Trento, 22 December 2019

Itas Trentino-Cucine Lube Civitanova 1-3, the match report

Match recap. Itas Trentino is in front of more than four thousand fans at the BLM Group Arena with its typical starting line-up: Giannelli as setter, Vettori as opposite hitter, Kovacevic and Russell as spikers, Lisinac and Candellaro as middle-blockers and Grebennikov as libero. Cucine Lube lines up Bruno as setter, Rychlicki as opposite hitter, Juantorena and Leal as spikers, Anzani and Simon as middle-blockers, Balaso as libero. The guests have the best impact on the match and find the first break points thanks to Leal's ace and Simon's block on Russell (1-3, 3-5). The same Cuban spiker puts a handy lob out, taking set score back to a tie at six and Russell counterattacks successfully for the first home lead in the match (9-8); however, the team of the Marches responds immediately with Juantorena (12-14), forcing Lorenzetti to call a time out. After TO, the match continues to side outs (14-16, 17-19), until Kovacevic's excellent service gives Trento an extra-possession scored in pipe by Uros himself for 20-20. Itas Trentino struggles on 20-22 (Simon's block on Russell), goes back up to 23-22 with the same American spiker and drags the opponents to the advantages (24-24, 27-27), but Lube have the better (27-29) due to two direct mistakes by the hosts (27-29, fouling attacks by Vettori and Kovacevic). The hosts try to shake themselves in the second set, with Kovacevic who pushes his team to their biggest lead thanks to his attacking and serving phases (5-4, 9-6 with two consecutive aces), forcing De Giorgi to call two very close time outs (the second on 12-8). The frequent interruptions in the match, however, do not appease the hunger to break point of our team; the Serbian left-handed volleyballer is on fire and drags towards a further lead (16-11 and 20-13). Cucine Lube becomes disunited, makes some mistakes and lets the opponents gain the second set (25-17). In the third set, the World Champions put up a very solid blocking and counterattacking phase, baying Trento, who reply until 8-8, before suffering a flash from Juantorena and Rychlicki (8-11). Lorenzetti's time out does not pay dividends, because then Lube's blocking phase becomes more effective and Leal plays up, taking the guests quickly to a seven-point lead (11-18). Lorenzetti puts Djuric, Codarin, Cebulj, Lisinac and Russell, but the Itas Trentino is not able to cover the points (13-20, 14,22) and loses with 14-25.
The Itas Trentino tries to get better in the fourth partial match, benefitting from Lisinac attack and block (8-6, 11-9); but the Cucine Lube is still strong: Rychlicki and Simon react (11-12, 13-15). Leal offers important help (16-20); with so much enthusiasm, Civitanova wins with 20-25.

Trentino Volley Srl
Press Office