Piacenza defeated Jastrzebski Wegiel 3-2 (19-25; 30-28; 25-16; 22-25; 15-12) nell’first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals of men’s volleyball. A show of strength from coach Andrea Anastasi’s boys, who prevailed against the leaders of the Polish championship in front of their PalaBanca crowd.
The Wolves managed to prevail at the end of a real tug-of-war that lasted 143 minutes and achieved a first important step towards qualifying for the semi-finals of the top European competition, but to complete the mission it will be necessary to win the return match scheduled for next week or lose in the tie-break and then prevail in the play-off golden set.
Piacenza was exceptional in canceling a set-point in the second half, avoiding going 0-2 down, and then was able to pull itself up to 2-1. Dragged to the tie-break, the fourth strength of the Super League did not let go and managed to celebrate. dragged by the crushers Ricardo Lucarelli (24 points, 2 aces, 57% attacking) e Yoandy Leal (17 points, 2 blocks, 52% in the offensive phase).
The opposite Yuri Romanò he played the first two sets and the tie-break as a protagonist, scoring 8 points. In the middle he was replaced by Fabrizio Gironi (7). In the center the lapidary Robertlandy Simon (10 points, 3 blocks), supported for the first two sets by Edoardo Caneschi (1) and then by Roamy Alonso (8, 3 blocks) under the direction of Antoine Brizard (5), good work by libero Leonardo Scanferla (59% receiving). At Jastrzebski Wegiel the titanic Jean Patry (18), Jurii Gladyr (11), Norbert Hubert (13) and Tomasz Fornal (11) were not enough.
MATCH REPORT
Piacenza was a bit confused at the start of the match, made a few too many mistakes and went down 0-4 and 4-7. The Poles persist and don’t allow any space (9-13), then Huber’s ace makes it 15-10. Lucarelli and Romanò try to take a turn, but the guests are more incisive and quickly close the score.
Close point by point in the second set and the Wolves gradually begin to believe it: at 18-19 Lucarelli is good with a hand-out, Brizard presses Szymura, Patry makes a mistake in attack and Simon scores the ace to make it 22-19. Fundamental break, but Patry and Fornal manage to mend the situation (23-23). A very tough fight for the advantages begins: Lucarelli cancels a set-point at 23-24, then the red and whites fail to make four attempts, on the fifth occasion it is Alonso’s block on Szymura that closes the score.
Piacenza goes wild at the start of the third set with Leal and Lucarelli in great form against Patry and his teammates (10-4). Alonso’s block allows the Poles to double (14-7), in the final aces from Brizard and Lucarelli also arrive to seal the 2-1 in favor of coach Anastasi’s boys. The fourth set is still in pursuit and seems to be closed at 11-15, but Gas Sales has the strength to get back to 16-17 with Leal’s block on Patry.
At that point, however, Patry and Szymura make the loudest noises (17-20), Gironi misses an attack, but a mani-out from Leal and two consecutive blocks from Simon on Fornal make it 20-21. Lucarelli goes wild (22-23), but Huber responds correctly and drags the match to a tie-break.
Piacenza gets off to a flying start in the tie-break with a slingshot from Leal and a block from Simon, then Leal doubles and Alonso presses Szymura for the 5-2. Patry tries to keep the guests at bay (8-6), but then Romanò takes care of it diagonally and Lucarelli in the pipe (10-7). Romanò puts the exclamation point with the +4 jab (11-7), then Szymura makes a mistake in attack and Piacenza flies towards victory, sealed by Romanò.
2024-02-21 22:21:18
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