Victory number five in the group (twenty-sixth of the season), secured first place, direct qualification to the quarter-finals.
These are the good news arriving from Ljubljana where Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia wins in four sets over the hosts of Ach Volley on the fifth day of Pool E of the Champions League, continues its immaculate march also in the international field and flies directly to the second round of the knockout stage of the event.
He does so at the end of a match that coach Anastasi’s boys conducted with authority in the first two sets, showcasing a concrete and effective game. In the third set, the reaction of the hosts, driven by the warmth of their fans, and a decline in the Juventus half allowed the AC to close the gap. However, the return of the Block Devils to the field in the fourth fraction was vehement. Determined to close the match, the bianconeri started off in a blast with service and attack on stellar levels by placing a partial of 5-19 which stopped any ambitions from the Slovenian team.
Anastasi, with Russo and Colaci remaining in Perugia, gave ample space to his staff, leaving Leon at rest and using Giannelli and Rychlicki only for a few scraps. Scene therefore for players less used in the last period with Ropret lucid in directing, Piccinelli effective in defense, Cardenas and Mengozzi on the field in the final stages of the fourth set. The one who definitely took the stage was the Cuban opposite Herrera, the undisputed Mvp of the match with 25 points, 7 aces, 1 block and 81% in attack. Double figures at Sir Sicoma Monini also for Semeniuk (13 with 3 aces) and Plotnytskyi (11 with 4 blocks).
ACH VOLLEYBALL LJUBLIAN – SIR SICOMA MONINI PERUGIA 1-3
Partial: 21-25, 15-25, 25-23, 15-25
ACH VOLLEYBALL LJUBLJANA: Todorovic, Gjorgiev 8, Masulovic 2, Videcnik 2, Sestan 14, Kok 14, Kovacic (free), Koncilja 5, Sket 4, Mejal, Sen 1. N.e.: Bosnjak, Satler. All. Gacic, deputy all. satler.
SIR SICOMA MONINI PERUGIA: Ropret, Herrera 25, Solè 9, Flavio 4, Plotnytskyi 11, Semeniuk 13, Piccinelli (free), Cardenas 2, Giannelli 2, Rychlicki 2, Mengozzi. NE: Leon. Coach Anastasi, vice coach Valentini.
Referees: Aleksandar Vinaliev – Wojciech Maroszek
THE FIGURES – LJUBLJANA: 15 b.s., 4 aces, 43% rec. pos., 17% rec. prf., 39% landfill, 6 walls. PERUGIA: 16 b.s., 13 aces, 42% rec. pos., 18% rec. prf., 54% landfill, 10 walls.
