Good performance from MINT Vero Volley Monza, who beat the boys from the University of California, Los Angeles Men’s Volleyball 3-1 – engaged in a European tour between Hungary, Slovenia and Italy – in the last friendly match before the Italian Super Cup scheduled for Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd at Palazzo Wanny in Florence.
Maximum advantage for the hosts who at 20-13 forced the Stars and Stripes bench to be suspended. Di Martino’s block (23-13) and Rohrs’ winning attack (24-13) gave Monza first the set point and then the partial, which ended 25-13.
At the end of the partial Monza moved to -1 (20-21) and Di Martino scored the equalizer at 24-24, canceling a set point for the opponents. UCLA still wins the set two points later, 24-26.
Beretta’s ace first and Di Martino’s block then mark a new lead for Monza (18-14). Di Martino scores again for 20-17, but UCLA is not there and responds with 18-20. Szwarc goes powerfully to serve and at 22-18 another American time-out. At 24-19 the first set-point arrives for Monza closed by Woo-Jin’s ace (25-19).
Fourth set that opens with Mancini and the young Taiwo on the court in place of Fernando and Di Martino; balance reigns, until Monza puts its head forward and tries the first push at 11-8, with Marttila’s winning pipe. Ace by Szwarc for Brianza’s 14-11: UCLA time-out. The Americans try to mend the gap, climbing back up to -1, but first Woo-Jin and then Mancini’s block stop the Stars and Stripes’ ambitions. A service error by UCLA closes the set at 25-22 and the match in favor of Monza, who wins 3-1.
