Civitanova Marche (Macerata), 21 January 2023

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

Match report. Itas Trentino comes to the Eurosuole Forum in Civitanova Marche almost nine months after the last previous match (Game 5 of the Semifinal Playoff Scudetto) with a very similar lineup to that of then, in which only the libero (Laurenzano) is a new face: Sbertoli as setter, Kaziyski as opposite, Lavia and Michieletto as hitters, Lisinac and Podrascanin as middle blockers. Cucine Lube replies with De Cecco as setter, Gabi Garcia as opposite, Nikolov and Yant in position 4, Anzani and Diamantini as middle blockers, Balaso as libero. From the very first passes, the yellow-blue players proved to be responsive in defense and incisive in the sideout phase; from 3-3 it went to 7-3 thanks to a great counterattack by Lavia, a block by Podrascanin on Nikolov and an ace by Lisinac. Civitanova with Gabi Garcia tries to climb back up the ladder until 9-8, before suffering a new break signed again by Potke (double ace on Yant for 12-8). In the middle phase, Lube tries to make a comeback with Nikolov once again (attack and consecutive ace for 15-12), but two blocks by Lavia on Gabi Garcia get Trento going again (18-12), which flies fast to the victory of the first set, guaranteed by Kaziyski's attacks (25-19). In the second set, Blengini keeps Zaytsev on the court, already used in the end of the previous set, but it is always the yellow-blue players that lead the game, accelerating from 3-3 to 8-4 thanks to an excellent rotation of Lisinac on serve and Lavia's points at the net. The hosts suffer until 14-11, then with the same old Nikolov (another ace) they find a good moment that allows them to tie the score at 14. Lorenzetti interrupts the game, but at the restart Zaytsev signs the overtaking point (16-17), imitated by Diamantini (block to one on Lisinac for 18-20). The final is signed by Lube Volley (20-23 and 22-25) also due to a pipe error by Michieletto that facilitates Lube Volley’s tie of the score. Itas Trentino gets off to a flying start in the beginning of the third set (3-1, 6-1), dragged forward by Kaziyski but also by opponents' errors. Blengini calls two timeouts within a few minutes (the second one already on 10-7), but without being able to find the awaited answers. Also Michieletto makes itself felt at the net (13-7 and 16-9), while Lube scores only with Zaytsev. It is precisely one of his spurts that allows the hosts to start hoping for a possible hooking (17-13), which then seems more and more possible on 18-16. In the most propitious moment for the Lube Volley, Trento found shine in attack again and in break point phase winning consecutives actions (22-18 and then 25-19) thanks to Kaziyski as usual but also to a good serve turn by Lavia. The yellow-blue players are a swollen river and kick off well also in the fourth set (3-1 and 6-2) by means of an increasingly present Michieletto on serve and on defense. Cucine Lube replies once again with Zaytsev (8-7), finding the tie at 9-9 with a scored break point by Yant. The middle part is played point-to-point, before Lavia and Kaziyski scored a new spurt (15-13), then imitated by D'Heer (winning block on Zaytsev), on the court from the last passes of the previous set.
Matey signed the +4 with an ace (18-14); it was the decisive cue because afterward Cucine Lube players could no longer reply and Trento quickly scored with the same old Kaziyski to the 3-1 success (25-18).

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