Trento, 17 April 2024

Itas Trentino-Allianz Milano 3-2, the match report

The chronicle of match 1. Three days after the conclusion of the Scudetto Semifinal, Itas Trentino returns to the ilT quotidiano Arena still without Sbertoli (however, on the bench) and in this case also without Lavia (not even on the scoreboard due to a low-grade rectus abdominis injury suffered on Sunday evening); In his place therefore plays Magalini, who acts in diagonal band with Michieletto in a sextet that also sees Acquarone in the box, Rychlicki opposite, Kozamernik and Podrascanin as middle blockers and Laurenzano as libero. Allianz Milan responded with Porro as setter, Reggers at opposite, Ishikawa and Mergarejo Hernandez as outside hitters, Loser and Vitelli as middle blockers, and Catania as libero. The eagerly awaited former Kaziyski sits on the bench but is unable to enter, also blocked by a physical problem. The start is all in the sign of Magalini, who immediately gets three personal points (two on attack and one on a block, on Reggers) that are worth the immediate extension on 5-2 and that force Piazza to interrupt the game early. When the game resumed, it was again the Scaligero hammer who scored for 7-3, before Acquarone blocked Ishikawa (9-5). Itas Trentino held onto the lead for a long time (12-8), before Reggers (attack) and Loser (ace) drastically reduced it (13-12). Soli then calls a time out and immediately afterwards it is Rychlicki who offers a new cue (15-12), which however lasts only a few seconds because then Ishikawa and the Milanese block take the lead, first levelling the score at 16 and then the first guest extension (16-17). The Japanese player made the ace for +2 (19-21), forcing the Gialloblù to take refuge again towards their bench; a pause was useful to grab parity on 21-21 thanks to a wall by Rychlicki. The finale still offered uncertainty and excitement: Podrascanin blocks Reggers for 23-22, then Allianz makes a 0-3 break with the same Belgian that sends the two teams to the change of court on 23-25.
The hosts tried to react in the opening bars of the second set with a block by Acquarone (6-4); Milan immediately drew level at 6-6, but then Michieletto upped the tempo with two break points at the net (10-7, time out by Piazza). On the comeback, Reggers takes care of the Italian champions (10-10); it's an unstable balance, because Trento plays better and again finds the way to the break (13-10 and 16-13) with Rychlicki and Podrascanin (block). Michieletto again took the lead (two pipes for 18-12) and for Allianz it was nightfall; the yellow-blue did not concede much more (22-17) and found parity as early as 25-18.
In the third set the Trentino block immediately put a gag on the Milan attackers (5-1 and 8-3), with Ishikawa struggling to find winning solutions. Piazza interrupted the game, but it was still the Italian champions who dictated the pace (11-6), also taking advantage of an increasingly incisive service. It was precisely with this fundamental, played well by Porro, that Allianz reared its head again, going up to 12-10 and forcing Soli to call a time out; when the game resumed, however, Ishikawa's ace was enough to hook them at 13. They went on arm in arm for a long time (16-16), before an error by Michieletto failed to secure the first outside advantage of the set (17-18). In the final, an attack out by Podrascanin doubled the gap (20-22), but Trento had the strength to tie the score at 22-22 with Magalini, who a few moments later was blocked by the newly-entered Piano (22-24). Mergarejo Hernandez signed the 23-25 that made it 1-2.
The locals did not give up and got off to a better start in the fourth set, thanks to a couple of notable Kozamernik hits (6-3), but in the space of a few exchanges they ate up the entire lead with too many direct errors (7-7 and 11-11). In the middle, Itas Trentino ran away again (15-12), taking advantage of an overly nervous Milan, which, however, after Piazza's time out, immediately revived with Reggers (15-15). The progress of the set was erratic; Soli interrupted the game and when it resumed it was still +3 yellow-blue with Magalini at bat (also a direct ace for 18-15). The hosts defended the lead and then increased it (21-17 and 23-18) with Michieletto and Acquarone. The tie break came as early as 25-19.
The fifth set saw the Italian champions go ahead 5-2 thanks to Podrascanin and Rychlicki, but Milan grabbed parity with service as early as five. Trento re-accelerated with Michieletto (two counter-attacks) and an error by Ishikawa (11-8) and held on to the margin (13-10) with Magalini. Success came on 15-11 again with Giulio.

Trentino Volley Srl
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