SERIE A1 TIM – PLAY OFF QUARTERFINALS
TRENTO IS THE FIRST SEMIFINALIST
MODENA OUT, SO MANY EMOTIONS AT PALAPANINI
CIMONE MODENA – ITAS DIATEC TRENTINO 1-3 (25-22, 18-25, 23-25, 23-25)
CIMONE MODENA: Tencati 7, Soli 3, Rinaldi (L), Dennis 19, Sartoretti, Dos Santos Junior 1, Pagni, Nascimento 15, Heller 6, Endres 16, Casoli. N E Smuc. Coach Giani Andrea.
ITAS DIATEC TRENTINO: Kaziyski 19, Segnalini (L), Birarelli 6, Jeroncic 9, Della Lunga, Grbic 2, Nikolov 17, Mlyakov, Winiarski 14, Bari (L), Piscopo 1. N E Bednaruk, Stoyanov. Coach Stoytchev Radostin.
REFs: Gianni Bartolini, Paolo Lavorenti. NOTES- Spectators 3800, takings 27000, set lenght: 29′, 26′, 32′, 30′; tot: 117′.
Modena – Itas Diatec Trentino is the first semifinalist of the Serie A1 TIM championship 2007/2008. After wednesdays’ victory for match 1 of the quarterfinals, the yello&blue double up against Cimone Modena beating them for 1-3 at PalaPanini.
Trento is back in the semifinals like in the 2005/06 championship when they eliminated Modena again.
During hte warm up, both teams wore the “Let us play” t-shirt, just like in Modena for Match 1.
The two coaches confirm the starting six who played in match 1. Giani confirms Fabio Soli setter with Slovenian Smuc on the bench. Modena starts knowing they must win to avoid elimination from the playoffs.
This goal shakes them in the first set which is a fight won by Cimone themselves, who thanks to the 4000 people who came to support them at PalaPanini, manage to accellerate decisively in the final part of the set with Heller’s service series which make the difference.
It is 25-22 but Itas Diatec Trentino comes back on track. In the second set, Grbic sets delicious balls for the three external spikers Kaziyski, Winiarski and Nikolov. They are the spine of Trento’s attack. Stoytchev’s men impose themselves with a 18-25. Dennis signs the 8-3 and leads Cimone’s revenge, but Trento does not give up. Kasiyski & Co.’s determination is great. Nikolov signs the 13-13 and with great balance they get to 19-20. Heller gets his attack wrong and sends Itas Diatec Trentino on +2, then Kaziyski’s point arrives.
Trento’s many supporters in Emilia can see the semifinal in the horizon, Nikolov puts down the 20-24 ball, then three consecutive mistakes arrive and Cimone gets dangerously close on 23-24. It is Birarelli who closes and Trento wins 23-25.
The 4th set is an up and down of break after break. When the fifth set shadows PalaPanini, on 22-20, Trento finds the strength to conquer 5 consecutive points, leaving one for Modena in te middle.
The set is closed 23-25 and Itas Diatec Trentino flies to the semifinals.
Andrea Giani (Cimone Modena): “We played evenly with the team who won the regular season. I am proud of that, we played as a team. I am proud of all my boys, now we have to look at this season with everything that happened. It was a great experience for me”.
Radostin Stoychev (Itas Diatec Trentino): “I am very happy about the victory. I knew we would have won, the spirit of the eve was the right one. It was a very difficult match, but we played a great game especially digging”.
MVP: Matey Kaziyski (Itas Diatec Trentino)
PLAY OFFS QUARTERFINALS – MATCH 2
Played today
Cimone Modena – Itas Diatec Trentino 1-3 (25-22, 18-25, 23-25, 23-25)
Sun Apr 13th, 18.00
Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza – Sisley Treviso
Santi – Saltalippi
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – M. Roma Volley
Barbero – Locatelli
Sun Apr 13th, 18.30
Acqua Paradiso Gabeca Montichiari – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo Live on SKY Sport 2
Cesare – Perri
