Trento, 03 April 2023

Play Off, statistical notes after game 4: always in the semifinals since 2015

Some statistical notes and curiosities emerged after game 4 of the quarter-finals of the Play Off SuperLega Credem Banca 2023, won 3-0 on Sunday in Monza by Itas Trentino over Vero Volley.

ALWAYS (AT LEAST) IN THE SEMIFINALS SINCE 2015. With the qualification obtained in Brianza last weekend, Itas Trentino achieved for the eighth consecutive year access to the Semifinals, a minimum goal that it has been regularly crossing since 2015. No other club has managed to do better in the last period; in fact, only Perugia, should it win game 5 with Milan, could boast a better open streak, taking into account that between 2014 and 2022 it has always reached at least the penultimate act of the draw. The last elimination in the quarter-finals for Trentino Volley dates back to the 2014 edition, when it was overtaken by Modena in just two games (the only time the club from via Trener ended its participation without a single victory).

3-0 AWAY AFTER TWO MONTHS. The rounded result obtained at the Monza Arena allowed Itas Trentino to return to celebrate an away victory in just three sets two months after the last previous one. It was in fact since 5 February (3-0 in Taranto) that the yellow-blue had not achieved an away victory with the maximum score, which is always difficult to achieve, especially in the Play Off Scudetto. In fact, in the last nine appearances in the final table, only four victories have been won 3-0 on an opposing court.

DOUBLE BEST SCORER FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS SEASON. At the Monza Arena, Kaziyski and Michieletto ended game 4 sharing the prize of best scorer with 12 points each, only one more than Lavia. In the previous forty-two matches of the season, it had only happened on one other occasion that two (and not just one) were the best scorers in Trentino: 8 January 2023, 1-3 at home against Piacenza, when Lavia and Michieletto put 15 balls on the ground.

THE EMILIAN OPPONENT. It will be from Emilia, the opponent that Itas Trentino will face in the semifinal series that will be played in the best of five games: Modena or Piacenza, depending on who wins game 5 of the play-off scheduled for Easter Monday at the PalaPanini. Should the Emilians pass, it would be a remake of the challenge that took place in the penultimate act of the scoreboard in 2011 (Trento won in five games) and 2016 (the Geminians won in four), while should Gas Sales Bluenergy pass, it would be the first time they face a Piacenza team in the semifinals, having already faced them in the 2005, 2021 and 2022 quarters and in the 2008, 2009 and 2013 Finals. Regardless of the name, Itas Trentino will be able to play three of the five matches at the BLM Group Arena thanks to the best placement in the regular season standings.

SUM OF THE THREE QUARTER-FINAL MATCHES. 32 winning blocks (11 by Lisinac alone), 23 aces (including 7 by Kaziyski), with 62 service errors, 51% (191 out of 374) in attack with 31 direct errors, 83 break points out of a total of 246 points scored. These are the most interesting numbers referring to Itas Trentino, obtained by adding up the scorecards of the four matches of the quarter-final series with Monza. The statistics tell well how the yellow-blue were very efficient in attack and at the block, compensating with these fundamentals the brianzolo overpowering serving (9 more winning serves than the yellow-blue). The best scorer was Matey Kaziyski, scoring 58 times in sixteen sets played (11 in game 1, 14 in game 2, 21 in game 3 and 12 in game 4), who was 13 points behind György Grozer (70 points).

EASTER WITHOUT MATCHES AFTER EIGHT YEARS.The four-game closure of the quarter-final series with Monza will allow Trentino Volley to experience, for the first time after eight years, an Easter weekend without official matches. Excluding 2020  (year of Coronavirus), it has not happened since 2014 that the Club of via Trener remained without any commitments between eve, Easter and Easter Monday.

Trentino Volley Srl
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