Paola Egonu and Myriam Sylla drag Milan, Florence beaten

Paola Egonu and Myriam Sylla drag Milan, Florence beaten

Penultimate day of the regular season, and still decisive points up for grabs at the Allianz Cloud: the challenge between Allianz Vero Volley Milano and Il Bisonte Firenze for coach Gaspari’s lineup is worth so much in the still open fight for placings between second and fourth in the A1 rankings. A challenge within a challenge that at the start involves the other Tuscan lineup, Scandicci, Milan and Novara.
 
The first partial sees the guests start strong (1-4), before the comeback of Allianz Vero Volley Milano (10-10). Florence tries again to stretch (11-14), but the locals put the arrow and overtake (16-15) to, then, accelerate on +5: 22-17. It ends on 25-19. For the Bisonte è to report the injury of Battistoni forced to leave the court during the fraction. Second set and Milan immediately goes on the run: 6-1, but Il Bisonte reacts, finds parity at 8 and, then, a double lead: 8-10. And’ again parityà on 14-14, then, 16-20. Florence has the first ball to close the set at 19-24, but it still needs one more ball (20-25) to go 1-1. The locals push hard again in the opening of the third set (4-0), then, è 6-6. The “decisive tear” comes on 15-11, then, è 22-15 before the final 25-17 for Milan and 2-1. In the fourth partial the hosts are determined to close the contest: 5-4, 10-4, 12-9, 20-12 (with Orro forced to leave the court due to an ankle problem) and, finally, 25-21. The match ended 3-1, with Sylla MVP of the challenge.

 
Milan now moves to Istanbul for the Champions League semifinal return match, scheduled for Tuesday, March 19 at 8 p.m. (local, 6 p.m. in Italy) against Fenerbahce. It will also be possible to follow the match live on the big screens at the Opiquad Arena in Monza: for all information, click here.
 
Vero Volleyball’s bench chooses to face the match with Orro-Egonu (setter-opponent), Cazaute-Bajema (setters), Candi-Heyrman (middle hitters) and Castillo (libero). Florence responds with Battistoni-Kipp, Ishikawa-Alsmeier, Mazzaro-Acciarri and Leonardi.
 
Alsmeier’s serve opens the first set with an ace: 0-1. After Ishikawa’s first break (0-2), Milan needs a few points to shake it off: 1-4, which becomes 3-4 with Cazaute and Candi. At 10, Il Bisonte enters first (8-10), but parity returns soon after with a diagonal in the three-meter line by Egonu: 10-10. A new break by Florence, and è 11-14, when the Milan bench interrupts the game for the first time. The 14-14 point isn’t celebrated by either team due to Battistoni’s injury after a wall, the setter has to leave the court: Agrifoglio, class of 1994, enters the booth for the guests. Allianz Vero Volleyball finds its first lead at 16-15. Egonu’s ace and Orro’s contrasting mani-out mark a “tear” on the scoreboard: 18-15. Two straight points with Bajema’s serve and è +5 (22-17). Egonu attack and there’è the first set-point (24-19). Again the opposite of Milan closes the set: 25-19 (while Heyrman in the partial puts up a 5 out of 5 with 100% ground ball in attack).

 
Milan starts off strong in the second fraction: 2-0, which quickly becomes 6-1 under the momentum of the local attack. Parisi interrupts the challenge for thirty seconds. Il Bisonte manages to resume (8-8) and overtake Vero Volley (8-10), despite the time-out asked by Gaspari. The +3 for the guests comes at 10-13, but Allianz Vero Volley responds by finding a tie with Candi at 14. Ace by Kipp, 15-18, and è time-out again for Milan. At the entrance after 20, Florence comes in first: 16-20 and +4. On 18-23 the guests stretch again, also thanks to a few too many errors by the hosts. The first set-point comes on 19-24, Sylla cancels it with a deep diagonal, but Florence closes with a wall on 20-25: è 1-1 on the scoreboard. For Il Bisonte, at 53% in attack, Alsmeier signs 87% with 7 point balls out of 8.
 
Ready, go… and in the third fraction è 4-0 for Milan: Parisi stops the game immediately. Allianz Vero Volley keeps the distance in the opening with Sylla (5-3), but Il Bisonte goes to 6-6, before Bajema finds the solution to a long and fought action: 7-6. The +3 returns with the locals on top 11-8, then, becomes +4 on 15-11. At 19-14 the visiting bench calls a “tempo”, but Milano leaves no room for its opponent to make yet another comeback and with a pair of “Monster Blocks” by Orro and Sylla stretches the series to +7: 22-15. Sylla’s reception, Orro’s riser, Sylla’s attack again and è25-17 at the second set-point: the Allianz Vero Volley gets back on top in the partial count (2-1). Led by a’careful Castillo in the second line, the hosts put up 61% positive receptions, with 38% perfect balls.
 
It starts point-to-point in the fourth quarter, with Florence trying to go up but è Egonu to give Vero Volley the lead (5-4), immediately confirmed by Sylla’s wall and attack: 7-4. It’s the national team captain, often called into action by a lucid and precise Orro, who drags her in this phase, up to +6: 10-4. On 12-9 è coach Gaspari to interrupt the game, to anticipate the risk that changes the inertia of the match. Florence tries to stick to the challenge, but the continuous pressure of the hosts continues to make the difference and the gap, before 20, becomes important: 19-10. On 20-12 comes the second, bad news of the day: è Orro, Milan’s captain, having to leave the court due to an ankle problem. For Allianz Vero Volley the opportunity to close the match comes a first time on 24-18: it serves, toò get to the fourth ball with Daalderop for 25-21. It ends 3-1: for Allianz Vero Volley continues the chase for second place in the league before thinking about the next challenge in the Champions League.
 
MVP of the match è Myriam Sylla, who closes with 14 points, a lot of energy and an important contribution in all phases of the game for her team. Also in double figures in the scoreboard go Egonu (22), Bajema (11) and Candi (10).
 
L’Allianz Vero Volley Milano, after today’s challenge, è awaited by the big return match for the Champions League semifinal, scheduled for Tuesday, March 19 at 8 pm (local, 6 pm in Italy) in Istanbul, Turkey, against Fenerbahce. For the A1 league championship, however, the’last match of the regular season will be Sunday, March 24 at 5 p.m., away at the Vallefoglia field.

Allianz Vero Volley Milan – Il Bisonte Firenze 3-1 (25-19; 20-25; 25-17; 25-21)
Allianz Vero Volley Milan: Cazaute 2, Malual, Heyrman 9, Orro 4, Prandi, Bajema 11, Sylla 14, Egonu 22, Daalderop 1, Candi 10, Castillo (L). N.E.: Folie, Pusic (L), Rettke. All. Gaspari
Il Bisonte Firenze: Acciarri 6, Ribechi 1, Ishikawa 7, Leonardi (L), Battistoni, Alsmeier 15, Montalvo 4, Kipp 18, Lazic, Mazzaro 5, Graziani, Agrifoglio, Kraiduba 2. N.E.: Graziani (L). All. Parisi
 
NOTES
Referees: Denis Serafin, Mauro Goitre
Set length: 26′, 26′, 27′; 31′. Tot: 2h00′
Spectators: 2630
Allianz Vero Volley Milan: winning strokes 8, wrong strokes 11, walls 13, errors 24, attack 43%
Il Bisonte Firenze: winning strokes 5, wrong strokes 15, walls 5, errors 22, attack 39%
MVP: Myriam Sylla (Allianz Vero Volley Milan)
Facility: Allianz Cloud – Milan

Allianz Vero Volleyball Milan Press Office