Trento-Padova 3-0, the match report

Match report. Itas Trentino reconnects with its fans almost six months after its last home game (May 4), lamenting only the absence of Daniele Lavia. For his first home game on the yellow-blue bench, new coach Mendez fields Sbertoli as setter, Faure as opposite, Michieletto and Ramon as spikers, Torwie and Flavio as middle-blockers, and Laurenzano as libero. Padua responds with Todorovic as setter, Masulovic opposite, Gardini and Orioli in position 4, Truocchio and Polo as middle-blockers, and Toscani as libero. Trentino dominates the early stages, with attacks from Michieletto and yellow-blue signed aces from Alessandro and Ramon giving them an early 8-4 lead. Faure enters the game and allows the home team to confirm their promising lead (13-9, guest timeout); however, Padua reacts, pushing harder with their serve (19-17, direct point by Truocchio) and block (19-18), forcing Itas Trentino to interrupt the game. After the break, it takes a block by captain Sbertoli (on Gardini, 23-20) to dispel any apprehensions and Sonepar, which then loses the first set 25-21.

In the second set, Padua tries to start differently (3-4), but Ramon and Michieletto immediately bring the contest back on track with their serves and attacks (8-5, Cuttini timeout). After that, it’s the Spanish hammer who, once again, protects the promising +3 (14-11), then Itas Trentino pulls away (16-11 and 18-12) thanks to an increasingly ruthless break point phase. To reach the first change of ends at 2-0, all they have to do is hold on to a good side-out (21-17), relying especially on Michieletto and Faure (25-21).
In the third set, the balance lasted until 8-7, then Michieletto’s serves provided the rebuilding for the break, which Faure achieved (11-8). After the Veneto timeout, Ramon dictates play at the net (15-10), backed up once again by a great Michieletto (18-13); the 3-0 seems to be a foregone conclusion, but this is not the case because, in the final part of the set, Trento lets its guard down, allowing Sonepar to get back into the game, which, with Orioli and Gardini’s blocks and rebuilds, draws level at 23. Mendez uses up his timeouts in a matter of minutes, but Itas Trentino struggles, with Michieletto missing at the net (24-25) and having to cancel two set points before turning the situation around and closing out the set 28-26 with a decisive block by Faure.