PROSECCO DOC IMOCO STARTS WELL, BUT MILAN COMES BACK AND WINS 3-1 – FIRST DEFEAT IN THE LEAGUE FOR THE PANTHERS

NUMIA MILANO-PROSECCO DOC A.CARRARO IMOCO 3-1
(22-25| 25-19| 31-29|25-20)
Numia Vero Volley Milano: Egonu 32, Fersino, Lanier 14, Bosio 1, Pietrini ne, Piva 9, Sartori, Danesi 6, Kurtagic 12, Cagnin, Gelin ne, Akimova 2 Miner, Modesti ne. Coach Lavarini
Prosecco DOC A.Carraro Imoco Conegliano: Wolosz 3, Gabi 18, Zhu 11, Chirichella 6, Lubian 10, De Gennaro, Haak 15, Sillah 6, Munarini ne, Adigwe 2, Daalderop 1, Fahr 2, Scognamillo, Ewert ne. Coach Santarelli
Referees: Caretti and Goitre
Attendance: 5296
Set duration: ’27 – 30′ – 38′ – ‘
Notes: service errors Co 15, Mi 9; aces Co4, Mi 3, walls: Co 6, Mi 8
MVP: Egonu

In the first set, a start-sprint for Prosecco DOC Imoco, which starts well in defense and on the block (1-4, 2-7). Time out by coach Lavarini. The Panthers do not stop, Haak closes the 2-8 after a long serving streak by Lubian, then Wolosz scores all his forwards, Chirichella does well in fast (6-11). Between Conegliano and Milan it is never over, and the trend of the set confirms it. Lubian blocks twice, a super Moki De Gennaro defends, Bella Haak hits hard and it’s 9-15. Having overcome the skidding, Numia is good at reacting: Egonu lights up and signs important shots (13-16), but the Wolosz-Haak combination responds by putting on a show, then the captain chooses Gabi and Marina Lubian (7 points, 3 blocks in the excellent first set!) to concretize the team’s beautiful defenses and it is 15-20. Daalderop enters in the second row, then we will also see Adiwge in the serve. With a lot of Egonu (8 points in the set) and Bosio’s ace, Numia is back in the race (20-21), the crowd is on fire. The final sprint is exciting (22-23). It’s up to the Queen of the North, Isabelle Haak (7 points and a super 70% in attack in the set!), Milan’s mistake and it’s 22-25, the many fans of Prosecco DOC Imoco rejoice.

Second partial with coach Santarelli who must soon call time out because Lanier and her teammates start convinced: 6-2. Prosecco DOC Imoco does not give up and draws on De Gennaro’s great defenses to re-emerge: he hits the “usual” Haak, Chirichella imitates her in fast, then Gabi puts on a show and soon comes the parity at 8. But it is a set all to chase, Milan tries again with the good ideas of Lanier (the most recent among the many former players in the Vero Volley jersey) and the young Piva, but Conegliano is always there, while Daalderop enters the serve with the Panthers coming back to -1 (16-15). Ace by the Dutchman (16-16), then Akimova enters and scores for Milan. Another head-to-head with the Panthers make too many mistakes in the final (20-17, 5 total errors in the set). After the time out there is no hoped-for reaction and Egonu closes the 25-19 that equalizes the accounts.

The Prosecco DOC Imoco after the mistakes cost the previous set regains order and effectiveness, but Bosio and her teammates have gained confidence and the match becomes a point-to-point battle (11-11). Sillah comes on for Zhu. The balance is the master, the two teams defend a lot, Lanier takes advantage of it (15-13), but Wolosz immediately equalizes on the block. In the bitter duel Sillah also makes itself felt (16-16), then there is a yellow-blue minibreak (17-19), but immediately Egonu equalizes and the uncertainty continues. Every ball is an odyssey, Fatoumatta Sillah (5 points in the set) goes to heaven (21-22), then Haak (22-23), but Egonu always responds. 23-23. It is decided at the very last corners, Sillah is “on fire”, he scores again (24-23), but Egonu cancels the set point. Haak misses, Sarah Fahr also enters on set point for Milan and makes her long-awaited return, then Gabi equalizes. The head-to-head is endless, Lanier does like Penelope, signs the 26-25 and then misses the set point. Gabi (6p in the set with 60%) cancels out another, and it continues between errors and feats, Haak scores (29-29), but Egonu is unleashed (11 points in the set!) and closes the contest at the sixth set point 31-29.

Fourth set and the Panthers after the bitter disappointment of the previous one present themselves with Wolosz-Haak, Chirichella and Fahr confirmed on the court, as Sillah diagonally with Gabi, free De Gennaro. Kurtagic in the center and Egonu with the diagonal hurt an ineffective defense and coach Santarelli calls time out at 7-4 for Numia. The moment is difficult and the game struggles to be effective, Adiwge enters on -4 (10-6). Zhu Ting returns and immediately signs the -3 (12-9), but Kurtagic extends again to +5. The yellow-blue team now suffers a lot from the opponent’s game, coach Santarelli tries everything (Lubian also returns), Gabi tries until the end (18 points, Conegliano’s top scorer), but Vero Volley plays well and remains firmly in command (19-14). Despite the Panthers’ comeback attempts, Milan does not give up, Paola Egonu (MVP of the match with 33 points) is unstoppable, administers the advantage with experience and leads Milan to victory (25-21), 3-1.
In the sixth return it is the first defeat in the championship for Prosecco DOC Imoco, the second of the season with Vero Volley after the Super Cup in October.

This result is a closing of 2025 in the championship which in any case has seen Prosecco DOC Imoco always firmly at the top of the standings from the beginning to the end of the calendar year.
For coach Santarelli’s team, however, the year is not over, indeed there are eyes on the Italian Cup that will close the year of the Palaverde. On Tuesday 30 Volley Bergamo arrives at 20.30 for the quarter-finals, the very important Frecciarossa ticket for the Final Four in Turin is up for grabs.

(Foto Rubin per LVF)