Kedzierzyn-Kozle (Poland), 08 March 2023

Grupa Azoty-Trentino Itas 3-2, the match report

Match report.
A month and a half after the last time, Trentino Itas returns to the court of the reigning European champions with a full roster; the yellow-blue team starting six therefore includes Sbertoli as setter, Kaziyski as opposite, Michieletto and Lavia in position 4, Lisinac and Podrascanin as middle players, Laurenzano as libero. Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle replied with Janusz as setter, Kaczmarek as opposite, Bednorz and Sliwka as hitters, Pashitskii and Smith as middle player, Shoji as libero. The balance in the first set lasts until 6-6, then the hosts take the lead (7-10 and 11-16), also taking advantage of several attacking blunders by the yellow-blue lineup, who struggle to score in the sideout phase, often lending themselves to Polish players stretches (13-18). The defending champions seemed destined to win the set hands down, but at 18-24, Trentino Itas had a burst of pride and, with Kaziyski, nullifying four set balls before surrendering 22-25 on Smith's quick attack.
The change of court does not change the balance of power between the two formations; in fact, even at the start of the second half, it is still Kędzierzyn-Koźle leading the game, stretching with Sliwka on serve (3-5 to 4-9). Kaziyski and Lavia try to do a comeback attempt (9-11); the slope to climb up is very steep, but the yellow-blue team do it by leaning on the high ball duo, which makes heavy break points in series until finding tie at 16. Grupa Azoty gets nervous, starts making mistakes in attack, and Trento takes advantage to find its first real lead of the evening (18-16), which increases to +3 (21-18) also thanks to Lavia's flair at the net. Lorenzetti's team held on to the margin and led the second set 25-22, with a spectacular action closed by Kaziyski. After the long break between the second and third sets, the Polish team came back to the court more playful and incisive than the end of the previous set and tried to run away again (4-6, 5-8). Kaziyski and Lisinac (ace) reply promptly, sewing up the gap as early as 10. An error at the net by Lavia widens the gap again (13-15), but Kedezierzyn-Kozle's lead lasts only a few minutes because Podrascanin first (block) and Michieletto then (attack) tie the score at 18 and allow the yellow-blue team to get a point more (19-18). The lead increased with Sbertoli's ace (23-21); Trento took a 2-1 lead thanks to another scoring serve, this time scored by a newly-entered Džavoronok (25-22).
On the wave of enthusiasm for having already won a point, Trentino got off to a great start in the fourth set as well (5-2), with Michieletto. Grupa Azoty deepens the maximum effort and finds tie at nine, taking advantage of a couple of yellow-blue team’s errors at the net, the same ones that then give the +2 (11-13) to the Polish team. Michieletto tries to reach tema again (14-14), but the hosts push hard again on serve and counterattack with Sliwka, gaining a good margin (15-18).
Alessandro's ace on Bednorz reduces the gap between the two teams (20-21), then the same former Modena player misses in attack (21-21), but makes up for it with interest in his next turn at serve: two aces that are worth 21-24, which turns into 21-25 with the net error of the newly-entered Džavoronok.
The tie break, which the two teams reach after more than two hours of match play, is all marked by Grupa Azoty, which immediately goes ahead 0-5, taking advantage of the yellow-blue team errors. After the change of court at 2-8, Trento shifts gears thanks to Džavoronok (block and serve), getting as far as 8-10. It is the last gasp, because then the European Champions restart (9-13) and close the score on 10-15 taking home the first act of the double confrontation.


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