Ankara is bitter for Lube Civitanova
Ankara is bitter for Lube Civitanova
Cucine Lube Civitanova’s first stop of the season in the CEV Champions League comes in Turkey in the first leg of the quarterfinals. After the en plein of successes in the group stage, the Marche team slips at the TVF SC Baskent Sports Hall in four sets (25-21, 20-25, 23-25, 21-25) against the hosts Halkbank Ankara, who clinch their sixth consecutive victory in the competition, but cannot yet sing victory because the passage to the round will be decided in Italy, in the return match scheduled for Wednesday, March 15 (8:30 p.m.) at the Eurosuole Forum. The red-and-whites will have to win the second round at home 3-0 or 3-1 to take their opponents to the Golden Set.
Deciding the first act are Turkish offensives and the home team’s 9 aces (despite many errors on serve and on action), dragged by the more than 5,000 fans, but Yant’s injury in the third set, at a time favorable to Lube, also plays a decisive role. The Cuban giant returned to the court when it was too late, then trying to grit his teeth for part of the fourth set. MVP and top scorer of the match is Jaeschke with 22 points and an endless series of useful plays. Ankara also lethal with Nimir (16 points). On the red and white front, Bottolo’s entry from the bench (14 points) and Yant’s contribution before the “scavigliata” (12) were positive, Zaytsev’s tenacity and charisma (12) were commendable, but also the ability of all teammates to stay in the match.
In the first set Lube weathered the initial storm in reception, then came into the match with Bottolo’s entrance and found overtaking (14-16). Impactful were Zaytsev’s 6 points and the hosts’ 9 errors, as well as the 4 red and white walls (21-25). In the second set Ankara attacked with 73%, received better and won the wall duel, but stretched only in the final (25-20). In the third set a solid Lube restarts, but on 12-14 Yant gets injured and leaves the court only to come back in the final. Halkbank took advantage and closed with Nimir (25-23). In the fourth set, Yant tries to stay on the court, Lube concedes an initial flare-up, but then Halkbank takes the lead, allows Lube to pull back to under 19-18, but places the decisive acceleration in the final and wins 25-21.
