Pallavolo Padova – Katay Geotec Isernia 3-2
(25-22; 20-25; 19-25; 25-23; 15-13)

Pallavolo Padova: Zingaro (L), Tiberti 3, Garghella 5, Cricca 15, Koshikawa 5, Polidori 11, Barcala 15, De Marchi 15, Maniero 1, Gottardo 1, Busi 1, Tovo. Coach: Lorenzo Bernardi.

Katay Geotec Isernia: Cacchiarelli (L), Batista 4, Fiore 15, Saglimbene 4, Piovarci 11, Janusek 11, Salgado 12, Oro 24, Beccaro. DNP: Pambianchi, Di Fino. Coach: Marco Fenoglio.

Padova was back in its PalaAli following its road game in the capital. The opponent of the day was Isernia, currently with 8 points, gathered thanks to thrilling tie-breaks. It arrived in Padova without Batista and Piovarci, while Padova was without Kubiak. As Bernardi expected, this proved to be a “long” encounter, which started brilliantly for the hosts with a first set domination but it went pear-shaped in the next two as De Marchi was out. That’s when middleblockers Cricca and Polidori started to make their mark helping Padova over the hump.