Courmayeur Tournament – 2nd semifinalPROSECCODOC IMOCO CONEGLIANO – IGOR NOVARA 3-1(25-21,18-25,25-21,34-32) Prosecco DOC Imoco: Gabi 17, Seki, Eckl ne, Lubian ne, De Gennaro (L), Haak 18, Wolosz, Adigwe 2, Lanier 6, Lukasik 3, Chirichella 7, Fahr 12, Bardaro.
All. Santarelli Igor Gorgonzola Novara: Bosio 3, Bartolucci ne, De Nardi (L), Fersino ne, Alsmeier 13, Ishikawa 15, Mims ne, Orthmann ne, Bonifacio ne, Aleksic 12, Mazzaro ne, Tolok 26, Squarcini 13.
All. Bernardi. 
At the Courmayeur Tournament, which followed the spectacular presentation of the championship held in the morning by the Women’s Volleyball League in the town in Valle d’Aosta, the Panthers of Prosecco DOC Imoco Volley took on Igor Novara in the second semifinal, picking up a fine 4-1 victory, after Egonu and her teammates had prevailed in the opening match between Numia Milano and Savino del Bene Scandicci at the end of an endless match that ended in the tie break.
Tomorrow then at 5:30 p.m. on court for the 3/4 place Novara and Scandicci, at 8:30 p.m. live on Rai Sport HD (channel 58 ddt), on DAZN and streaming on the gialloblù socials, Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano will take on Numia Vero Volley Milano in a preview of next Saturday’s Supercoppa in Rome. 
Gialloblù sextet lined up by coach Santarelli, who has Lubian still in the pits, with Wolosz at the helm, Haak opposite, Fahr and Chirichella at center, Gabi and Lanier at the middle, and free De Gennaro.
Coach Bernardi’s team, on the other hand, struggling with some absence due to various injuries, fielded Bosio-Tolok ,Aleksic-Squarcini, Ishikawa-Alsmeier, libero De Nardi. The first set saw the Panthers go wild at the start with Wolosz who, relying on precise reception and many balls recovered by the wall-defense, always manages to clear her attackers on time.
Prosecco DOC Imoco immediately takes the reins of the match (8-5), then the furrow becomes important with another break propitiated by a series of extra fancy defenses by Moki De Gennaro and the all-around solutions of Gabi, Haak and Lanier, with the good contribution of the central players (18-12).
Novara, however, after coach Bernardi’s solicitations, took advantage of a slight drop by Conegliano to get closer (23-20) with the verve of Tolok (7 points in the set) and German Alsmeier, but immediately the deadly pipes of Brazilian Gabi (4 points in the set, like Haak) and the final wall of Chirichella (in her first time as ex after two lustrous years in an Igor jersey) closed the partial at 25-21. 
In the second set, too, the Italian champions start off pimply (3-1), but the Piedmontese become compact on defense and aggressive on offense in the wake of the good first set ending.
Bosio and her teammates insist, find two good walls and overtake until 10-12.
Asia Wolosz is not up for it and tries to clear her forwards (5 points in the set for Gabi), but the match becomes tight, Ishikawa and De Nardi defend, Tolok closes with authority until 16-12 that forces coach Santarelli to time out.
The difficult moment continues until 18-12 with Igor gaining confidence and playing with enthusiasm, while Prosecco DOC Imoco struggles in attack committing some errors that facilitate the escape of the Piedmontese (20-14). 
Bardaro, Adiwge and Seki enter, but Novara does not give up and closes ahead without suffering in the final (well Tolok, 8 points) for 18-25.
Equilibrium in the third set, De Gennaro and her teammates try the break with Chirichella’s fasts and Bella Haak’s powerful shots (10-7), but Igor always stays in the threatening slipstream and ties with Ishikawa.The teams are equal, Haak strikes, but Tolok always responds, Chirichella rages in fast, but former Squarcini rebounds with the wall (18-18).
It’s Sarah Fahr’s time with two heavy points (5 total in the set) for 20-18.
The Panthers put the gears up and grind out minutes of excellent volleying, Haak and Gabi’s counterattack is deadly and the decisive break comes (22-18).
The set ended with a couple of feats by Haak (5 points in the set) with Prosecco DOC Imoco sealing the 25-21 point with Khalia Lanier that put Conegliano back ahead. 
In the fourth set there is Martyna Lukasik on the court in place of Lanier, but Igor wants the tie break and the wall makes its presence felt, three consecutive “blocks” by Tolok, Bosio and Aleksic dig the first gap (2-6).
The Piedmontese push with enthusiasm while the Panthers jam despite coach Santarelli’s time out calls.
Igor gets to +7 (3-10), then the Piedmontese miss something and the gap is halved (6-10).
One point at a time, returning orderly in all fundamentals, Wolosz and her teammates come back close (12-14), but despite a Prosecco DOC Imoco again at a good pace Novara does not give up.
It takes the best Gabi, from first and second line and the plays of Olympian Fahr (12 points in the match), to reach parity at 17, also accomplice to a nice Chirichella’s ace.
After a long chase comes the overtaking (19-18), signed by a great wall of Gabi, who rose to the cathedra (6 points in the set, 17 in total), before an intense final sprint that rewards the character of coach Santarelli’s team, cynical and stubborn after the nice recovery to close the contest after also canceling as many as five set points to the opponents.
The final point, on the sixth chance to close, after Haak’s hit (18 points at the end) is an error by Alsmeier that ends a very long fourth set (34-32) and sends Prosecco DOC Imoco to the final. Tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. the Panthers again “live” on free-to-air, live TV on Rai Sport, on DAZN and on LVF and Imoco Volley social channels. (LVF photo)