Semi-final Game 4 results:
DIATEC TRENTINO – DHL MODENA 1-3 (25-27, 25-21, 20-25, 19-25)
Giocata ieri: SIR SAFETY CONAD PERUGIA – CUCINE LUBE BANCA MARCHE CIVITANOVA 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 27-25)
DIATEC TRENTINO – DHL MODENA 1-3 (25-27, 25-21, 20-25, 19-25)
DIATEC TRENTINO: Kaziyski 19, Antonov 12, Giannelli 6, Lanza 3, Solé 10, Colaci (L), Van De Voorde 3, Urnaut 2. DNP Mazzone, Bratoev, De Angelis, Djuric, Mazzone. Coach. Stoytchev.
DHL MODENA: Mossa De Rezende 1, Petric 10, Rossini (L), Sartoretti, Ngapeth 19, Nikic 2, Bossi 5, Sens, Saatkamp 11, Vettori 24. DNP Donadio, Soli, Casadei, Sighinolfi. Coach. Lorenzetti.
Modena made it to the final for the second year running. Lorenzetti’s men made of the most of their second opportunity to seal the series and they did it by winning their second encounter in Trento in just 13 days. The hosts paid the price for a very tight schedule that saw them involved in the Champions League Final Four too. Indeed, the Italian champions seemed to be out of gas after the first two sets, which had been thrilling and spectacular battles. The Trentino stars got off to a good start but failed to capitalise on a 21-17 lead in the first set. They managed to get back on their feet in the second but eventually surrendered to Vettori’s excellent plays (top scorer and MVP, 54% in attack) and Petric in the third. Kaziyski and Solé were not enough on the night for the hosts as setter Giannelli often found himself without much alternatives on high balls of fast plays.
Radostin Stoytchev (coach Diatec Trentino): “I think the final outcome of the first set was key. Ahead 21-17 thanks to some good blocking, we did not manage to finish it off and from then on the game became really complicated because we lost that adrenaline and motivation that a first set win would have given us. We had the physical and mental energy to play face to face another set but then Modena took over in every fundamentals and we could not keep up”.
Luca Vettori (DHL Modena): “We did a great job. At the end of Game 3, we gathered in the changing room and left all the controversy outside and we managed to reset it all. It’s been a really difficult game to play, but we handled it very well. From the third set on we have always been in front, we proved we deserved to be in the final. From Tomorrow, we’ll turn our attention to Perugia”.
League playoffs, Final Game 1
Sunday 1 May at 6.15pm Live on RAI Sport 1
DHL Modena – Sir Safety Conad Perugia
Game 2
Thursday 5 May at 8.45pm Live on RAI Sport 1
Sir Safety Conad Perugia – DHL Modena
Game 3
Sunday 8 May at 5.30pm Live on RAI Sport 1
DHL Modena – Sir Safety Conad Perugia
Game 4 (If needed)
Thuesday 12 May at 8.40pm Live on RAI Sport 1
Sir Safety Conad Perugia – DHL Modena
Game 5 (If needed)
Sunday 15 May at 5.30pm Live on RAI Sport 1
DHL Modena – Sir Safety Conad Perugia
