Sir Susa Vim Perugia – MINT Vero Volley Monza 3-1 (25-15; 25-18; 24-26; 25-19)
Sir Susa Vim Perugia: Giannelli 3, Herrera, Leon 6, Ben Tara 20, Solè, Colaci (L), Resende 8, Semeniuk 12, Plotnytskyi 14, Russo 9. NE Candellaro, Held, Toscani (L), Ropret. All. Lorenzetti
MINT Vero Volley Monza: Visic, Loeppky 17, Maar 11, Mujanovic, Galassi 9, Takahashi 14, Kreling 2, Di Martino 5, Gaggini (L), Szwarc 1. NE Comparoni, Morazzini (L), Beretta. All. Eccheli.
NOTE
Referees: Mauro Goitre, Rossella Piana
Spectators: 4986
Set duration: 26′, 33′, 36′, 35′; Total: 2h10′
Sir Susa Vim Perugia: winning serves 9, missed serves 15, blocks 10, errors 19, attack 57%
MINT True Volley Monza: winning serves 5, missed serves 19, blocks 5, errors 27, attack 45%
MVP: Wassim Ben Tara (Sim Susa Vim Perugia)
Plant: Barton Altarpiece – Pian di Massiano (PG)
PIAN DI MASSIANO (PG), 25 APRIL 2024 – One more stop at Barton Shovelin Game 3 of the Scudetto Final, for the MINT True Volley Monza by Massimo Eccheli, surpassed again 3-1 (25-15; 25-18; 24-26; 25-19) by the World Champions of Sir Susa Vim Perugia. After the exciting victory in Game-2, the first men’s team of the Vero Volley Consortium was unable to find the desired result to play for the first match point within the friendly walls of the Opiquad Arena. A Monza that, despite not shining in the first two sets, showed off all the determination it had in the third set, staging a courageous comeback. In the fourth game Perugia, led by a Leon in great form, managed to make the turning point in the central phase of the partial, winning the match and the lead in the series.
No changes to the victorious sextet in the last match, with Eccheli taking the field Kreling as a setter and Loeppky opposite to, Maar And Takahashi spikers, Galaxies And Di Martino in the center e Gaggini free.
Loeppky’s soft touch, followed by Takahashi’s ace are the first two points of the match for MINT Vero Volley Monza (2-2). Flavio’s ace gives Perugia the break (5-3), immediately mended by Maar’s diagonal and Galassi’s first half. Sir, however, pushed hard to immediately build an advantage, reaching 8-5 before the time-out requested by Eccheli. Monza fails to close the gap, while the Umbrians manage the advantage they accumulated in the first part of the set well (12-8). At -5 (13-8), Eccheli is forced to spend a second technical suspension to talk to his boys. Di Martino, well served by Kreling, scores for Monza on his return (13-9). The hosts push very hard on serve, finding the third ace of the set with Plotnytskyi (15-9). Szwarc and Visic enter the field (17-12), but Perugia is still the one to make the loudest voice, moving to +9 (21-12) with two consecutive aces, this time scored by Semeniuk. The Brianza team responds with Galassi and Takahashi (22-15), but the set is now compromised, and Perugia wins it 25-15.
Back and forth at the start of the second set, with Galassi’s block putting Monza ahead by one point (2-3). Perugia equalized and found the break thanks to Plotnytskyi’s turn of serve (5-3), immediately equalized by a tough MINT. Great balance in the second game, where neither team manages to take command of the operations (7-7). However, it is the Umbrians who break the deadlock as in the previous set, scoring +3 (10-7), which induces Eccheli to spend a time-out. MINT is unable to express its game at its best, suffering from the precision and energy at the service of the block devils, capable of even reaching +6 (14-8), which becomes +7 after Russo’s ace: second time -out for the Brianza. Monza is back in the running with Loeppky – an excellent diagonal player and powerful along the line -, but without being able to find the right continuity (17-10). Takahashi tries to get into rhythm after Visic’s lift (19-12); Perugia, however, did not stand by and scored with Semeniuk to maintain the 8 point gap (20-12). Brianza break completed by Takahashi’s ace (21-16): Lorenzetti stops the game. Mujanovic also enters the scene, but Perugia now has too much of an advantage and also wins the second set (25-18).
Great block from Kreling immediately at the start of the third set, useful to prevent Sir from running away (2-2). Monza does not want to allow Perugia to build an advantage, and strikes with Di Martino’s first half (4-4). Kreling, like a true conductor, is now good at putting his entire battery of attackers into rhythm, giving the Brianza team their first break (7-9). The hosts recover, but Galassi takes care of leaving MINT with his nose forward (9-10). Sir, however, has no intention of letting the Monza team go, putting all their energy into play to overcome the inertia of the match, finding a draw and overtaking (12-10), before Eccheli’s time-out. Perugia always dictates the pace (15-12), while Takahashi shakes his teammates with a pair of splendid pipes, the Japanese spiker’s trademark (17-14). The video check rewards Loeppky’s parallel, and after Galassi’s first half Monza is back at -1 (17-16). Brianza draw with Galassi’s ace: 18-18 and Lorenzetti time-out. Monza is the first to reach twenty points (19-20), after Di Martino’s first half. MINT finds the break (20-22), after the excellent attack of Loeppky, good at playing with the hands of the opponent’s block: time-out requested by the Umbrian bench. Series of service errors that favor the Brianza team (21-23); the newly entered Leon finds an excellent parallel, but Loeppky equalizes the score and gives the set-point to him (22-24). Perugia is good at canceling both: advantages, but first time-out for Eccheli. Maar takes the stage, scoring the mani-out and then the ace to make it 24-26.
Slow start for Vero Volley in the fourth game, immediately down 3-0 before Loeppky’s mani-out. Splendid, very narrow diagonal shot from Takahashi, but Monza fails to have the continuity necessary to mend the match, inducing the Brianza bench to spend a technical suspension (6-2). MINT gets closer thanks to two precise attacks from Maar (6-4). Full-arm dunk for Loeppky (9-6), but Perugia makes the most of the Leon effect to keep the guests at a safe distance (11-8). Great contribution from the battery of spikers for Monza, bold and concrete at the same time, to make up for the Umbrians (12-10) before Lorenzetti’s time-out. The Brianza team tried to find an equalizer, fighting with all their determination and also thanks to the splendid defense of the libero Gaggini (14-13). Series of back and forth between the two teams, with the score reaching 16-15; series of rebounds that do not favor Monza, but which allow Perugia to land the break at 19-15. Coach Eccheli chooses to call his boys back for a time-out. Monza break upon return with Maar as a great protagonist with the parallel and then the ace of 19-17. Leon takes the stage again, responding with a powerful diagonal and two consecutive aces for 23-17. Perugia takes advantage of an error in Monza’s service to secure the first match point (24-18); the Lombards cancel the first, but are forced to surrender 25-19.
MVP of the match Wassim Ben Tara, author of 20 points and top scorer of the match. Best scorer of the match for Monza was the Canadian spiker Eric Loeppky, with 17 points; good performance also for the Japanese Ran Takahashi (14 points with 52% efficiency) as well as for Maar (11 points).
Now the MINT Vero Volley Monza will have to play everything on Sunday 28 April, at 6.00 pm, within the friendly walls of the Opiquad Arena to try to equalize the Series and postpone the final verdict to Game-5, once again at the Pala Barton.
THE STATEMENTS
Gabriele Di Martino (MINT Vero Volley Monza): “Today Perugia’s serve put us in a bit of difficulty, but in the third set we found our certainties on the court, winning the set. We can certainly do better, we know that a challenging Race-4 awaits us, but we will have all the support of our fans”.
