Civitanova Marche (Macerata), 28 March 2021

Cucine Lube-Itas Trentino 2-3, match #1 report

Match #1 report. The squad chosen by Angelo Lorenzetti for the occasion is the same seen on the pitch four days earlier in Perugia and includes Giannelli as setter and Nimir opposite spiker, Lucarelli and Michieletto spikers, Lisinac and Podrascanin middle-blockers and Rossini libero. Cucine Lube Civitanova has De Cecco and Leal back and coach Blengini immediately sends them on the field, respectively diagonally from the opposite spiker Rychlicki and the spiker Juantorena; the starting six is completed by the middle-blockers Simon and Anzani and by the libero Balaso. The beginning is in favour of the home team; Juantorena (attack and service) and Simon (attack) immediately lead Lube to 1-1, forcing the giallo-blù team to call a time out. At the resumption, Michieletto and Nimir try to shake up their teammates (6-9), but the attempt to get into the game lasts until 8-11, then Civitanova takes off again thanks to Leal (block on Nimir). The Dutch opposite spiker offers a new personal inspiration (ace for 15-18); Itas Trentino begins to believe in a comeback, with Lucarelli and Nimir unleashed in the rebuilding phase, it reaches 23-23, before giving up the partial to the hand of an ace from Leal and a block from De Cecco on the same Brazilian (23- 25).
Itas Trentino did not give up and, after the change of pitch, returned to playing an effective volleyball that allowed the team to remain constantly ahead, albeit by one point (8-7, 11-10). The double advantage comes thanks to an ace from Podrascanin (13-11 and then 16-14), but the decisive extension is signed by Michieletto's block on Juantorena (18-15). Subsequently, the giallo-blù team keeps the +3 tight thanks to a great Lucarelli (22-19, 24-21) and an error by De Cecco is worth the break point of 25-21.
Cucine Lube tries to react in the third set, leaning in its attempt to detach the opponent on Juantorena's class (attack and ace worth 7-10). Lorenzetti's time out did not have the desired effects, because later on Civitanova accelerated again (10-14 and 13-18), also taking advantage of Rychlicki's good actions at the net (block and attack). Itas Trentino didn’t lose hope until 19-22 (ace from Lucarelli), then gave way to the opponents which went to 2-1 thanks to the final 21-25.
In the fourth set, Lube's dominance seems to be incontrovertible, at least until 8-13 thanks to Rychlicki and Simon, very effective on the net. Trento with Kooy in the field for Michieletto does back down and together with Nimir and Lucarelli progressively earns points (12-14) and even gets the point of advantage on 15-14 (block of Cortesia, which replaced Podrascanin for a couple of exchanges) . Lube responds with the Luxembourgish opposite spiker (17-18); we go to the sprint, where Itas Trentino arrives in front with Nimir (23-21 and 24-22). Civitanova cancels two set balls with Leal (24-24), but then gives in to the third, made directly with an ace by Lucarelli (26-24).
In the tie break the first scratch is from Cucine Lube (6-8, with an ace of Anzani on Kooy), but the giallo-blù team did not give up and draw at ten with a block from Podrascanin on Simon (10-10). The end is all in the sign of Lucarelli which closes the match at 15-12 with a double ace.

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