Volleyball, Perugia curbs Monza’s enthusiasm and wins game 1 of the championship final

Perugia won game 1 of the Scudetto Final of men’s volleyball staged in front of the PalaBarton audience. The Block Devils have defeated Monza 3-1 (27-25; 25-18; 23-25; 25-23), managing to cancel three set-points in the first half and calm the Brianza team’s energy in the fourth set. The Rossoneri thus took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series (whoever wins three wins the tricolour). The runner-up of the regular season started off on the right foot in the hunt for the second title in their history, but the fifth force on the scoreboard wants to continue dreaming after eliminating Civitanova and Trento.

Test of character from the opposite Wassim Ben Tara (17 points) and spiker Oleh Plotnytskyi (18, 4 walls), flanked by band Kamil Semeniuk (13). The central also in double figures Roberto Russo (12) next to Flavio Resende (9), under the direction of a splendid Simone Giannelli (6, 5 walls). In Monza they weren’t enough Ran Takahashi (18), Eric Loeppky (9) e Arthur Szwarc (16) which it replaced Stephen Maar (9) after the first two sets.

THE MATCH REPORT

Monza goes wild at the start of the first set: block by Takahashi, two out attacks by Semeniuk and Ben Tara, ace by Galassi for the 4-0. Back and forth between Maar and Plotnytskyi, ace from Galassi for +4 (11-7). Pipe by Takahashi, diagonal by Loeppky, error by Flavio in the first half and 16-11 for the guests. Takahashi possessed with two hits of 18-12 and 19-13. It seems done for Monza at 21-15, but Perugia begins the comeback: block by Russo, winner by Plotnytskyi, diagonal by Ben Tara, ace by Semeniuk and jab by Plotnytskyi for 20-21. Maar and Galassi score the 23-21 for Monza, who then gets three set-points at 24-21. Service error, block by Plotnytskyi, slash by Ben Tara to cancel them (24-24). Two first halves by Flavio close the score.

Perugia makes the difference at the start of the second set with three consecutive blocks by Flavio, Ben Tara and Plotnytskyi (7-2). First half and block by Flavio (10-13), Ben Tara goes wild and Maar and Takahashi can’t do anything. Semeniuk’s ace makes it 15-7, the Umbrians control despite Di Martino’s blocks (21-16) and certify their superiority with the blocks of Russo and Giannelli.

Diagonal by Semeniuk and ace by Ben Tara for the 5-2 at the start of the third set, but Monza still remains in the wake with Szwarc and Loeppky (7-7). Loeppku’s ace is worth the overtaking (10-9). A close point-to-point battle begins, with Takahashu and Swarc making the difference against Semeniuk and his teammates (18-18). Takahashi and Di Martino respond to Russo and Flavio (22-22), Galassi responds to Loeppky and then scores the block of 24-23. Monza has a set-point and realizes it with another great block from Galassi.

Balanced start to the fourth set (8-8), then Monza made a service mistake and Plotnytskyi punished with an ace (10-8). The Brianza team tries, but then Russo takes the lead with a first half and two blocks, followed by Ben Tara’s ace (15-10). Giannelli punishes with a second kick, but Vero Volley doesn’t give up thanks to two diagonal shots from Szwarz (16-14). Parallel by Maar, diagonal by Swarz and error by Plotnytskyi for the equalizer at 18. The turning point at 20-20: ace by Leon, touch to the block and hands-out by Solé (23-21). Szwarc scores the score 23-24, but Russo’s first half brings the curtain down.