Trento, 10 March 2021

Itas Trentino-Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza 3-2, the match report

Match 1 report. The Itas Trentino sextet that Lorenzetti chooses for the Play Off debut includes Giannelli as setter and Nimir opposite spiker, Michieletto and Lucarelli spikers, Lisinac and Podrascanin in the center and Rossini libero. Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza responds with Baranowicz as setter, Grozer opposite spiker, Russell and Clevenot spikers, Mousavi and Polo middle-blockers, Scanferla libero. The start is all in the sign of Grozer, which blocks Nimir twice after attacking for the first point (0-3); the hosts do not break down and immediately reach parity (3-3) taking advantage of two guest errors, before an ace from Lisinac (5-4). In the central part of the set the giallo-blù team accelerate with Giannelli and another ace, this time by Nimir (8-5) and then with a new Emilian error (11-7, Grozer). Gas Sales Bluenergy reacts with Clevenot (11-9), but Trento restarts immediately with Michieletto and a mistake from Russell (17-12). The partial final is in absolute control of the giallo-blù players, which with Podrascanin (block on Grozer) fly on +7 (20-13) and then manage without problems until the change of field (25-18, ace from Lisinac).
In the second set Piacenza tries to start again in a very convincing way (2-4 with Russell and Grozer), but also in this case Itas Trentino does not leave it much space and within a few seconds it finds parity (with Lucarelli on the 6-6) and then returns to command the score (10-9, Nimir). Russell, which scored twice in a row, and a block of the opposite German allow Piacenza to reach the +2 (10-12), forcing Lorenzetti to spend a time out. At the resumption, however, Gas Sales accelerates again (11-14) but also in this case the giallo-blù spikers, Michieletto and Lucarelli, mend the tear (16-16). The tie lasts only a moment, because then Grozer signs the external draw (17-20); at the final rush Piacenza is therefore three points ahead (18-21), but Trento with Lucarelli (ace) is back again (21-22). The guests no longer concede anything, they hold on to the change and move to 1-1 thanks to an attack from Clevenot (23-25).
The point-to-point match resumes even after the change of field (3-3, 8-8), with the two teams alternating in command, placing here and there some break points. Russell in attack signs the first real extension (12-12), which Nimir immediately repels (13-13). With the rotation in the service, the Dutch opposite spiker allows his team to move forward forcefully (17-13); Gas Sales Bluenergy, however, has great character and with the newly entered Antonov at service and Grozer at the net, it reaches the new parity at 19. At the end, the Piacenza opposite spiker makes the difference, backed by Mousavi (20-23 and then 22- 25).
Back to the wall, Itas Trentino tries to get up angrily in the early stages of the fourth set (5-3), brought to +2 by Michieletto and Podrascanin. Russell, however, responds immediately (10-10), but Trento still has the strength to put its head ahead with Lucarelli and Lisinac (block and attack for 14-11). Nimir presses the accelerator from the second line (19-14); it is the cue that sends the teams towards the tie break, which materializes on 25-20.
The fifth set sees the hosts jump to +2 (6-4) by means of a super diagonal by Nimir and a second line foul by Grozer. Lucarelli with the service gets a further extension (9-5), which Piacenza no longer has the strength to fill (15-8).

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