Trento, 21 December 2023

Trentino Itas-Tours Vb 3-0, the match report

Match report. For the last international match of 2023, Trentino Itas took to the court with the best possible starting six: Sbertoli as setter, Rychlicki opposite, Lavia in diagonal with Michieletto in place 4, Kozamernik in the middle of the net together with Podrascanin and Laurenzano as libero. Tours Vb had to do without the Estonian hammer Tammearu at the last minute, who had been injured in the training session on the eve of the match, and returned six and a half years after the last time they played in Trento, with Coric as the coach on the floor, Drame Neto as opposite, Pothron and Mendez as hitter spiker, Parkinson and Dos Santos as middle blocker, and Ramon as libero. The start was in the sign of the hosts, who, with defense and Michieletto's counter-attack, built up the first promising lead (5-2), which was then further increased when Kozamernik grounded out the first time at breakpoint (10-6). Mendez tries to shake up his team (12-10), but it's only for a moment because then the Gialloblù, led by Rychlicki and Podrascanin (winning block), storm back to the net (16-12). At 19-13, the run towards the 1-0 home lead already seemed to be coming to an end, but the French, with Pothron serving (no direct aces, but plenty of quality from nine metres), reopened the contest, taking it to within one (19-18, a 0-5 run). The two almost consecutive time-outs spent by Soli ensured the shock that the yellow-blue coach was looking for, but the 22-19 achieved thanks to Drame Neto's error was not the end of the set. Trento wasted two opportunities to close out (from 24-22 to 24-24), and made a mistake with Michieletto (24-25), but then the same Alessandro blocked Drame Neto, enlivening the locals' redemption, which passed through Rychlicki's serve and Pothron's out attack (27-25).
Trentino Itas got off to a good start, thanks to the usual Michieletto, even in the second period (5-3 and 10-7), with the transalpine block-defence system failing to take the measures of the left-handed hammer. Pothron, this time in attack, led his team's redemption until the tie at 11, then the guests took the lead at 14-15 thanks to a hand-out by Drame Neto, forcing Soli to interrupt the game. When the game resumed, it was Michieletto and Lavia who drew a promising new lead (18-16); the Italian champions protected the advantage (20-18), before extending it further with an ace by Rychlicki and a counter-attack by Michieletto: the 2-0 lead arrived this time without further fuss (25-22).
The third set was played on the edge of equilibrium until 9-8, then it was Rychlicki and Michieletto who dictated the change of pace (12-9, time out Fronckowiack). At the resumption Trento ran away (15-12 and 17-13) with more and more personality thanks to their serve and counter-attack; the 3-0 lead soon arrived (20-15 and 25-18), because the Italian champions no longer lowered their tension.

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