Akademia-Casalmaggiore 3-0
Set: 25-17, 25-19, 25-19.
Akademia Sant’Anna Messina: Norgini (L) ne, Olivotto 5, Carraro 5, Modestino 5, Rossetto 14, Mason 7, Trevisiol ne, Caforio (L), Babatunde ne, Guzin ne, Diop 18. All. Bonafede.
Volleyball Casalmaggiore: Nosella 2, Costagli 8, Cantoni ne, Marku 3, Perletti 3, Pincerato 1, Montano Lucumi 14, Ribechi, Faraone (L), Dalla Rosa ne, Nwokoye 9. Coach Napolitano.
Referees: D’Argenio and Pescatore.
Messina. The Akademia Sant’Anna travels like a steamroller and within the walls of the PalaRescifina takes the three points it wanted to appear as leaders and with unchanged distances for the big match in San Giovanni in Marignano which will close the first leg. The team from Messina tamed a strong-willed Casalmaggiore with a peremptory 3-0 and extended their streak of consecutive victories to eight as well as maintaining their unbeaten record in the championship.
Bonafede sends the starting six onto the field with Carraro as setter and Diop as opposite, central defenders Modestino and Olivotto, spikers Rossetto and Mason and libero Caforio, on the other side of the net Napolitano (formerly Soverato) relies on setter Pincerato with opposite Montano , Nwokoye-Perletti in the center, Costagli and Nosella in the band and Faraone in the libero role.
Messina leads the dance from the starting skirmishes and then manages with great confidence the moments of relaxation that he tends to allow himself from time to time, combined with the efforts made by the Lombards to stay in the wake. He encounters the greatest difficulties in the second, who turns in his own direction with the coolness and experience of his players in the key moments.
A good attack from Chiara Mason opens the home team’s first breakthrough thanks to two shots from Rossetto and Modestino (4-1). Diop also breaks the deadlock (8-5, 9-6), Akademia then triggers high gears in the central phase with an attack by Rossetto worth +6 (17-11) and that of Diop for +7 on the 20-13. The distances widen until 25-17 which closes the set.
The score doesn’t change in the second with Messina always getting the start right (3-0), keeping the ball in hand (5-1), but allowing himself a few breaks exploited by his opponent to make an impact (7-7) and stay on track until at 19-18, Rossetto lands two balls that create the decisive break to take the double advantage in the set count. Diop completes the job with an attack and an ace that make it 25-19.
Coach Bonafede’s team also sets the tone at the start of the third (4-0, 9-1) and as in the previous games will always remain ahead, reacting to Casalmaggiore’s efforts to get closer and closing with Rossetto.
