Easter on the road, Easter Monday in the field. With the hope that the symbolic chocolate egg contains a nice surprise: for the first time in its history, Belluno Volley faces the Serie A3 Credem Banca playoffs. And he will do it from Piedmont: specifically, from Valenza, where on Monday 1 April (7 pm) the rhinos will face Negrini Cte Acqui Terme for the first leg of the round of 16.
NEW – The post season, in these latitudes, is new for everyone. Also for coach Gian Luca Colussi: «I am calm, eager to face this adventure and curious to understand how we will behave. But, at the same time, I don’t deny that I have a lot of confidence.” The white and blue sextet has just left behind a great regular season finale, with the cherry on top of the 3-0 in the Veneto derby against Motta: «Despite some unforeseen events, we managed to find a good structure. And, in the last two games, we confirmed that we are solid and square.”
UNPREDICTABLE – The initial matchup isn’t the easiest, on the contrary: «Acqui Terme is an unpredictable team, but regardless we would have found a tough opponent. From Cagliari to Savigliano, not much would have changed. We are affected by the Negrini Cte and that’s fine.” We reason on the logic of the double comparison: going to the province of Alessandria. And back (Sunday 7 April) to the Spes Arena: «In the playoffs the margin for error is minimal – Colussi continues -. This is not a straightforward challenge, because there is still another chance available, but we are certainly no longer in the regular season, in which there is more space and time to make amends. This is why I believe it is necessary to concentrate on one match at a time, without thinking too much about the return leg, much less the next round.” The attitude does not change: «We must impose our game and give life to a high-profile test because Acqui Terme has important qualities, despite having encountered difficulties in the second half of the championship».
MINI HELP – Belluno Volley returns to the province of Alessandria, where it had already played (and won in three sets) on March 17th: «But this is another story, we start again from 0-0. We will take no advantage of the recent confrontation. However, the fact that he played a race at the same venue not long ago can give him a little help. Furthermore – concludes the coach – there remains a good memory of an away match in which we managed to play excellent volleyball”.
