Akademia City of Messina- Montecchio 3-1
Sep: 25-15, 19-25, 25-14; 25-8
Akademia City of Messina: Battista 13, Martinelli 10, Catania ne, Ciancio ne, Modestino 10, Felappi ne, Mearini 0, Payne 24, Joly 1, Rossetto 7, Maggipinto (l), Galletti 1, Michelini ne, Cucinotta (l) ne. Coach: Fabio Bonafede.
Ipag Montecchio: Carraro 1, Gueli 0, Napodano (l), Mazzon 0, Bellia 16, Malvicini 0, Arciprete 6, Botezat 9, Pandolfi 1, Caruso 4, Gabrielli 0, Mangani 10. Coach Eraldo Buonavita.
Referees: Luigi Pasciari and Danilo Domenico De Sensi.
The Akademia Città di Messina begins the A2 Serie Pool Promozione with a victory within the walls of PalaRescifina on Montecchio. The supremacy was clearer than the 3 to 1 suggests with coach Bonafede’s girls who could have even ended the practice earlier if there hadn’t been a drop in tension in the second. Messina immediately resets the blow and in the following two starts grinding out its game again with a driving Payne (24) in an attack well orchestrated by Galletti and the excellent blocking work of the central defenders Martinelli and Modestino. The study phases in the first set last a few exchanges, then Akademia decides that it is time to give the first acceleration with a break of four points in a row which brings it to 13 to 8, shortly afterwards imitated by the winning play of Battista who widens the gap to +6 at the halfway point (16-10). Montecchio loses his initial confidence and is unable to oppose the home team who travels with ease, widening the gap in progression up to Modestino’s wall which ends the set at 25 to 15.
The Venetian team reacts in the second where they appear more brilliant, aided by the fact that Martinelli and his teammates seem to have loosened their grip. The result is a game that Eraldo Buonavita’s girls lead first by a couple of points (4-6), then with a growing margin after Lisa Mangani’s break on serve (+4 at 7-11). The Peloritan reaction is in alternating phases and the inertia remains in the hands of the hosts who keep the distances unchanged, rebalancing the score of the partial scores. It is the only jolt from Montecchio, which serves to give the final shock to Akademia who from the third decides that there is no point in joking, starts in fourth with Payne (3-0), does not get distracted and keeps pressing his foot on the accelerator: Modestino scores the 13-8 point in attack then the show continues with the opposite stars and stripes and the Battista-Rossetto company until the closure signed by Payne. A score that is also repeated in the fourth with Rossetto’s 5-2 immediately having an impact on the match. The final blow to the visitors’ hopes came with a break of 10 to 0 (from 8 to 4 it was 18-4) thanks to the blocks of Martinelli (two in a row), Payne and Rossetto and Battista’s attacking shots. The final becomes a formality for the Akademia who take home the first three points without damning their souls.