At the PalaTomarchio in Viagrande la Sicily F.lli Anastasi can finally celebrate their first championship victory. It was the 24th matchday but given the rest periods observed after 19 consecutive defeats, the first victory of the season arrived on the third to last occasion. Comeback defeated the home team by three sets to oneUniversal Warriors Viagrande. The Etneans preceded the Tyrrhenians by only one position and the gap on the pitch remained minimal. Coach Trombetta’s men won the first partial, but coach Santacaterina’s men showed off a great performance and won the second partial with a margin and came back in the final sprint to win the third.
Marco Alaimo in training
The home team’s certainties collapsed as in the quarter they saw the Tyrrhenian troops fly undisturbed towards their first victory of the season which also achieved a full score. The winning team saw Captain Giliberto start on the pitch as setter with Amagliani opposite him, in place four Marco Alaimo and Mazza, central Ciaramita and Rizzo with Alberto Alaimo replacing them in turn on the second line as libero. During the match in progress there will be room for Sulfaro, Bartolomeo initially on the bench, not Morisciano who suffered a problem with his right arm during the week which stopped him during the week and he did not overcome.
Sicily F.lli Anastasi rises to five points in the standings and enjoys a growing end to the season. In the first set break immediately by Viagrande, Sicily F.lli Anastasi reacts and comes back with Amagliani serving at 8-11. After the local time out the match resumes point by point until 22-19 when the Etna players make the decisive extension and close 25-20. In the second it is the Tyrrhenians who start better and run away with Giliberto serving at 3-8, Viagrande tries to come back but Mazza and Marco Alaimo hammer the local wall and Sicily F.lli Anastasi extends more decisively at 7-16, the first half of Charamite forces the home bench to time out.
Francesco Ciaramita in action at the net
The set is in total control of the guests who reach +10 at 12-22, the set points arrive and the home team’s error gives the partial score 16-25 to Giliberto and his teammates. In the third battle again with Viagrande who finds the break on two occasions and extends to 12-8, immediate reaction from Sicily who goes back down 15-14 but doesn’t hook, but shortly after from 21-17 the hook comes first, with the touch second from Giliberto, and then the overtaking, with the block from Ciaramita.
Tactical phase with overtaking and counter-overtaking facilitated by the time outs of the two benches, from 23-22 in favor of the home team there are three consecutive points for Sicily F.lli Anastasi, the third is an ace from Ciaramita, which allows the Tyrrhenian team to win the first away point of the season. But two more will arrive because in the fourth Sicily F.lli Anastasi immediately runs away at 2-6, Viagrande tries to react but from 7-9 Marco Alaimo, ultimately top scorer of the match with 21 points, pushes them back. Double-digit lead again with the locals now unable to react and Bartolomeo from the bench scores the maximum advantage, +11, at 10-21. The match is now settled and ten match points arrive for the Tyrrhenians, the first fades with a serving error, on the second the second touch of Giorgio Sulfaro he archives the challenge for 15-25.
The setter Giorgio Sulfaro and the spiker Carmelo Mazza of Sicily Villafranca
Universal Warriors Viagrande – Sicily F.lli Anastasi 1-3
Partials: 25-20, 16-25, 23-25, 15-25. Duration: 22′, 23′, 28′, 22′.
Universal Warriors Viagrande: Nicotra, Magrì, Ferraccù, Spina, Borgesi, Cassaniti, Sanfilippo, Costanzo, Camonita, Fichera, Scarpello, Penna. Coach Saro Trombetta.
Sicily Bvs F.lli Anastasi: Sulfaro 7, Morisciano 0, Alaimo A. 0, Amagliani 7, Alaimo M. 21, Rizzo 4, Mazza 12, Ciaramita 15, Bartolomeo 2, Giliberto 1. Coach: Tino Santacaterina.
Referees: Danny Buccheri & Emma Vincenzo.
