps under the net exploiting her chemistry with Wolosz, but Busto with Piva (6 points in the set) and Obossa keeps pushing and regains the lead (15-18), the red-and-white fans are loud at Palaverde. The Panthers extinguish the enthusiasm with a flare-up, started by Seki on the dribble, then Wolosz comes back in and returning neat and precise Gabi and teammates go back up taking the lead at 23-21. An excellent Khalia Lanier (she will be MVP with 13 points, 5 in the second set, like Fahr) signs the final two shots unhinging the opponent’s wall and Prosecco DOC Imoco closes 25-22.
In the third partial the first break is Conegliano’s with peremptory walls of Fahr (10 points at the end) and Bella Haak (top scorer with 15 points) propitiated by a nice Gabi’s serve, from 10-10 the Panthers fly to +6 (16-10). Also entering the double change with Nanami Seki and Adiwge, Prosecco DOC Imoco continues to march smoothly to its first win of the season. UYBA struggles to keep up with the furious pace of Chirichella and her teammates, Bardaro and Lukasik (another league debut) also enter and the Panthers close in beauty 25-14 with Adiwge’s final point a match controlled with authority at Palaverde.
But the party does not end with the last ball, after the evocative parade match with the banners of last year’s four trophies that thrilled the audience, with images of the “poker” of the 2023/24 season on the big screens before the usual crowd bath with autographs and selfies for all.
MVP of the match was named U.S. dunker Khalia Lanier (13 points, 2 walls, 71% attack!), who was awarded a Magnum of Prosecco DOC by Prosecco DOC Consortium director Luca Giavi, the team’s naming sponsor.
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(Photo M.Gregolin)