Winning debut for Gabbiano Mantova in the Serie A3 Credem Banca championship. In the debut match at the PalaSguaitzer, Gola and his teammates prevailed in four sets over the highly rated Monge-Gerbaudo Savigliano, after a battle that lasted more than two hours, with a heart-pounding last set, which ended at 32-30.
Luca Martinelli, a great protagonist in the victory, draws up an initial assessment and presents the next trip to Sardinia against Sarlux Sarroch: «For me it is the first year in Serie A – explains the setter – but when entering the field I certainly don’t have the problem of whoever is on the other side of the net, and I think about doing my own. With Savigliano we played and won a good team match. After losing the third set we stayed on track, fighting point for point in the fourth. It wasn’t easy because in the third we dropped the intensity on serve and despite some good defense we struggled to materialize the break point phases.”
A big applause for the strength of the group: «We didn’t give up and we remained united and determined, just as we are off the pitch. It is not a secondary detail in the journey to travel together, on the contrary. The emotion of the debut did not turn into performance anxiety, but into energy to go and win the match.”
The championship, at the moment, is confirmed as being characterized by balance: «Yes, the group is very balanced, but it is too early to make judgements. We have to wait for the teams to settle.”
The away game in Cagliari is scheduled for Saturday 28 October, against Sarlux Sarroch, fresh from the 3-0 defeat against Personal Time San Donà di Piave: «We will study the opponent during the week, a challenging first away match certainly awaits us, with a lot of plane travel. This will also be a thermometer for our aspirations. What we must never lack is enthusiasm on and off the pitch, the desire to win.”
Luca certainly doesn’t lack desire: «I’m training and I’m really satisfied so far. In the friendlies I was always on the pitch and physically I had to give a lot, but playing gives you a big boost in morale and you don’t feel the fatigue. A really good start, can’t complain. Now we just have to continue like this.”
