Mint Vero Volleyball Monza flies to Challenge Cup final

Mint Vero Volleyball Monza flies to Challenge Cup final

The Mint Vero Volleyball Monza also won the return semifinal of CEV Challenge Cup, routing Istanbul’s Burhan Felek Voleybol Salonu after five very tough sets. The men’s first team of the Vero Volleyball Consortium, in fact, won by overcoming 2-3 (16-25; 20-25; 25-21; 25-22; 12-15) the Galatasaray HDI Istanbul. 

It will be the third European final in its history for the Brianza team, following the 2022 CEV Cup victory over Tours and the defeat in the last act of the 2019 Challenge Cup against the Russians Belgorod. Mint Vero Volley Monza will have to wait for the outcome of the challenge between the Poles of Projekt Warsaw and the Finns of Akaa Volleyball, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 7, to find out who will be the brianzoli's opponent.

A masterful test of tenacity by the Monzese, who confirmed their excellent moment of form in the third European club competition, again offering an excellent team performance and emphasizing the skill of a very solid group that had to give up due to injury, even in this match, Takahashi – today on the bench in the role of second libero – and Comparoni, who did not leave with the team to continue his rehabilitation path.

For this challenge, the starting sextet è consisted of Kreling at director and Szwarc opposite, Maar-Loeppky as a pair of setters, Galassi-Di Martino center with Gaggini libero.

It's immediately MinT that secured the first lead of the match thanks to Loeppky (0-1). The set è pulled until 3-3, when Canadian setter Maar takes the lead by signing two consecutive points that give Monza the first break (4-7). Eccheli’s boys, from this moment, play in fluency raising pace and intensity; at the wall with Galassi and Kreling, digging a first important furrow (5-10). Galatasaray could not find the keys to react, sinking even to -8 (11-19), thanks to Szwarc’s scoring verve but also to the contribution of the two central players Galassi-Di Martino, attentive both at the wall and in attack. The set è then virtually closed and, despite a reaction of pride by the Turks at the end, the set is won by the Monzese for 16-25 with the last point scored by Galassi with a nice first half.

Monza also started strong in the second set, immediately taking a 0-3 lead. The Turks manage to even the score but, as in the first game, è Maar to imprint the turning point for the Brianzoli finding the break sealed by the +3 ace (4-7). The Mint touches the four-length lead (4-8), with excellent attacks by Loeppky and Szwarc, but the Turkish team è cohesive and manages to get back in the slipstream (8-10). It's always Loeppky who animates the offensive actions for the Italian team, finding first the power diagonal and then a valuable ace (9-13). Kreling arms the hand of Galassi who, with a soft touch, gets past the Galatasaray wall keeping Monza on +4 (11-15). The hosts come back, finding a tie at 16-16: time-out for coach Eccheli. The match becomes very balanced, with continuous exchanges and neither team managing to find the break (19-19). Monza è good forò to break the deadlock and find the double break with Maar, after an excellent serve by Loeppky (19-22). Galatasaray took the blow and became more and more inaccurate in attack, and in fact it was two balls out by Kujundzic that gave the Mint the 20-25 win that made it 0-2 and the final of the competition!”

Ample turnover for Eccheli in the third partial: Visic-Mujanovic enter in the setter-opponent diagonal, Frascio as setter paired with Loeppky, Di Martino and captain Beretta as middle hitters. Galatasaray took advantage of the moment to pull ahead with Kujundzic, before the time-out called by Eccheli (8-4). The Turks get to +5 (10-5), before Loeppky’s break on serve with an ace (10-7). The match gets heated, despite the already sealed outcome for the Turks: Frascio scores with a lob and Mujanovic attacks decisively at 12-9. Hadrava finds the break (14-9), right before the spectacular action propitiated by Gaggini's one-handed lift on Loeppky defense for 14-10. Monza gets back to -2 (14-12), thanks to a wall by the usual Loeppky. The Turks, però, continue hammering with Hadrava bringing themselves to 18-14, before the ball change thanks to Beretta’s point. Monza comes back under again thanks to Frascio’s pipe (18-16). Croatian Hadrava leads his own (22-19), but Vero Volley struggles with Mujanovic and Loeppky surgical in attack before the final 25-21, on Mijailovic’s diagonal.

The fourth set opened with the Turks ahead and the Mint in hot pursuit with Mujanovic’s diagonal and Di Martino’s first half (3-2). Galatasaray responds with Tumer’s lob in a point-to-point game; Visic comes to the fore with a nice wall (10-9), but the hosts extend again thanks to Tumer’s ace to +3 (13-10). Monza regains the break with Loeppky in attack and hits a well-deserved tie (15-15): time-out for coach Cakir. A really balanced fourth quarter, with Vero Volley pushed by Mujanovic and Di Martino (19-19). It is Mijailovic&#39s two consecutive attacks that push the inertia on the Turkish side: 22-20 and time-out Eccheli. Frascio in attack keeps the contest open (23-22), but è the decisive Galatasaray wall to send the match to the tie-break on 25-22.

The match is thus decided in the tie-break, which opens with the same uncertainty as the previous two sets (2-2). Neither team could find the right break, with Beretta maintaining parity with the first half (4-4). The Mint managed to get the lead thanks to an attack error by Galatasaray and with Loeppky'sce to send the Monzese to +2 (5-7). At the change of court è again Monza found the first point thanks to Mujanovic (7-9). Back and forth between the two lineups, with the Turks getting back in the slipstream on 11-12 thanks to Tumer. Frascio è skillful in reception, Loeppky surgical in attack for the 11-13 Mint before the last ball put on the ground by Mujanovic: 12-15 and victory for the Monzese.

Top scorers for the Monzesians were the two setters Loeppky and Mujanovic, who scored 16 points each, followed by Maar with 13 ground balls.

There will not be, però, time to rest for Mint Vero Volley Monza that on Saturday, February 10, at 5:30 p.m., will return immediately to the court for the SuperLega Credem Banca championship, facing Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza at Pala Banca.

"It was the result we wanted, although maybe not in five sets,” Gianluca Galassi admitted to the club official channels.

In the first two partials we put in the right intensity, winning access to the final. We are very happy. Now we will have a very complicated period between the championship and the European final: now a little rest because we want to arrive in the best way to Saturday’s match against Piacenza".