Italy: Civitanova and Milano forced their quarterfinal series to Game 5!

With regular season winners Itas Trentino a No.2 Sir Susa Vim Perugia already qualified to semifinals after a 3-0 win in their respectively Playoff SuperLega Credem Banca Quarterfinal series against Valsa Group Modena and Rana Verona, Quarterfinals continued today with the other two series, both to Game 4 and event to Game 5, on Wednesday!
In the first one, Cucine Lube Civitanova managed to celebrate a hard-fought victory against Mint Vero Volley Monza, extending the series to decisive Game 5.
The match, characterized by intense rallies and a tie-break finish, ended with the visiting side emerging victorious (18:25, 25:23, 22:25, 25:18, 13:15), mirroring their resilience by winning both Games 3 and 4 after being down 2-0 in the series.
Despite the support of a sold-out Opiquad Arena with 3,983 spectators, Monza couldn’t take the win, allowing the rivals to showcase all their experience. Aleksandar Nikolov, together with Yant Herrera, scored 24 points each for the winners, with the first one earning the MVP honors.
For Monza, Stephen Maar was the top scorer of a game lasted 139 minutes and closed thanks to a video check that revealed a block tough from Maar himself on a Chinenyeze’s attack out, with 23 points, supported by Arthur Szwarc and Ran Takahashi with significant contributions with 17 and 15, respectively, but good also middleblockers Gianluca Galassi, who added 12 and Gabriele di Martino (11 with 4 winning blocks).
The series is now tied, setting up a highly anticipated Game 5 at the Eurosuole Forum, a venue that previously witnessed Monza’s away victory.
Something similar happened also in the evening, but in this case Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza wasted a 2 sets lead, suffering a tie break defeat on the field of Allianz Milano – 3-2 (28:30, 25:27, 25:23, 27:25, 15:6), with all sets, with the only exception of fifth one, ended with the minimum gap.
After losing first two sets after having failed to close both sets, in a precarious balance until 20-20 in the third one, Roberto Piazza’s team manages perform another miracle by completing the comeback until the tie break and further prolonging a never ending series. The list of regrets gets longer on both sides, but does it really make sense to talk about regrets in a comparison in which every game, and even every single set seems like a lottery?
Osniel Mergarejo, who replaced a discountinouos Matey Kaziyski, scored 12 points in two and a half sets through 57% in attack and placing the decisive turn from the service line in the tie break, to take a well-deserved MVP award. He made the difference together with a monumental Agustin Loser, author of 13 points, 70% in attack and 4 blocks, Yuki Ishikawa, who added 20 points and top scorer Ferre Reggers, with 22 including 2 aces and 6 winning blocks.
After all, all the Milanese players do their best in serving, starting with Vitelli (3 aces) and Porro, and Piacenza suffers a lot, despite a great Yuri Romanò, almost unstoppable for a good part of the match and author of 29 points with 62% in attack and 3 aces.
Games 5 are both scheduled on Wednesday, starting from 20.30 local time.

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🇮🇹| 2023/24 Superlega CredemBanca | Quarterfinals

GAME 1

Wednesday March 6, 2024
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Itas Trentino (1) – Valsa Group Modena (8) 3-0 (25:23, 25:18, 25:18) Series: 1-0
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Cucine Lube Civitanova (4) – Mint Vero Volley Monza (5) 1-3 (26:28, 25:20, 11:25, 20:25) Series: 0-1
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Sir Susa Vim Perugia (2) – Rana Verona (7) 3-1 (23:25, 25:16, 25:21, 25:19) Series: 1-0
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza (3) – Allianz Milano (6) 2-3 (25:20, 21:25, 25:19, 22:25, 10:15) Series: 0-1

GAME 2

Sunday March 10, 2024
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Valsa Group Modena – Itas Trentino 2-3 (22:25, 28:26, 25:15, 19:25, 13:15) Series: 0-2
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Mint Vero Volley Monza – Cucine Lube Civitanova 3-1 (24:26, 25:18, 25:21, 25:20) Series: 2-0
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Allianz Milano – Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza 1-3 (25:22, 20:25, 21:25, 14:25) Series: 1-1
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Rana Verona – Sir Susa Vim Perugia 1-3 (25:21, 21:25, 16:25, 15:25) Series: 0-2

GAME 3

Saturday March 16, 2024
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza – Allianz Milano 3-2 (25:22, 23:25, 17:25, 31:29, 15:12) Series: 2-1

Sunday March 17, 2024
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Itas Trentino – Valsa Group Modena 3-0 (25:22, 25:19, 25:21) Series: 3-0
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Cucine Lube Civitanova – Mint Vero Volley Monza 3-2 (21:25, 30:28, 21:25, 25:22, 15:11) Series: 1-2
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Sir Susa Vim Perugia – Rana Verona 3-2 (25:22, 25:20, 22:25, 15:25, 17:15) Series: 3-0

GAME 4

👉🏼Sunday March 24, 2024

• 18.00 (Local Time) | Mint Vero Volley Monza – Cucine Lube Civitanova 2-3 (18:25, 25:23, 22:25, 25:18, 13:15) Series: 2-2
Mint Vero Volley Monza: Kreling 1, Takahashi 15, Di Martino 11, Szwarc 17, Maar 23, Galassi 12, Morazzini (L), Visic 0, Loeppky 2, Mujanovic 1, Beretta 0, Gaggini (L). N.E. Comparoni. Coach. Eccheli.
Cucine Lube Civitanova: De Cecco 4,Yant Herrera 24, Chinenyeze 9, Zaytsev 10, Nikolov 24, Anzani 2, Thelle 0, Bisotto (L), Balaso (L), Lagumdzija 1, Diamantini 0, Bottolo 1, Larizza 2. N.E. Motzo. Coach. Blengini.

• 20.30 (Local Time) | Allianz Milano – Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza 3-2 (28:30, 25:27, 25:23, 27:25, 15:6) Series: 2-2
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
Allianz Milano: Porro 3, Ishikawa 20, Loser 13, Reggers 22, Kaziyski 6, Vitelli 10, Colombo (L), Mergarejo Hernandez 12, Zonta 0, Catania (L), Dirlic 1. N.E. Starace, Innocenzi, Piano. Coach. Piazza.
Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza: Brizard 4, Santos De Souza 14, Simon 9, Romanò 29, Leal 15, Caneschi 10, Hoffer (L), Recine 0, Gironi 1, Scanferla (L), Andringa 0. N.E. Alonso, Ricci, Dias. Coach. Anastasi.

GAME 5

Wednesday March 27, 2024
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza – Allianz Milano 0-3 (21:25, 21:25, 22:25) Series: 2-3
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Cucine Lube Civitanova – Mint Vero Volley Monza 1-3 (23:25, 23:25, 25:20, 22:25) Series: 2-3

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