The dream of playing in the Del Monte® Italian Cup Final for the third consecutive season for Itas Trentino is shattered in the fifth set of this afternoon’s match against Monza at the Unipol Arena. The first semi-final of the Emilian weekend in fact saw the Brianza team prevail in the tie break, forcing the Italian Champions to halt their progress in the competition already in the first of the two days of the Emilian Final Four.
A match that saw the Italian Champions offer moments of good volleyball (as in the initial part of the first set and for a good part of the third and fourth sets) alternating with others characterized by dangerous blackouts that allowed the opponents to get back on top two times (at 1-0, clearly winning the second half, and at 2-1, securing the fourth period in a sprint), before becoming absolute masters of the pitch during the fifth and decisive part. Despite an imprecise effort at the net (14 direct errors in attack) and a less than incisive serve, the yellow-blues still managed to come within a few steps of a possible 3-1 victory. At 21-17 in their favour, however, Mint managed to diametrically overturn the situation, signing a sensational comeback thanks to a 2-8 partial which, in fact, cut the legs of Soli’s team. Rychlicki’s 21 points (as many as Loeppky scored on the other side of the net), Lavia’s ideas (17 with 4 blocks) and a block that often compensated for the difficulties of the attack (40%) were not enough to overcome the Brianza obstacle. The same one who will be competing again in seven days for the next round of the championship (17th day of the SuperLega, Saturday 3 February in Monza).
Below is the scoreboard of the first semi-final of the Del Monte® Coppa Italia 2024 played this afternoon at the Unipol Arena.
Itas Trentino-Mint Vero Volley Monza 2-3
(25-23, 13-25, 25-23, 23-25, 9-15)
ITAS TRENTINO: Podrascanin 5, Sbertoli 1, Lavia 17, Kozamernik 8, Rychlicki 21, Michieletto 13, Laurenzano (L); D’Heer, Acquarone, Magalini 5. N.e. Nelli, Cavuto, Pace, Berger. All. Fabio Soli.
MINT VERO VOLLEY: Loeppky 21, Di Martino 10, Szwarc 16, Maar 21, Galassi 16, Kreling 2, Gaggini (L); Frascio, Mujanovic, Visic. N.e. Comparoni, Morazzini, Beretta. All. Massimo Eccheli.
ARBITRI: Vagni di Perugia e Cerra di Bologna.
DURATA SET: 26’, 22’, 28’, 29’, 14’; tot 1h e 59’.
NOTE: 7.562 spettatori, incasso di 137756 euro. Itas Trentino: 13 muri, 3 ace, 9 errori in battuta, 14 errori azione, 40% in attacco, 45% (20%) in ricezione. Mint Vero Volley: 11 muri, 6 ace, 16 errori in battuta, 5 errore azione, 50% in attacco, 51% (18%) in ricezione.
