Trento, 06 April 2025

Playoffs: Semifinal series begins on a high note for Itas Trentino

The 2025 SuperLega Credem Banca Playoff Semifinal series, best-of-five, begins on the right foot for Itas Trentino. Tonight, in front of 4,000 spectators at the Il Quotidiano Arena (the sold-out crowd arrived half an hour before the first whistle, thanks to the last-minute tickets sold at the box office), the regular season winners held onto their home-court advantage, defeating Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza 3-2 after a Game 1 that, as expected, delivered excitement, balance, and uncertainty from the first to the last rally.
The yellow-blue team claimed the victory by showing strength, unity, and, most importantly, composure in key moments, clinching the win in a thrilling tie-break. After leading 1-0 and then 2-1, the home team had slipped to a three-point deficit (8-11 and then 9-12) in the fifth set. However, they didn't lose heart, equalizing at 12-all. After saving three match points from their opponents, they took advantage of their first opportunity, with Michieletto securing the match point. He was the best scorer of the game with 25 points, and the most consistent player on the court for Trentino (51% attack efficiency, three blocks, three aces, and twelve break points).
Throughout the emotional rollercoaster and break points, Piacenza relied on the impressive form of their outside hitters Maar and Mandiraci (44 points combined), as well as Romanò’s serving (6 aces). However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the resilient Itas Trentino, well-represented on the court by the fighting spirit of their captain Sbertoli (5 aces, countless digs, and kilometers covered), the ability to recover from difficult moments by Rychlicki (17 points with 56% attack efficiency, two blocks, and one ace), and Lavia (12 points). In the middle, Flavio and Kozamernik continually provided points and presence in a game characterized more by service (20 aces in total from both teams) than by winning blocks (14, with 8 from Trentino and 6 from Piacenza).

Below is the scorecard for Game 1 of the SuperLega Credem Banca 2025 Scudetto Playoff Semifinal, played this evening at the ilT quotidiano Arena.

Itas Trentino-Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza 3-2
(25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 23-25, 18-16)
ITAS TRENTINO: Lavia 12, Kozamernik 8, Sbertoli 5, Michieletto 25, Flavio 10, Rychlicki 17, Laurenzano (L); Gabi Garcia 2, Bartha, Acquarone. Not entered: Bristot, Pesaresi, Pellacani, Magalini. Coach: Fabio Soli.
GAS SALES BLUENERGY: Mandiraci 20, Simon 11, Romanò 17, Maar 24, Galassi 10, Brizard, Scanferla (L); Bovolenta. Not entered: Salsi, Kovacevic, Ricci, Andringa, Gueye, Loreti. Coach: Ljubomir Travica.
REFEREES: Cerra from Bologna and Cesare from Rome.
SET DURATIONS: 31’, 31’, 34’, 30’, 27’; total 2h 33’.
ATTENDANCE: 4,000 spectators, revenue of 39,268 euros.
STATISTICS: Itas Trentino: 8 blocks, 10 aces, 19 serving errors, 6 action errors, 51% attack, 35% (14%) reception. Gas Sales Bluenergy: 6 blocks, 10 aces, 26 serving errors, 8 action errors, 53% attack, 41% (16%) reception. Mvp: Sbertoli.

Trentino Volley Srl
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