Trento, 08 February 2025

Itas Trentino-Gas Sales Piacenza 3-2, the match report

Match Summary. Itas Trentino faced their third "sold out" crowd of the season at the ilT quotidiano Arena with a starting lineup featuring Sbertoli as setter, Gabi Garcia as opposite hitter, Michieletto and Lavia as outside hitters, Flavio and Bartha as middle blockers, and Laurenzano as libero. Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza, chosen by coach Andrea Anastasi, had Brizard as setter, Bovolenta as opposite hitter, Maar and Mandiraci as outside hitters, Galassi and Simon as middle blockers, and Scanferla as libero.
The home team's start was explosive, marked by their middle blockers: Bartha with a service ace (2-0) and Flavio with a block on Simon (4-1). The visitors quickly responded through the middle (Galassi blocked the same Romanian player for 7-5) and then from the wing with Mandiraci (9-8), balancing the contest (9-9). A block from Maar on Gabi Garcia and a diagonal shot from Bovolenta gave the visitors their first lead (11-12), prompting Soli to call a timeout. Upon resumption, the Turkish outside hitter added an ace and a pipe attack, extending the score to 11-15. The Trentino coach called another timeout and substituted the opposites (bringing in Rychlicki), but the team continued to struggle in attack, making a few too many errors (Lavia out for 15-19). In the end, Gas Sales maintained their significant margin (18-22) and took the first set at 19-25.
After switching sides, the contest remained closely fought (3-3 and 7-6), with Itas Trentino effectively utilizing Lavia (in great form) at the net. The yellow-blues maintained their sideout phase well (13-12) also thanks to the incisiveness of Rychlicki, confirmed in the starting six by Soli, but Piacenza didn't give up and responded blow by blow until 16-16, before Maar sent an attack from position 4 into the antenna (18-16). Shortly after, Bovolenta made an error, and Trento flew to +3 (20-17), forcing Anastasi to call a timeout; Galassi then brought the score back to a tie at 21 with two consecutive aces on Michieletto. The match went to a sprint; Mandiraci, with another service point, reversed the trend (23-24), but Itas Trentino saved two set points before falling on Piacenza’s third opportunity at 25-27 (another ace, this time by Romanò who had just come in) that resulted in the external 0-2.
The Champions of Europe try to turn the page at the start of the third set, basing their propulsive drive (3-1, 5-3 and 7-3) on the scoring streak of Kamil Rychlicki, who puts balls down in series. Subsequently, Sbertoli's blocks, two in a row on Romanò, widen the gap, with Anastasi already having used up all available time-outs on 13-7. In the central part of the set, Piacenza tries to recover (14-10), but Trento immediately rejects them with Bartha (18-12) and then flies towards the fourth period (21-13 and 25-17), again with Bartha (ace) and Lavia (attack) in clear prominence.
The serves of the Romanian center also get the Gialloblù off to a good start in the fourth set (3-1), imitated shortly after by Sbertoli (5-3); Piacenza falters but stays in the match (9-6 and 11-8) despite the home side putting on a show, especially in defense with Michieletto. Itas Trentino holds on to a three-point margin (15-12) and then flies to +4 thanks to Bartha's block on Mandiraci (19-15); Gas Sales has the strength to climb back to within one (19-18), but then definitively leaves space for the home side with Lavia rampant (25-20).
Having completed the comeback, the Gialloblù relax in the tie break, immediately taking the reins of the game thanks to the block (3-1 and 6-4). Sbertoli puts down the ace that is worth 10-7, then Maar sends the pipe into the net for 11-7. Anastasi interrupts the game, but then there is only Itas Trentino (15-9).

Trentino Volley Srl
Press Office