PROSECCO DOC IMOCO CONEGLIANO-ORLANDO VALKYRIES 3-0
(25-14| 25-13| 25-19)
Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano: Gabi 12, Zhu 13, Scognamillo, Lubian 9, De Gennaro, Haak 20, Wolosz 3, Chirichella 4, Ewert ne, Munarini ne, Adigwe ne, Daalderop ne, Fahr ne, Sillah ne. Coach Santarelli
Orlando Valkyries: Luper 4, Pukis, Schwan 6, Abercrombie 9, Shime, Vander Weide ne, Benda 1, Brown 2, Pusic, Foster 5, Maddux 3, Hansen ne, White ne, Klika ne. Coach Pauly
Referees: Grass (BRA) and Casado (ARG)
Attendance: about 2000
Set duration: 22′- 20′ – 25′
Notes: service errors Co 9, Or 5; aces 8-0, blocks 8-2
First in Brazil, for the first time against an American team. Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano inaugurates its journey at the Club World Cup by playing for the first time in the South American homeland of volleyball in its history: it does so in São Paulo, at the sold-out Mercado Livre Arena for the match against the Orlando Valkyries, the first ever against a US team for the Panthers.
Coach Daniele Santarelli deploys Wolosz and Haak for the diagonal, Gabi and Zhu are the wings, Chirichella and Lubian are the middles, De Gennaro is the libero. On the other side, coach Amy Paul chooses Pukis, Abercrombie, Maddux, Schwan, Foster, Brown and Pusic. To support the fans there is a handful of heroes of yellow and blue fans from Conegliano, while the most invoked by the local fans is Gabi.
Lightning-fast start for the Panthers: at Haak’s third ace, Prosecco DOC leads 11-2 (7 points with 1 block in the partial for the Swede, she will close at 20), in the middle of digging the furrow there is also Lubian’s serve. The Mercado Livre Arena explodes when Gabi scores the first point of the match (13-10), Wolosz’s block leads to the second time-out of the opponent’s bench (16-10). Zhu puts down three in a row (23-13), Chirichella’s first center is worth the set point of 1-0 (25-14).
Gabi gives the change of pace at the beginning of the second set (8-5), then Haak capitalizes on a lift to Chirichella’s kiss from the baseline. It is the Neapolitan central the winning service of 12-5 , Wolosz dispenses assists to all the forwards, see the pipe to Zhu from the second line (14-7, it’s 13 points with 1 block and 1 ace for the Chinese at the end). Lubian does not forgive with the first half (17-8), Haak cleans the corner with the ace of 20-11: Gabi puts his signature on 2-0, it is the point of 25-13 (4 centers with 80% for the carioca in the partial).
Lubian breaks the balance of the third set for a moment (7-5), Gabi shines again with 12-11: Haak scores two heavy break points (17-14), Zhu’s attention in defense is rewarded with a point in bagher, directly from the second line (20-16). Scognamillo reinforces the defense and reception of Prosecco DOC in the final, Lubian closes the game with the first half of 25-19 which is worth the final 3-0 (Marina almost double-digits, 9 points, 1 ace and 2 blocks at the end).
Tomorrow the Panthers return immediately to the field for the second day of pool B: at 21 Italian time they play against the Egyptians of Zamalek, it will be the first challenge ever for the yellow-blues against an African team (live streaming DAZN and Volleyballworld.tv). Meanwhile, online on Vivaticket.com the pre-sale is already active for the match on Tuesday 23 December at 20.30, when Prosecco DOC will face Omag-Mt San Giovanni in Marignano at Palaverde on the 3rd day of the second round in the championship.
PHOTOGALLERY AND POST-MATCH INTERVIEWS ON IMOCO VOLLEY’S SOCIAL PROFILES
(photo Vettori)