Trento, 13 March 2024

Champions League, Trentino Itas wins semifinal home match

Trentino Itas held on to the home court factor in the most important match of its 2024 calendar year so far. Wednesday evening, the Italian champion team defended the ilT quotidiano Arena with a knife between its teeth, winning the first leg of the 2024 CEV Champions League semifinal against Cucine Lube Civitanova 3-1. It is a result that will have to be confirmed in eight days' time in the return match in the Marche region to try and secure the pass for the Final of the highest continental trophy on 4/5 May. To actually obtain it, it will be necessary to win at least two sets in the official match, or even just to win the eventual golden set at the end of the canonical match, should the opponents win it 3-0 or 3-1.
The first act of the Italian Champions League derby lived on the break-point flashes of the Italian champions, who were very good at shaking off their opponents in the second half of the first set and then also in the third and fourth with powerful accelerations resulting from an excellent work between block and defence and the ability to capitalise at the net on the opportunities offered by the contribution of these two fundamentals. Michieletto (23 points with four aces, one block, and 56% attack: MVP of the match), Rychlicki (19 points with two blocks, as many points at serve, and a stellar 75% in spikes), and Lavia were always able to get the yellow-blue team into gear, and they once again showed heart, character, and cleverness, especially after losing the second set. Acquarone at the setter's position directed his team at its best (54%) even when he was not supported by the reception. Cucine Lube fought as hard as they could, but in the end, they bowed to the hosts' ninth total ace: Rychlicki's point, which closed the contest in the fourth set with the smallest gap (25-23).

Below is the scoreboard of the 2024 CEV Champions League semifinal first leg match played Wednesday evening at the ilT quotidiano Arena.

Itas Trentino-Cucine Lube Civitanova 3-1
(25-17, 16-25, 25-18, 25-23)
ITAS TRENTINO: Lavia 13, Kozamernik 8, Rychlicki 19, Michieletto 23, Podrascanin 5, Acquarone, Laurenzano (L); Nelli 1, Magalini, Cavuto. N.e. D’Heer, Pace, Berger, Garcia. Coach: Fabio Soli.
CUCINE LUBE: Anzani 5, Lagumdzija 12, Nikolov 25, Chinenyeze 8, De Cecco, Yant 13, Balaso (L); Motzo, Zaytsev, Bottolo, Diamantini 1. N.e. Thelle, Bisotto, Larizza. Coach : Gianlorenzo Blengini.
REFEREES: Ivanov from Sofia (Bulgaria) and Pop from Cluj (Romania).
SET LENGTH: 27’, 26’, 25’, 31’; tot: 1h and 49’.
NOTES: 3,535 spectators. Trentino Itas: 8 blocks, 9 aces, 12 serve errors, 4 action errors, 54% attack, 50% (26%) reception. Cucine Lube: 5 blocks, 5 aces, 16 serve errors, 6 action errors, 48% attack, 47% (27%) reception. MVP: Michieletto.

Trentino Volley Srl
Press Office