VOLLEY BERGAMO 1991-PROSECCO DOC IMOCO CONEGLIANO 0-3
(13-25 | 21-25 | 19-25)
Volley Bergamo 1991: Piani 14, Adriano 2, Carraro, Bolzonetti, Strubbe, Mistretta ne, Armini (L), Farina, Evans 1, Manfredini 6, Mlejnkova 4, Spampatti (L) ne, Montalvo 9. Coach Parisi
Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano: Gabi 8, Zhu ne, Seki, Eckl ne, Lubian ne, De Gennaro (L) 1, Haak 11, Wolosz 2, Adigwe 2, Lanier 9, Lukasik, Chirichella 11, Fahr 9, Bardaro (L) ne. Coach Santarelli
Referees: Saltalippi and Armandola
Attendance: 5017
Set length: 23′- 30′- 26′
Notes: serving errors Be 10, Co 6; aces 2-2; Blocks 1-12
MVP: De Gennaro
A matchball to close the series in a fiery environment: it is game-2 of the A1 play-off quarter-finals, the Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano visits Volley Bergamo 1991 in its new home, the Choruslife Arena Bergamo. In the pre-match party, amidst the enthusiasm of the local public, the yellow-blues have qualification for the semi-finals of the A1 play-offs in their sights. But for two Panthers, Sunday is record-breaking: Moki De Gennaro becomes the player with the most matches in the history of the Italian league, surpassing Francesca Piccinini at 631. Isabelle Haak, scoring her third point of the match, overtakes Paola Egonu first and Robin De Kruijf then, going to the lead in the ranking of the best scorers in the history of Prosecco DOC Imoco, at the end of the race she will count 2576 points in yellow and blue .
It is the day of the grand gala of Volley Bergamo on the day of the inauguration of the new arena, thehe Choruslife Arena is packed with more than 5000 spectators for the club’s first match after two seasons “in exile” in Treviglio: Francesca Piccinini, Maurizia Cacciatori, Paola Paggi, Enrica Merlo, Eleonora “Leo” Lo Bianco, Federica Stufi and Paola Croce, as well as former coaches Malinov and Bonitta, were present to watch the match. With them a parterre of VIPs composed of Roby Facchinetti, Elena Carnevali and Giorgio Gori. The last week has decreed an important verdict for Wolosz and her teammates, who snatched the pass for qualification to the Final Four of the CEV Champions League after the victory at the Palaverde against Resovia: 7 days ago, however, Prosecco DOC Imoco had won against Bergamo at home game-1 of the series, it is played in the best of three challenges.
Coach Daniele Santarelli proposes the starting diagonal Wolosz-Haak, Gabi and Lanier are the wings, Fahr and Chirichella the middles, De Gennaro the libero. For the first game in the new arena, coach Parisi chooses Evans-Piani for the diagonal, Mlejnkova and Montalvo are the wings, Manfredini and Strubbe the middle, Armini the libero.
Chirichella raises the wall twice, then Lanier places a pipe on an illuminating assistance from Wolosz (before the tape had helped her for an ace), so the Panthers place the first set in their favor of the match (4-9); then Fahr is not to be outdone with the first half, central on fire in the first set: 11 sets combined, with Chirichella master of the blocks at 4, the only one to block the match in the first period. Then Haak’s show begins from seat 2, with 13-24 the Swede becomes the top scorer in the history of the club, while it is Fahr who writes the 0-1. The Olympic champion came close to double figures with 9 points, but in the first set she was stunning in attack with 83% accuracy.
The second set develops point by point, Bergamo finds the warmth and push of the home crowd: Gabi breaks through with the whirlpool and Chirichella also takes the whim of the ace (6-7); Lanier closes an amazing exchange in which De Gennaro goes wild in defense and Wolosz serves chocolates to unwrap to his forwards, it is again Gabi who digs the first significant furrow with two solos and a block (13-16). Brazilian irrepressible in the second set with 6 points, 2 blocks and 67% positive reception . Seki and Adigwe take over the initial diagonal to close the set after Haak’s block (17-22, 11 the final points of the opposite, the same as Chirichella), then Lukasik reinforces the yellow-blue second line, but a service error gives the 0-2 to the Panthers.
The legs of the former Khalia Lanier do not tremble when she caresses a lob from place 4 for the first point of the third set (American 9 points at the end), Chirichella is the first to touch double digits with the block (1-4, central who has blocked 6 times, never so well as a Pantera); Wolosz parades like a bullfighter a long reception by Lanier that turns into gold, De Gennaro signs the record day with a point by immolating himself on Piani (4-9 and MVP award for the free as the icing on the cake to a historic day). Haak also scores in the third set and makes way for Adigwe, Seki enters again (12-18): the young opposite enters the scoreboard (then he will also earn a block), Lukasik makes Lanier catch his breath, theProsecco DOC Imoco travels towards the 49th victory in a row which comes thanks to Haak’s matchpoint with the block.
With today’s victory, Prosecco DOC Imoco reaches the play-off semi-finals, a goal always achieved since the foundation of the club (excluding the 2019/20 season, stopped by the pandemic). The Panthers will play game-1 of the series on Saturday, March 22 at the Palaverde.
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(photo F. Rubin for LVF)