Perugia became Italian Champion for the second time in its history, winning the men’s volleyball championship six years after the last seal. The Block Devils have defeated Monza 3-1 (19-25; 25-23; 27-25; 25-20) in game 4 of the final which awarded the tricolour, they stormed the Opiquad Arena and thus closed the series 3-1. The Rossoneri, second in the regular season, have made up for the defeats suffered in the final acts of 2019, 2021, 2022 against Civitanova and can finally go back to partying. Perugia completes seasonal poker: Scudetto, Italian Cup, Italian Super Cup, Club World Cup (a European success was missing because the team did not qualify last year).
Coach’s boys Angelo Lorenzetti, at the second consecutive seal after the one twelve months ago at the helm of Trento and the fifth in his career in four different clubs (Modena, Piacenza, Trento, Perugia), extinguish the dreams of glory of the Brianza team. Vero Volley was the great revelation of the season: after fifth place at the end of the regular season, coach Massimo Eccheli’s men overturned all predictions, eliminating Civitanova and Trento by winning game 5 away. Even today the hosts tried, imposing themselves in the first set and attempting the impossible in the third half before collapsing. Both teams have qualified for the next edition of the Champions League together in Milan (debut for the Lombards).
Open stage applause for the spiker Wilfredo Leon, who entered from the second set and was able to score 25 points. The Polish champion of Cuban origins has finally won the championship with the Umbrians and will now leave the Super League. Simone Giannelli he decided a couple of crucial moments, as a true phenomenon in the control room (8 points). The attackers are also in shape Jaimes Jesus Herrera (7), Oleh Plotnytskyi (9) e Kamil Semeniuk (6), center Flavio Gualberto (8) e Roberto Russo (7), highlighting the free Massimo Colaci. In Monza there weren’t enough attackers Eric Loeppky (15), Stephen Maar (20), Ran Takahashi (14) and the central one Gianluca Galassi (12 points, 5 blocks) flanked in the department by Gabriele Di Martino (5).
THE NEWS OF MONZA-PERUGIA, RACE-4 SCUDETTO FINAL
Perugia gets the first break in the opening set with a nice diagonal from Plotnytskyi (6-4), confirming it with a first half from Russo and a pipe from Semeniuk (8-6). Ben Tara makes a mistake from place two and Takahashi’s narrow diagonal is worth the draw at 8, Monza doesn’t stop and extends by taking advantage of the two offensive errors by Plotnytskyi and Ben Tara (11-9). At 12-11 the Brianza team had a flash: ace by Takahashi, hands-out by Galassi, block by Maar, first half and block by Galassi for 18-13. Stampatona by Galassi (20-14), but Perugia doesn’t give up and gets closer with shots from Leon and Giannelli (21-18). The home team did not lose their composure and settled the score with Loeppky and Maar.
Takahashi was also a great protagonist at the start of the second set with a diagonal and ace, interspersed with Maar’s slash, for the 6-5. Back and forth between Russo and Di Martino, then Monza extends with a block from Galassi, two lashes from Loeppky and a block from Maar (12-7). True Volley flies on the wings of enthusiasm, but at 14-10 the Block Devils come back to life: hands-out by Herrera, diagonal and lob by Leon, who then prints the block of 14-15. Leon is possessed, he scores two more points and the draw is reached at 16. We proceed point by point until 21-21, when Leon lands a great parallel ball and Herrera closes the slash to 23-21 taking advantage of an error Cachopa. Monza manages to equalize at 23 with Maar’s magic, but then Leon takes care of it in parallel and Giannelli with a surprise winner in a difficult situation.
Perugia restarts lively in the third set with a pipe from Plotnytskyi and an ace from Herrera (3-5). Hands-out by Leon and diagonal by Giannelli (4-7), then Herrera and Plotnytskyi show off again before Flavio’s block which makes it 12-8. Back and forth between Galassi and Russo at the start, before Giannelli’s slash for 15-10. Russian first half and Plotnytskyi winner before Giannelli’s ace (19-13). It seems done, but Monza doesn’t give up thanks to the bite of Loeppky and Maar (16-19). The Umbrians remain ahead (22-19) and gain three set-points (24-21): Takahashi cancels the first with an ace, Di Martino cancels the second and third with two spatial blocks (24-24). Giannelli closes second and gets another set-point which is canceled by Takahashi (25-25). New chance for Perugia with Flavio’s first half, Maar attacks outside and the Block Devils take the lead 2-1.
Perugia runs away at the start of the fourth quarter with Giannelli and Herrera (5-1), then Leon and Herrera confirm the margin (8-4). Galassi keeps Monza afloat with a block, first half and slash (7-9), but Leon allows no margins with a parallel and an ace (12-8). Giannelli amazes the second (13-10), then Cachopa makes a mistake in dribbling, Loeppky attacks outside and Semeniuk scores the winner of 16-10. It seems made for Perugia, but Monza believes in it to the end: diagonal and hands-out by Maar, invasion by the Umbrians, block by Galassi and diagonal by Maar for the 16-17. At the best moment Monza commits an invasion and then Flavio hits the 19-16 block. Back and forth between Leon and Maar (20-18), then a service error by the hosts and Leon forcefully scores the 22-18. This time Perugia doesn’t stop: Leon scores two points as a true giant (24-19) and the Block Devils celebrate the championship with Semeniuk’s mani-out.
