There are moments in life when you have to be good at reading history; others where it is necessary to learn from it. But then there are some, in which the story is called upon to write, and these are the most unrepeatable. There Yuasa Battery he has shown that he is capable of rewriting history, and no one will be able to take this incredible result away from this group of boys, whose names are destined to remain indelible in the annals of this club.
Grottazzolina is in the Super League, the smallest center in the Serie A volleyball scene has become the protagonist of an incredible story, a story to tell. A fairy tale that came true and game 2 marked the jubilation of the Yuasa Battery in a championship that saw them dominate from the first day, and close the final series in just two games, bringing something like 500 fans to Siena, an entire population moved to Tuscany to encourage and celebrate his favorites.
Typical lineups for the two coaches, it couldn’t be otherwise: when it comes to the key moment of the season, the best arrive in the final, and the strongest take to the field. And if we were to add one merit to both teams, it is that of having started and finished their journey with the same roster, without resorting to adjustments or corrections during the work. A sign that Yuasa Battery and Emma Villas, all things considered, operated impeccably in the summer market and, deservedly, played it all the way.
THE NEWS – Great balance at the start of the match, with the two teams tied until 8-7 local, the Yuasa Battery service struggled to get in while on the local front, a great diagonal from Pierotti should be noted. Mattei blocks Krauchuk by putting Grottazzolina back on top, but neither team manages to break and the tie goes up to 12. Breuning blocks Pierotti for the double advantage Yuasa, Siena takes an opportunity to equalize with a lift of Nevot outsized and the Dane again took advantage of it to score 14-17. Graziosi’s time out leads Canella to make a service error, Copelli blocks and Siena immediately goes back one down; the action was very long and brought the Yuasa Battery to 17-20 with Fedrizzi diagonally making the orange wall of the many fans who came from the Marche cheer. Siena time out again when Fedrizzi finds the point directly with second intention, but the spiker doesn’t stop and it’s 18-22; coach Graziosi pulls Milan out of the hat, who on serve brings Siena back one down, but on Marchiani’s serve Bonami provides an assist to Fedrizzi for the set point, immediately closed again by the Trentino band (there will be 7 points for him in the set) who allows Grottazzolina to take the lead.
The start of the second set is in the name of Pierotti, but Cattaneo is surgical in parallel; it is the block that brings Yuasa to 2-5, first with Mattei then with Cattaneo himself who stops Milan, who in the meantime remained on the pitch for Krauchuk. Copelli closes the gap with a block, Milan again from nine meters to turn the situation around for the 8-7 Emma Villas; Fedrizzi finally raises his game from the serve and Yuasa takes advantage of this to get back to 9-11. Nevot’s magic for the 11-12 Emma Villas, who then overtakes at 14-13 forcing Ortenzi to time out; Mattei and Fedrizzi immediately put Grottazzolina back up by two, but the match is full of continuous gaps and the game is back to a draw at 16. The video check reverses the referee’s decision by banning an attack by Breuning and on Pierotti’s double ace Siena extends to 21-18 with a break that cuts off Grottazzolina’s legs. Emma Villas is unstoppable, and closes 25-19, bringing the match back to a draw.
It’s Breuning on serve who sows panic and breaks the balance at the start, 4-8 with three consecutive aces from the Dane; Graziosi calls time out but upon returning it is Marchiani who blocks Pierotti alone for the +5 Yuasa. Tallone’s pipe goes out on the net, Krauchuk returns to the pitch for Milan and the Brazilian immediately puts the ball on the ground; Fedrizzi’s diagonal allows Grottazzolina to double the locals at 7-14, with the same number 13 scoring the ace at 8-16. The forced first half was fortunate with Copelli scoring the score at 11-17, and at 12-19 inside Acuti for Trillini with the aim of gaining a few centimeters on the block. The Yuasa Battery is on the ball at the moment, Fedrizzi closes a splendid defensive action with a surgical diagonal and when Breuning’s ball slips into the Emma Villas wall the visiting corner is in raptures, even at 12-24 comes the change of ball from the owners of home. Krauchuk’s attack from the second line is out of measure, 13-25 the heavy partial in favor of the Marche players.
Tension sky high at the start of the fourth set, both teams know how important this moment can be in the context of an entire season. The balance is broken by Cattaneo’s ace, which gives the Yuasa Battery the 5-7, but Krauchuk’s ace with the help of the tape allows the immediate equalizer. Tallone closes a prolonged exchange by making PalaEstra explode for 10-8, he extends Graziosi’s team to 13-10 with a revived Krauchuk; the videocheck catches Pierotti’s block touch on Breuning, who with an ace allows his team to shorten and then impact at 14. Pierotti’s out gives Grottazzolina the 15-16, Breuning’s attack comes in to the double advantage; again parity for Emma Villas on the diagonal out of the same Dane. Pierotti again tries in vain for the blocking hands to make it 17-19 Yuasa Battery, but it is Krauchuk who puts Siena on his shoulders, keeping them at -1. Canella smashes an imperious first half to the ground for 19-21, there is no touch of the block on Krauchuk’s out while there is indeed a touch on Cattaneo’s monster block which seals the 19-23. The final points are the prelude to the Grotese triumph, with Siena unable to move the scoreboard anymore and the twenty-fifth seal coming directly from the nine meters, with Fedrizzi who at the end of a sumptuous match catches the ace that hurls an extraordinary Yuasa Battery in the Olympus of the Super League.
Hungry and crazy, he urged to be the late Steve Jobs. Grottazzolina has been hungry since 1970, and it is precisely from that hunger that the small center of Fermo has drawn the strength to battle for 17 seasons in Serie A. Crazy, however, you can never be crazy enough. But it is always with madness that history is written. So sign this last page of Grottazzolina history, because you deserve it. And because it is the most beautiful page ever.
THE SCORESHEET:
EMMA VILLAS SIENA – YUASA BATTERY GROTTAZZOLINA 1-3
EMMA VILLAS SIENA: Copelli 9, Trillini 7, Nevot, Bonami (L1) 37% (30% perf.), Tallone 7, Coser (L2) ne, Krauchuk 12, Milan 5, Gonzi, Acuti 1, Pierotti 13, Pellegrini ne , Ivanov ne, Picuno ne. All. Graziosi All2. Monks
YUASA BATTERY GROTTAZZOLINA: Cubito ne, Vecchi, Lusetti ne, Canella 6, Mattei 8, Breuning Nielsen 25, Ferraguti ne, Mitkov, Romiti R. ne, Fedrizzi 16, Marchiani 1, Foresi (L2) ne, Marchisio (L1) 76% (41% perfect), Cattaneo 10. Coach Ortenzi All2. Minnoni
REFEREES: Merli – Grassia
PARTIALS: 21-25 (27′) 25-19 (27′) 13-25 (21′) 18-25 (30′)
NOTES: Siena: 14 serving errors, 5 aces, 5 winning blocks, 40% in reception (24% perf), 46% in attack. Grottazzolina: 15 serving errors, 7 aces, 9 winning blocks, 66% in reception (42% perf), 60% in attack.
