ANTONIO CARRARO PROSECCO DOC CONEGLIANO- SAVINO DEL BENE SCANDICCI 3-0
(25-16| 25-21| 25-19)
A.Carraro Prosecco DOC Conegliano: Gabi 11, Zhu 14, Seki, Eckl ne, Lubian ne, De Gennaro, Haak 21, Wolosz, Adigwe ne, Lanier ne, Lukasik ne, Chirichella 7, Fahr 6, Bardaro ne. Coach Santarelli
Savino del Bene Scandicci: Ribechi ne, Herbots 5, Castillo, Ruddins 9, Kotikova, Mancini ne, Ognjenovic, Bajema, Nwakalor 5, Carol 5, Antropova 14, Mingardi ne, Enriquez ne. Coach: Gaspari
Referees: Simonovska (MNE) Szabo-Alexi (ROU)
Attendance: 5407
Set length: 20′, 25′, 22′
Notes: errors batted Co 9, Sc 12; aces 4-3; Blocks 11-3
MVP: Haak
Ladies and gentlemen, sit comfortably. To Ülker Sport Arena in Istanbul it’s time for the Italian final of the CEV Champions League, the A. Carraro Prosecco DOC Conegliano challenges Savino del Bene Scandicci : it is the second all-Italian event in a row that decides the top European competition. The Panthers play the fourth Champions League final in 5 years, the sixth overall, ahead of them the only team that has won all 9 European matches 3-0, including the semi-final against Vakifbank Istanbul. A guaranteed show in front of the more than 5400 international volleyball fans present for the decisive match of the Final Four.
Coach Daniele Santarelli does not change the formation that beat Numia Vero Volley Milano in the semifinals: the diagonal is Wolosz-Haak, Gabi and Zhu are the wings, Fahr and Chirichella the middle blockers and De Gennaro the libero. It is a remake of the 2024 Scudetto Final, leading the Tuscans is coach Marco Gaspari, yellow-blue coach from 2012 to 2014: Ognjenovic and Antropova form the diagonal, Herbots and Bajema are the wings, Carol and Nwakalor the middle, Castillo the libero.
Sinfonia Pantere in the first set, Wolosz and her teammates live on detonating tears that lead to 1-0: Fahr raises the first of 5 blocks of the partial (4-1, 7 points for the two middle players after the first break, 13 at the end), after a burst of Scandicci the A. Carraro Prosecco DOC slips a 4-0 (14-9, ace for Chirichella). A show by Haak from seat 2 and from the second line leads to the decisive stretch in the first set, Gabi puts the high gears to close the set when needed (25-16, also many textbook defenses for the Brazilian together with De Gennaro).
Haak has already reached double digits at 1-1 in the second set, then lifts a wonderful ball for Zhu (6-3). When Gabi makes it 9-5 you can hear the yellow-blue fans in the background (5 points with 100% offensive for the carioca on 2-0), the A. Carraro Prosecco DOC rejects Scandicci as soon as it responds blow for blow: Haak scratches with a double ace that brings 21-16, the Panthers make very few mistakes and still touch very high peaks (only a team error between service, reception and attack in the second set, 72% offensive), it is again Gabi to write the set-point, this time with the block of 25-21. Brazilian with 11 points and 69% in attack at the end of the match.
At the opening of the third set, Zhu shows off his best version from post 4 with a couple of magnificent shots (8-7, there will be 14 at the end with 72% in attack and 2 blocks), then it takes a 4-0 run to get back in front, Fahr takes care of it with the wall to dig another furrow (18-15, 11 team for the yellow-blues): from then on the Panthers fly to victory, when Haak places the third ace of the match the party is about to start: it is Chirichella who blocks for the decisive 25-19, the 3-0 is worth the CEV Champions League for the yellow-blues.
Collective and individual awards follow: Gabi, Zhu, Lubian and De Gennaro enter the all-star team of the competition, while Isabelle Haak wins the MVP award of the Final Four, repeating that of the Superfinals 2024. Magnificent opposite to Istanbul in the final: 21 points without errors in attack and 2 blocks.
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(photo Ramazan Esen)