Table and Chronicle 6th Day Series A1
PROSECCO DOC IMOCO CONEGLIANO-SAVINO DEL BENE SCANDICCI 3-0
(25-20,25-23,30-28)
Prosecco DOC Imoco: Gabi 19, Seki, Eckl ne, Lubian, De Gennaro, Haak 27, Wolosz 1, Adigwe ne, Lanier ne, Lukasik ne, Chirichella 7, Fahr 7, Bardaro ne, Zhu 10. All. Santarelli
Savino del Bene: Herbots 8, Castillo, Ruddins 4, Ognjenovic 2, Magnani ne, Bajema 8, Graziani 7, Nwakalor 4, Carol, Baijens ne, Antropova 26, Mingardi, Gennari ne, Kotikova n.e. All. Gaspari
Referees: Canessa and Cesare
Set duration: 33′,26′,31′
Notes: Batting errors Co 7,Sc 4; Aces: 3-1;Walls: 6-5
MVP: Gabi
The Panthers of Prosecco DOC Imoco Volleyball in front of a fantastic “sold out” crowd face Savino del Bene Scandicci at Palaverde for a highly anticipated big match, which was last season’s Scudetto final.
On the court from the start for Prosecco DOC Imoco is coach Santarelli’s sextet with captain Asia Wolosz at setter, opposite Isabelle Haak, setters Gabi and Zhu, for the first time as ex against Scandicci, center Fahr and Chirichella, libero Moki De Gennaro. Savino’s Savino of old Gialloblù acquaintance Marco Gaspari lines up with Ognjenovic in diagonal with Olympian Antropova, Herbots-Bajema setters, center Graziani and Nwakalor, libero Brenda Castillo.
Sparks immediately fly on court with Savino del Bene attacking the Panthers (1-3), but there is an immediate reaction from De Gennaro and her teammates who with wall, defense and a great Haak (one of the exes of the match) take the lead (6-4). Herbots equalizes and it’s even, but with great show between a super save by De Gennaro, an ace by Zhu Ting (another ex) and a fast by Chirichella. Isabelle Haak feels the air of big events and shoots consistently over the wall (10-7) making the Palaverde explode. After making waves on defense, Gabi also gets into the game on offense with two broadsides that unhinge the defense, then gets on the wall on Antropova for 14-10. Ognjenovic and her teammates, however, proved to be a rank team and held their own by staying threatening in their wake (16-13). The Gabi-Haak pair (17 points between them in the set) is relentless, but Scandicci holds on thanks to missiles from Antropova (7 points) and ties the score at 17 with Graziani. Again the Brazilian star with a mixture of class and power drags the Panthers, today in “rosé” version for the first time this year, and seals three points in a row for 20-17. Gabi is “on fire,” omnipresent, attacks and walls again and Prosecco DOC Imoco flies away (24-19), before closing 25-20 with the 9th personal point in the fantastic first set of the Brazilian.
In the second set after a soft start, Prosecco DOC Imoco becomes irresistible again, Fahr also joins the party in attack, then Moki De Gennaro invents for Haak’s winning shot, Zhu goes to the sky to wall and there is the first Gioblù shoulder (9-5). Audience in raptures. The classy plays of the two sextets put on a show, Scandicci tries to come back under with Herbots’ grit (18-16), then Graziani seals the -1 and the set opens again. Haak strikes (10 points in the set!), Antropova answers (7), it looks like one-on-one until 23-23. Sarah Fahr splices 24-23, then Cristina Chirichella (great game, 6/7 in attack!) walls and Palaverde explodes for the Panthers’ wire-to-wire success: 25-23 and it’s 2-0.
Spectacle also in the third set with great balance until the middle phase, when a couple of Conegliano’s blunders and the drive of the Herbots-Antropova duo allow the Tuscans to put their heads ahead (14-16). However, Scandicci also makes mistakes and it is tied again, while coach Gaspari tries to move his pawns with Carol and Ruddins. The confrontation is heated with the teams going at each other exchanging valuable shots. At 20-20 Scandicci tries again, but Zhu answers with class, then Gabi overtakes (22-21). Savino time out to the applause of the Palaverde full as an egg.
On 24-23 Antropova (26 points at the end) nullifies the first match point, then Ognjenovic’s hitting error gives the illusion, but the Panthers’ error brings Scandicci back to a tie (25-25). It was Haak, MVP of the match, who gave the Prosecco DOC Imoco a chance again,but again the Italian Antropova kept the Tuscans alive. Chirichella doesn’t miss a beat (27-26), but Savino is still there (27-27). Tension skyrockets and an extra effort is needed to close, Haak strikes (27 points, 64% attack, super game!), Wolosz goes first, then closes Gabi (19 points, 50% attack, 62% reception, 2 walls) with an incredible shot after De Gennaro’s defense, 30-28 and another 3-0 for the Panthers comes!
After the seventh win in as many league games, it’s a change of scenery and from Thursday night it will be Champions League time with the first match for the European champions at home with Mladost Zagreb at 8:30 pm.
MVP of tonight’s match was Gabi, the Brazilian star who scored 19 points and 2 walls with shots that drove the crowd wild. After the last feat that closed the match she was honored by Bausch+Lomb, sponsor of the day.
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(Gregolin photo)