Coppa Italia, Civitanova folds Trento and joins Verona in final

Coppa Italia, Civitanova folds Trento and joins Verona in the final

Back with a bang in the Final Four of Del Monte® Coppa Italia for Cucine Lube Civitanova SuperLega after a three-year absence. At the’Unipol Arena in Bologna, in front of nearly 8000 spectators, the red and white bent the European champions of Itas Trentino in the semifinals at the tie break (26-24, 24-26, 14-25, 25-22, 13-15) after 2 hours and 13 minutes of battle and entered the showdown of the competition for the 12thª time in the history of the Club with the purpose of putting in the trophy cabinet the eighth trophy with the tricolor cockade.

Civitanova won the duel at the wall (10 blocks in against 7 from Trentino), held in reception and found greater clarity in attack in the decisive moments. Top scorers of the match Loeppky and Lagumdzija, both scoring 18 points, followed by Bottolo (16). Personal goals for Chinenyeze, who surpasses 1,500 points in Italy, and Gargiulo, who surpasses 1,000 in his career. Among rivals, the most prolific è Lavia (16). With him four teammates in double figures.

Lube will be back on court for the Final with Rana Verona tomorrow, Sunday, Jan. 26, at 3:15 p.m. (with live coverage by Rai 2, VBTV and Radio Arancia), again on the tricolor taraflex of the’Unipol Arena. After 54 league challenges (44 wins to 10 for Civitanova), between Regular Season and Play Offs, for the first time the Marche and the Scaligeri will measure themselves in the Italian Cup, in a remake of the Play Off 5° Place Final played in 2024 in Verona.

THE RACE

Biancorossi set at the dribble with Boninfante (feverish in  the morning and absent at the finals) and with Lagumdzija opposite, Loeppky and Bottolo on the side, Chinenyeze and Gargiulo in the center, Balaso free. Trentini lined up with Sbertoli in the control booth and former red and white Rychlicki as offensive terminal, Lavia and Michieletto in the band, Bartha and Flavio in the center, Laurenzano free.

First set thrown away by Lube, skillful in recovering 5 points of disadvantage with an incisive attack (61%) and in centering the overtaking after 20, but betrayed by two direct errors that screamed revenge, with a set ball available. After a phase of balance, Trento took off pushing on serve, showing tenacity in wall-defense and lively in attack (11-6). Lube doesn’t go for it. Entering on the run as Orduna, Dirlic places the wall followed by Loeppky’s pipe (15-12). Bottolo pulls his men closer (15-13), who find the -1 block (16-15). On 17-16 Boninfante and Lagumdzija come back, in time for Loeppky’s tying goal (18-18). Among the rivals on the court there’è also Gabi Garcia. A red and white hitting error and Michieletto’s attack put the Cuccinieri in trouble (22-20), who found the reversal with Chinenyeze and two feats of Bottolo (22-23), author of 6 points with 67% in the set as Loeppky. Ahead 23-24, Medei’s men wasted a serve and an attack (25-24) and then capitulated on Michieletto’s ace (26-24), who scored his ninth personal point.

In the second set, Lube redeemed itself with a high-level wall-defense (5 winning blocks) and a cleaner game than’Itas, which had to deal with 9 errors. Among the Dolomites, former red-and-white Gabi Garcia remains on the court from the’beginning. It is a point-to-point struggle (11-12). The cucinieri’s break at the wall and Lagumdzija’s subsequent ace (13-16) recharge the many Predators in the stands. A moment of distraction is all it takes to give the thread of the game back to the yellowoblù (17-17). Orduna and Dirlic come in to sound the charge as they did in the first set. Bottolo’s wall and Lavia’s offense, which ventures an improbable dribble, revive Civitanova (17-19). Chinenyeze’s block in at one gets the Marches three set balls (21-24). Bartha cancels the first two, Lavia the third (24-24). The extended action closed by Loeppky and Chinenyeze’s wall are worth a mirror set to the first (24-26) with the match returning to perfect parity.

In the third act Civitanova takes everything in reception, relies on a gritty Lagumdzija on serve and attack (6 points with 71% effectiveness and an ace) w controls rivals’ offensives. Upon returning to the court, the Lube players are spirited and prove capable of immediately cornering the European champions (7-12). On Lagumdzija’s winning plays interspersed with two attack errors by the Gialloblù, Giampaolo Medei’s men gained an impressive margin (9-18). Boninfante, setter class of 2004, è good to remember, gets on his own and dunks the +10 ball (10-20). A one-sided partial ended with Civitanova’s winning wall (14-25).

In the fourth set, the Trentino rage flows into the 5 aces in a moreù solid game. Aggressive reaction already; in the opening (11-7). On the score of 13-8 Medei inserts Nikolov for Loeppky, but è Bartha’sce to move the score (14-8). Next, Lube also changes the diagonal, giving space to Dirlic and then Orduna. The red-and-whites try to climb back up (16-12), but they cash in on a heavy three-zero partial (19-12). On 19-13 Podrascanin replaces Gargiulo. On 20-14 the starting diagonal returns. Lube scores three points closed by Boninfante’s ace (20-17). Nikolov’s hand-out allows his team to get closer (21-19), the Bulgarian’s subsequent winning hit makes it -1 (23-22). Gabi Garcia gets two set balls for his own, Michieletto hits the ace (25-22) and takes the match to the tie break.

In the tie break Nikolov starts from the’beginning among the red-and-whites, but after one of his hitting errors (4-3) he gives way to Loeppky. The dolomites find the break (6-4). At the change of court Trento è ahead 8-6. In the next two exchanges Civitanova manages to even the score with Lagumdzija (8-8). Trento regains the break accomplice a wall touch by Civitanova on a yellowoblù attack (11-9). On a crazy defense by Balaso and Bottolo’s hands off the games are open (12-11). Newcomer Poriya’s two aces are worth overtaking (12-13), but at the end of a’prolonged action Lavia ties (13-13). Subsequent errors by Lavia and Bartha send Lube into the finals (13-15).

TABLE

Itas Trentino – Cucine Lube Civitanova 2-3 (26-24, 24-26, 14-25, 25-22, 13-15)

TRENTO: Bristot (L) ne, Pesaresi ne, Michieletto 15, Sbertoli 1, Pellacani ne, Garcia Fernandez 11, Rychlicki 1, Magalini 2, Laurenzano (L), Lavia 16, Bartha 13, Flavio 13, Acquarone. All. Soli

CIVITANOVA: Chinenyeze 9, Gargiulo 6, Loeppky 18, Orduna , Bisotto (L) ne, Balaso (L), Boninfante 4, Poriya 2, Nikolov 6, Lagumdzija 18, Dirlic 2, Podrascanin, Bottolo 16, Tenorio ne. All. Medei

Referees: Puecher (PD), Piana (MO).

Notes: set duration 28’, 29’, 21’, 33’, 22’. Total 2h13. Trento: service errors 18, aces 8, walls 7, attack 45%, reception 47% (22%). Civitanova: service errors 22, aces 6, walls 10, attack 50%, reception 52% (28%). Spectators: 7,812.

Trento – Civitanova, statements from the red and white

GIAMPAOLO MEDEI (coach): “We were facing a very strong opponent, and the team è was very good at always maintaining the right concentration, sticking to the game even in the most difficult moments. Then the final result è was determined by a ball, and this time è it went well for us because in these very hot moments we managed to do what we had to do, with great defense and two lines that together moved the needle on our side. The work però is not over yet. We will take the court again tomorrow with the’intention of playing our best volleyball”.

FABIO BALASO: “Final won with a great heart from everyone, from the starters to each of the bench members. It’ was a magnificent evening, the result of extraordinary teamwork, but woe now to rest on our laurels. Tomorrow we have another battle’.

MATTIA BOTTOLO: “We played a great game today. I don’t know the statistics, but in in-or-out games like these, when you è down in the score it often happens to mentally give up to project them prematurely to what will be the next set. Which instead we never did. We were always lì,never let up, and this character in the end rewarded us”.

SANTI ORDUNA: “For me personally this final è very rewarding for two reasons. First becauseé I came to Civitanova coming back from what was probably è the worst season of my career, and playing with Lube is giving me a chance to show my potential, making a contribution to important goals. And then the Italian Cup Semifinal represented a thorn for me, because years ago I had lost one just against Trento. To reach a goal like that with these guys, who make me feel as young as they are, è for me a great satisfaction. The winning key to tonight’s game? The fact that we never gave up. In the final tie break it was the two aces and Balaso’s amazing defenses that brought the victory on our track”.