Milan, 20 April 2024

Play Off, game 2 of the final for 3rd place is still decided at the tie break

The Play Off Final series for 3rd place is immediately tied again, confirming the importance of the home court factor. After last Wednesday's comeback victory at home in the tie break, Itas Trentino had to give way to Allianz this evening in Milan with an identical score at the end of a multi-faceted match, which the Italian Champions spent chasing the opponent before playing six match balls in the fifth set without, however, being able to realise any of them.
The meneghini's first win of the season over the Gialloblù therefore came on the knife's edge, with the locals showing great character, winning 22-20 at the end of a very long and exciting tie-break. Porro's block on Rychlicki thus necessitated at least one more away match (game 4 on Saturday April 27th ) in Lombardy, only after game 3, which will be played on Wednesday in Trento and which will give the first of two opportunities for victory to the winner. Itas Trentino can recriminate about the bitter epilogue of the match, but must also look at the positive aspects of the evening: The ability to fight to the end (even without an important player like Lavia, still out), reopening a fourth set that seemed to be addressed to the hosts, the great scoring streak of Michieletto and Rychlicki (46 points in two, equally divided and with good percentages at the net) and, above all, the return of Sbertoli (thrown into the fray from the first exchange at the direction after more than a month and a half of absence due to injury) were the most striking ones, on which to rest optimism in view of the continuation of the confrontation that will assign a place in the 2025 CEV Champions League.

Below is the scoreboard of game 2 of the Credem Banca 2024 Play Off 3rd Place Final played tonight at the Allianz Cloud in Milan.

Allianz Milan-Itas Trentino 3-2
(26-24, 17-25, 25-16, 25-27, 22-20)
ALLIANZ: Mergarejo Hernandez 13, Vitelli 3, Porro 7, Ishikawa 21, Loser 10, Reggers 19, Catania (L); Zonta, Dirlic 1, Piano. N.e. Kaziyski, Starace, Innocenzi, Colombo. coach. Roberto Piazza.
ITAS TRENTINO: Sbertoli 2, Michieletto 23, Kozamernik 10, Rychlicki 23, Magalini 16, Podrascanin 3, Laurenzano (L); Acquarone 1, Pace, Cavuto 1, D'Heer 1, Nelli. N.e. Berger and Garcia. coach. Fabio Soli.
REFEREES: Curto of Gorizia and Cesare of Rome.
SET LENGTH: 28', 22', 23', 34', 30'; tot 2h 17'.
NOTES: 2,624 spectators, takings not announced. Allianz: 9 blocks, 9 aces, 22 serve errors, 7 action errors, 40% attack, 39% (14%) reception. Itas Trentino: 14 blocks, 5 aces, 28 serve errors, 11 action errors, 49% in attack, 39% (16%) in reception. Mvp Catania.

Trentino Volley Srl
Press Office