No night for Milan: succumbs to Novara and loses Khalia Lanier
Numia Vero Volleyball Milano’s positive streak in Serie A1 is interrupted as, in the sold-out Pala Igor, it is overcome in five sets by Novara. Second tie-break in four days for Coach Lavarini’s lineup, which struggled but succumbed to the hosts Igor Gorgonzola Novara by a score of 3-2 (25-18; 19-25; 25-20; 22-25; 16-14).
Numia climbs to 53 in the standings, gaining a point over Scandicci, defeated at home 3-0 by Conegliano. Also a negative note of the evening for Milan was Khalia Lanier’s injury, who was forced to leave the court during the second set due to a sprained right ankle.
The Numia, after a loss of 1,000 points in the second set, is now on the top of the standings.
The Numia, after a first set in which it was unable to express its game and put its opponents in trouble, reacted in the second partial: with an effective game in all the fundamentals Egonu and her teammates evened the score. In the third set, it is Milan that gets off to a good start and remains in control until the middle of the partial, but then burns the accumulated advantage and has the fraction snatched away by Igor. In the final of the fourth set, however, it was Vero Volley to do the big voice: Akimova’s entry at the service restored charge and new life to her teammates, who with determination won the partial.
Fatal tie-breaker for Lavarini’s girls who suffer the service of their opponents. MVP of the match is Mayu Ishikawa, best player of the’match with 17 points. Tatiana Tolok’s contribution was also excellent, scoring 33 points, including 5 aces. Milan didn’t need the efforts of Paola Egonu (25 points for her) and Anna Danesi (15 points including 7 walls) to come back to win against the Piedmontese.
So Hena Kurtagic: “I think in general we could have done much better. I am happy with how we came back on the court in the fourth set and how we managed to win it. This is volleyball, it is tough but I think this is not our best and we will do our best to try to change this situation”.
