Yuasa Battery, blitz in Cantù
Having archived the championship in the best possible way, Grottazzolina resumes its winning march and beats Pool Libertas in four sets at home in the first leg of the quarter-finals of Del Monte© Italian Cup
Cantu – After the “hangover” resulting from the historic promotion to the Super League at the end of a championship dominated from the first day, the Yuasa Battery returns to the playing field to honor the path also in the Del Monte© Italian Cup, in its curious but intriguing guise which sees the matches all concentrated at the end of the season. Grottazzolina accesses it directly starting from the quarter-finals, where it faces Pool Libertas Cantù who overcame, with a double tie break, a tough Kemas Lamipel Santa Croce in the previous round.
Coach Denora array his best line-up, made up of Pedron as setter opposite Gamba, Ottaviani and Galliani in place 4, Monguzzi (in his last home game of his career) with Aguenier in the centre, Butti libero. Grottazzolina responds with Marchiani in the control room opposite Breuning Nielsen, Fedrizzi and Captain Vecchi in band, Cubit in the center with Mattei and Marchisio libero, to alternate with Roberto Romiti for defense. Space therefore also for those who have had less up to now, but still have great merits in the stellar path had by the team.
THE NEWS – Cantù immediately leads the way, taking advantage of the good streak of Gamba and Aguenier, often served by Pedron when the reception allows it. However, he struggles to fuel the Yuasa Battery, who at the point of maximum disadvantage find themselves three points behind at 17-14. A grotesque jolt allows Breuning to close the gap, with the second referee seeing a touch in defense not recognized by his colleague for 19-18. He scores 20 points for Ortenzi’s team (currently feverish but still stoically on the bench), thanks to an invasion by Ottaviani; overtaking thanks to a monster block by Mattei on Gamba. Fedrizzi shoots out diagonally to give the home team the set point, but makes amends with the block at 24 all; a wall invasion by Breuning gives the “greens” a new opportunity to close, the nine-meter Gamba does not forgive for the final 26-24.
Grottazzolina made a sprint start in the second set, immediately ahead 0-3 in the name of Fedrizzi; Breuning extends with hands out for 2-6, on the shields Andrea Mattei who first throws down a stellar first half, then draws the ace for 4-10. The central phase of the set is a bit confusing, Cantù relies a lot on the pipe with both Galliani and Ottaviani; Captain Vecchi, however, re-establishes the safe distance at 10-16, with a joke along the line that catches Magliano unprepared, as soon as he enters the pitch. Cubito’s first half valid for 13-19 is not even visible on the replay, Mattei confirms himself as the king of blocks and with two consecutive blocks he makes Yuasa fly even to 14-22. The action of 16-23 was very good, extended and closed once again by Andrea Mattei, who then turns into a real nightmare for Pool Libertas, also blocking Gamba; Fedrizzi immediately closes in the pipe, for a peremptory 16-25.
Grottazzolina was immediately ahead at the start of the third set, with a sensational 2-4 point closed out by Gamba after a series of absurd defenses on both sides; Breuning bombs the serve for 2-7, three consecutive aces for the Danish striker. Gamba responds with the same coin, bringing the Lombards back down to -1, but a new break for Yuasa Battery who flies to 8-13. Ottaviani’s serve creates havoc on the Grotese pitch, allowing Pool Libertas to close to 14-16 and forcing coach Ortenzi to time out; Breuning with hands out restores +4. Captain Monguzzi takes the applause by blocking Mattei, and then leaving room for the young Rossi; Gamba even finds himself receiving Mattei’s serve and sends out the following lob for 17-21, Grottazzolina sees the opportunity to close and does so with Cubito’s block on Ottaviani for 19-25 which gives Yuasa Battery the lead in the calculation of the sets.
The start of the fourth set immediately sees the Grotese double lead, while Cantù clings to Gamba, far below his standards in the previous set (only 2 points for him). The Lombards reversed the trend of the set thanks to Ottaviani, on top for the 6-5; Yuasa counter-overtakes thanks to Mattei’s ace, Fedrizzi serving and Cubito’s monster block grant the Grotesi team the 10-13. Two errors from Vecchi give Pool Libertas an immediate draw, Galliani is rather nervous and gets a yellow card; Cubito hits the wall again for the Grotese break at 16-18, and then repeats it at 19-21. Kristian Gamba takes the stage first by closing the distance, then defending a fireball from Breuning and counterattacking for parity, and finally sealing the overtaking with an ace: thunderous applause for the Aosta Valley player born in 2000 and 23-22, everything to be done again for Yuasa . The match heats up, Cantù does everything he can to counter the Grotese attacks, but in the end it is a diagonal out from Gamba that closes the contest for a 25-27 which keeps coach Massimiliano Ortenzi’s boys smiling.
Therefore, Grottazzolina’s journey begins again from where it ended, after Siena’s external exploit which earned them a historic and unforgettable promotion to the Super League, they close the opponent with a further 1-3. Appointment now set for next Sunday, May 5th, again at 6pm at PalaGrotta, for the return match valid for access to the Final Four scheduled in Cuneo the following weekend, but above all to embrace the champions who rewrote the history of volleyball in small center of Fermo.
THE SCORESHEET: POOL LIBERTAS CANTU’ – YUASA BATTERY GROTTAZZOLINA 1-3
POOL LIBERTAS CANTU’: Magliano, Monguzzi 3, Butti (L) 19% (5% perf.), Gianotti ne, Ottaviani 10, Aguenier 8, Pedron 1, Quagliozzi, Galliani 13, Pellizzoni (L2) ne, Bacco, Picchio, Rossi, Gamba 27. Coach Denora Caporusso Coach 2. Zingoni
YUASA BATTERY GROTTAZZOLINA: Cubit 9Old 8Lusetti, Canella neitherMattei 11Breuning Nielsen 30Ferraguti ne, Mitkov 1Fedrizzi 16Marchiani 2, Romiti R. (L2), Marchisio (L1) 50% (25% perfect), Cattaneo 1. All. Ortenzi All2. Minnoni
REFEREES: Prati – Cavicchthe.
PARTIAL: 27-25 (31‘) 16-25 (26′) 19-25 (27‘) 25-27 (34‘)
NOTE: Cantu: 10 batting errors, 4 ace, 5 winning walls, 32% receiving (16% perfect), 49% in attack. Grottazzolina: 13 batting errors, 10 ace, 12 winning walls, 47% receiving (22% perfect), 55% in attack.
