PROSECCO DOC IMOCO CONEGLIANO – VOLLEY BERGAMO 3-0
(25-18 | 25-11 | 25-16)
Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano: Gabi 5, Zhu 7, Seki 2, Eckl ne, Lubian 11, De Gennaro (L), Haak 18, Wolosz ne, Adigwe ne, Lanier 6, Lukasik 1, Chirichella 6, Fahr ne, Bardaro (L) ne. Coach: Santarelli
Volley Bergamo: Piani 5, Adriano 3, Carraro, Bolzonetti 10, Strubbe 7, Mistretta, Armini (L), Farina ne, Evans 1, Manfredini 2, Mlejnkova 7, Spampatti (L) ne, Montalvo ne. Coach: Parisi
Referees: Santoro and Caretti
Spectators: 4,630
Set Duration: 26’ – 27’ – 25’
Notes: Service errors Co 5, Be 8; Aces 6-1; Blocks 7-2
MVP: Seki
The most beautiful time of the year begins: at Palaverde, it’s playoff time in the league. Game-1 of the quarterfinals pits Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano against Volley Bergamo, the 8th-ranked team in the A1 Regular Season, in a best-of-three series. The Panthers, on the other hand, finished 1st in the standings with 77 points, an all-time record in the club’s history.
Coach Daniele Santarelli fields the Seki-Haak diagonal, Gabi and Zhu as wing spikers, Lubian and Chirichella as middle blockers, and De Gennaro as libero. On the Bergamo side, Coach Carlo Parisi opts for the Evans-Piani diagonal, Bolzonetti and Mlejnkova as wing spikers, Manfredini and Strubbe as middle blockers, and Armini as libero.
The Panthers start strong in the first set, with Cristina Chirichella’s block securing a 10-5 lead in yellow-blue, prompting Coach Parisi’s first timeout. Seki sets up Lubian with a magical touch, and the winning combination strikes again immediately after (15-10). Lukasik comes in to energize the back row (playing all three sets and sealing the match point for the Polish player), while Marina heats up from the 9-meter line (18-11). Bergamo manages to close the gap to 19-17, but Coach Santarelli’s timeout proves crucial: the Panthers unleash a 6-1 run with Haak and Chirichella shining (combining for 10 points and 4 blocks in the opening set), closing the first set at 25-18.
Zhu’s pipe after a stellar Panthers’ defense lights up the start of the second set (5-3), Haak’s fourth block sends Palaverde into a frenzy, and then Seki delivers a brilliant ace (9-5). The Japanese player finishes as the match MVP, getting 7 teammates on the scoreboard with at least one point. Gabi tames an impossible ball, setting up a clever play from Seki to Lubian (14-7). Lukasik is a regular in the back, and with her, Lanier comes in, immediately making an impact from position 4: the American scores 5 points at 100% efficiency, including 3 in a row to clinch the second set. Prosecco DOC seals it with another convincing 6-1 run, hitting 2-0 at 25-11. In the third set, three Panthers finished with maximum offensive efficiency, with Chirichella and Lubian following Lanier’s lead.
Haak thunders from position 2 and at the service line (4-2), Gabi’s whirlwind performance cracks open the third set for the yellow-blues (10-6). The Brazilian worked wonders behind the scenes in defense, with just one reception error at the end alongside her 5 points. Palaverde cheers a back-set from Coach Santarelli after a play, but the Panthers march toward their first playoff win on their own (14-8): Haak’s massive game includes an ace (16-9, finishing with 18 points, 6 blocks, and 2 aces), the yellow-blue symphony continues thanks to Zhu’s small but vital points (only one attack error in 16 attempts), and Seki joins the party with a genius move at the net (20-11). Lanier gets on the board in the third set too (22-14), and in the end, Prosecco DOC Imoco seals the deal with a 25-16 final for a 3-0 victory.
But the week will be packed with decisive matches. The Panthers’ next big event is one of the most prestigious: Wednesday, March 12, at 8:30 PM, Developres Resovia visits Palaverde for the return leg of the CEV Champions League quarterfinals. Then, on Sunday, March 16, at 5:00 PM, Prosecco DOC Imoco will take on the Choruslife Arena court in Bergamo for Game-2 of the series against the Orobic team.
INTERVIEWS AND PHOTO ALBUM AVAILABLE ON IMOCO VOLLEY’S FACEBOOK AND YOUTUBE CHANNELS
(Photos by M. Gregolin)