Milan, 19 February 2023

Allianz Milano-Itas Trentino 2-3, the match report

Here is the match report. Lisinac is back with Itas Trentino (after missing in the last three matches), but Lorenzetti calls the seven regulars seen on court this month: Sbertoli as setter, Kaziyski as opposite spiker, Lavia and Michieletto as hitter spikers, Podrascanin and D’Heer as middle blockers, Laurenzano as libero. Allianz Milano replies with Porro as setter, Patry as opposite, Mergarejo and Ishikawa as hitter spikers, Vitelli and Loser as middle blockers and Pesaresi as libero. The yellow-blue team holds the kickoff’s reins: Kaziyski heats up (5-3) and D’Heer serves perfectly, and with the ace his  valuable for 9-5, leading the opponents to a time out. When the game resumes, it is once again Matey who makes the difference (15-10), before an unladen passage who led Ishikawa and Piano to score (15-13).  Lorenzetti interrupted the game, but when the game resumed, it was still Milan with Patry, catching up with their opponents at 18. Kaziyski's error from set-4 (20-21) was the point of the breakthrough, then Ishikawa and Ebadipour (who had just come in for Mergarejo) provided a further breakaway (21-24), which D'Heer's service error crystallized at 22-25. After the change of court, the teams were back to battle it out; Trento tried to get going again with Kaziyski and Michieletto (5-3 and 14-12), but Allianz did not give up and, with Porro inspired, took the opponents back and then took the lead on 15-16 (attack by Patry) and extended it thanks to Piano's entrance (block on Kaziyski that made it 17-19). In the final the locals took a 24-21 lead with Loser, but Itas Trentino had the strength with Lavia to cancel three set points (24-24), before falling on the fourth at the hands of the same Argentine (24-26). Trento tried again in the third set, pushing hard with serve and block (5-3), Milan quickly caught up (10-10) and took the lead on 14-15. Kaziyski won’t stop and with an excellent service turn, also with the addition of an ace, pushed the yellow-blue back ahead (19-15). Allianz climbed back up to 20-19, before suffering a new empty passage, which was signed by Michieletto (23-21). They fought until 24-23, then it was Matey again who sealed the 25-23 win that took the contest to the fourth set.  The point-to-point battle continued in the fourth period, which Itas Trentino took over at 13-11, after the two teams had alternated the lead. It was only a moment, however, because the time out called by Piazza cleared his team's mind, and with Ishikawa they scored a 0-3 lead and went back ahead 13-14. Then it was again the Japanese to play the devil's advancing and to inspire a further stretch (17-20); it seemed the cue that definitively addressed the match but it was not so. On 21-24 the yellow-blue set a 5-0 partial (26-24) under the sign of Michieletto's hits and Lavia's break points (block and counterattack) that sent the match to the tie break. The fifth set was balanced until 8-7, then Kaziyski went to serve and almost single-handedly created the unbridgeable gap (14-7); Michieletto closed on 15-8. "We had to get points for our ranking and we seriously risked not getting them because of Milan's specific merits - Itas Trentino coach Angelo Lorenzetti commented at the end of the match - . Allianz, on the other hand, is a team that has great technical qualities and that was able to put us in difficulty; before the comeback our only regret was related to a first set that we had tied better than them but that got out of hand because of the service, as we had not done for a long time. In the daring victory in the fourth set there was also a bit of luck but also a lot of skill on the part of Michieletto, who found a very important set on serve. In view of the Italian Cup we will have to be good at resetting and recovering after playing ten heavy sets in the last seven days". In six days, Saturday 25 February, at the Palazzo dello Sport in Rome (6 pm) the two teams will compete for access to the Final of Del Monte® Coppa Italia 2023. In SuperLega, the closest engagement is on Sunday 5 March in Padova for the penultimate round of the regular season.

Trentino Volley Srl
Press Office