Cisterna di Latina (Latina), 22 October 2023

Cisterna Volley-Itas Trentino 2-3, match report

Match highlights. Itas Trentino enters the SuperLega with the stripes of the defending champions in a standard formation: for his first match on the yellow-blue bench, former player Fabio Soli chooses Sbertoli setter, Rychlicki opposite spiker, Michieletto and Lavia hitter spikers, Kozamernik and new captain Podrascanin middle blockers, Laurenzano libero.  Cisterna Volleyball, coached by Guillermo Falasca, responded with Saitta at setter, Faure opposite spiker, Ramon and Peric at position 4, Mazzone and Nedeljkovic middle blockers, Piccinelli libero. Rychlicki and Michieletto hit and attacked to take the first advantage (5-2 and 10-6), then Kozamernik (attack and ace to Ramon) extended the gap (14-8), helped by Michieletto (another ace, 18-11). The last part of the set was easy for Itas Trentino, who controlled the game well, relying once again on their opponent (22-14). The match ended with a great block by Michieletto on Faure (25-18).
Cisterna tried to change the pace at the beginning of the second set, thanks to a more incisive serve and an attentive wall.  Trento resisted until 8-8, then fell victim to Peric's sharpness (Rychlicki's block) and Faure's (8-11). Soli called the first time-out of his Gialloblù career, but a few seconds later he had to call another one as Mazzone hit the serve and the same Faure hit the block of Michieletto (8-14). When the game restarted, there was space for Magalini (instead of the blue left-hander) and D'Heer, and later also for the reserve main diagonal Acquarone-Nelli. The changes did not produce a significant reaction (9-18 and 10-20), although the Tuscan opponent also hit an ace and had a good time from the nine-metre line. Thanks to Ramon and Faure, the Pontines quickly leveled the set at 1-1 (15-25). The third set was more evenly balanced (5-6, 11-11), with Cisterna on the verge of a breakaway thanks to Faure and Ramon, but the yellow-blue were back on top thanks to Michieletto and Lavia at 15-15. The locals scored the next point through Peric (15-17), but yellow-blue came back to level the score at 22-22. A foul at the net by Sbertoli gave the locals the advantage (22-23), and on the fourth ball of the set they broke through (26- 28), taking advantage of a misunderstanding between Sbertoli and his national team mate Lavia.
With their backs to the wall, Itas Trentino tried to fight back in the fourth set, which began with them still struggling (1-4). Soli brought in Pace in place of Laurenzano, but it was Michieletto and Rychlicki (attacking and serving) who sparked the Gialloblù reaction: 14-11 and 17-12. Sbertoli and Podrascanin put the brakes on Peric and it was night for Cisterna (20-13). The tie-break was won 25-17 with two points from newcomer Nelli. The first half of the fifth set was all about the hosts (5-3, 7-3), with Kozamernik punishing on serve. Cisterna tried to get back into the match with Ramon (10-8), but was eventually beaten (12-8 and 15-8).

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