CONEGLIANO (TREVISO) – An exciting season, with three trophies in the archive to reaffirm the supremacy of Prosecco Doc Imoco Volley in Italy. Fourth consecutive grand slam for Conegliano, who now only knows one word: victory. Every year, however, it becomes more and more complicated to repel the assaults of the pretenders to the throne: in the beginning Novara was the antagonist, in the last two seasons Milan, in this Scandicci, a surprise for some, but not for the experts. «It’s a team full of championsand, as perhaps the best in Italy, I was already convinced of it at the starting line – the words of Pietro Maschio, co-president of Prosecco Doc Imoco Volley – and I think that from a technical point of view the one just concluded was the most beautiful final of our 12 year history».
A SHOW
Pathos, twists, sensational comebacks when everything seemed lost on one side or the other: this playoff series deserves a page in the recent history of women’s volleyball. «Scandicci played a very high level finalproving at times superior, then we managed to impose ourselves with character», underlines Maschio. All this in a year in which perhaps Prosecco Doc did not start with the forecast, considering the market made by Milan and by Savino del Bene itself: «Every year it seems obvious that Conegliano must reconfirm itself on the top step of the podium, but for us it wasn’t like that, and it’s never easy to win, although obviously we don’t get tired of lifting trophies. Perhaps never before has the level of Serie A been so high as this season, which is why I think winning this scudetto is worth double.”
PERFECTION
In the most complicated moments of the series, a perfect Imoco emerged, despite the qualities demonstrated by Scandicci: «The team made use of the experience gained in recent years, all or almost all of them are players who are now used to these events, but Scandicci also has really important individualities and has put us in great difficulty.” Game 2, however, was probably the breaking point of the series, with the panthers collapsing the certainties accumulated by Savino del Bene in the first act with a sensational comeback at the Palaverde. A favor reciprocated by Prosecco Doc at PalaWanny to impact the series: «That victory was a great signal, which arrived at the end of race 2. The 1-1 was probably the fairest result after the first two games, and if we had both won our respective home games we wouldn’t have stolen anything. The draw opened a new series in which we managed to impose ourselves.”
THE SIGNALS
The last sign of a dominated championship, with victories of character scattered all along the way: «More than the Super Cup, I think the first sign came with the beautiful victory at the Forum against Milan in the first round, followed by the double home success with Milan and Scandicci with a double 3-0.” Then, a great effort was needed to get the better of a Savino del Bene who was as fierce as ever: «Decent players with the great growth of Antropova, a second part of a high-level championship and a dominated semi-final against Milan.” The joy for the seventh championship is great, but it cannot and must not distract from the last achievement of a year which has all the characteristics of becoming unforgettable. «Today (yesterday, ed.) we celebrate, tomorrow (today, ed.) we rest and from Tuesday we go back to work – smiles the co-president – luckily our season doesn’t end here, the Champions League final awaits us against an opponent who had time to get ready, not having played this week could have its pros and cons.”
SOMETHING EXTRA‘
President Piero Garbellotto was also beaming, for a Prosecco Doc Imoco Volley that never ceases to amaze and, above all, to win. Satisfaction for the club, staff, panthers, fans and sponsors who allow us to carry forward a dream that has now become a true reality in the panorama of women’s volleyball. «Seventh championship, the sixth in a row. It took a great show of strength after the first two games in which we suffered a lot. Now we will toast this trophy with Prosecco Doc. It’s an ever-growing movement, both as sponsors and as fans, and ours represent our fuel.” Now the thoughts turn to the last match, Sunday 5th in Antalya, Turkey, the final of the Champions League against Vero Volley Milano, to try to give this fairytale season the crowning dream of all yellow and blue hearts.
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