SERIE A1 TIM: SEMIFINALS – MATCH 1
CUNEO BEATS PIACENZA AT TIE BREAK BETWEEN A THOUSAND EMOTIONS
MATCH 1 RESULTS
Itas Diatec Trentino – M. Roma Volley 3-0 (25-22; 25-19; 25-15)
Ore 21.00
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza 3-2 (25-16, 25-21, 21-25, 18-25, 15-9)
MATCH 2 PROGRAMME
Wed Apr 23rd
20.30 Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
21.00 M. Roma Volley – Itas Diatec Trentino (Live on SKY Sport 2)
BRE BANCA LANNUTTI CUNEO – COPRA NORDMECCANICA PIACENZA 3-2 (25-16, 25-21, 21-25, 18-25, 15-9)
BRE BANCA LANNUTTI CUNEO: Wijsmans 20, Prandi (L), Parodi, Gonzalez 3, Fortunato 4, Vergnaghi (L), Lasko 13, Rosso, Curti 1, Abbadi 17, Muraguti Yared 1, Felizardo 14, Battilotti. Coach Prandi Silvano.
COPRA NORDMECCANICA PIACENZA: Rodriguez 3, Granvorka 8, Meoni, Boninfante, Santos Dutra (L), Zlatanov 23, Simeonov 4, Bravo 7, Gromadowski 1, Bovolenta 5, Bjelica 14. N E Cozzi. Coach Lorenzetti Angelo.
REFs: Nicola Castagna, Matteo Cipolla.
NOTEs – Spectators 3800, takings 23000, set lenght: 22′, 28′, 29′, 26′, 13′; tot: 118′.
CUNEO – Tie break is once again am extra weapon for Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo. That is how they won the two quarterfinal challenges against Montichiari and that is how they won the first of the two semifinal matches against Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza. It was a match with two faces: two sets dominated by Prandi’s team, two by Lorenzetti’s, good to find the strength to react after being two sets down. Tehy only gave up at the end of an authentic marathon where Bre Banca Lannutti managed to give their best just when it seemed one step from falling. Cuneo played two sets of rare intensity they probably paid for in the following two, when even Piacenza started to say something. An evening to frame for Brasilian Abbadi (64% on 22 balls), for Wijsmans and middle blocker Felizardo. In Piacenza the final KO was missing even though we have some doubts about how they started the match. Positive evening for Zlatanov too (23 points) and serb middle blocker Bjelica (22 points with 4 aces and 1 block).
On wednesday at Piacenza PalaBanca for match 2.
It is a tonic, concentrated Bre Banca Lannutti the one welcoming Piacenza for match 1 of the semifinals 2008. A first set Prandi’s team interpreted well with a breathtaking service (3 aces). It is 8-4 at the first TTO and thanks to Gonzalez and Abbadi’s points, next to perfection with Wijsmans, they go even further. 25- 16 in no time with an unrecognazible Piacenza, making plenty of mistakes at serving, maybe suffering from the effort made to eliminate Treviso in the quarterfinals last thursday.
The live motive is the same one in the second set too. Cuneo hits hard, Copra tries to defend themselbes and react, but the opponents are on the ball, pushed by an audience wanting their third final in their history. It is 11-7 with Gonzalez who does magic despite a 47% reception but this time Piacenza does not surrender and it ends on 25-21.
Lorenzetti decides to leave Simeonov on court. Another effective change we are used to by now. Straight after that Granvorks ends up on the bench replaced by Spanish Rodriguez. Bre Banca is eating dust now with a more confident Piacenza and Zlatanov at his best in attack. So it is 11-8 and the match is re opened on 14-11 then 18-11 with two aces in their bag. Prandi puts in an on and off Lasko. Bre Banca’s attack has gone down even though Wijsmans and Co. proudly manage to reduce the points that separate them but this time it is 21-25 for Piacenza.
Cuneo’s foggy moment seem to last very little and they start the 4th set on 8-5, but it is just an hey fire because Piacenza takes over again and it is 13-15 with a very nervous Cuneo who lose their heads completely and Copra goes to tie break.
The 5th set is the usual lottery of emotions which in the end is in Cuneo’s favour. Piacenza leave with their heads up but they know they have left a good chance to to play the match ball on wednesday evening behind.
MVP: Manius Abbadi
MANIUS ABBADI (Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “We knew it would have been a very difficult match against Piacenza who made us suffer until the end. We played to win and the way the team reacted in the end is a demonstration of that”.
FRANTZ GRANVORKA (Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza): “We play at tour best from the beginning to the end, trying everything but a diversity of our game a Cuneo’s higher concentration came out at the crucial moment. honour to them but we will make up for it in match 2″.
