Winning return to Superleague for Trent

Winning return to Superleague for Trento

After two and a half weeks in which it had only dealt with international competitions (CEV Cup and World Club Championship), Itas Trentino è glided this evening back to the Italian championship, immediately regaining the feeling of victory that in the regular season it had been missing since last November 27 (3-0 home win over Padova). Tonight the Champions of Europe closed in the best possible way a three-week period that saw them play nine consecutive away games, defeating the PalaMazzola in Taranto 3-1 in the match valid for the thirteenth round of SuperLega Credem Banca 2024/25.
The result confirms the recent positive tradition with the Ionians, who have never beaten the Gialloblù since returning to the top category (2020/21 season), but more importantly it allows Soli’s team to stay in Perugia’s slipstream and keep the first pursuers at a distance. In order to get the entire stake, the Gialloblù team, however, had to suffer, overcoming the strenuous resistance of the locals who for the first three sets made life very hard for the opponents. The consistent attacking performance of the entire team (54%), Michieletto’s acumen at bat (4 aces) and in attack (57%) for a total of 21 points (mvp), those of Rychlicki (15 with 54%) and the complete test of the central pair Flavio-Bartha (24 winning balls between the two) allowed Trento to come to terms with a situation that in the third set on the 1-6 had become problematic. The’exit from the court of the Apulian opposite Gironi due to injury in that same partial then actually facilitated the Gialloblù task, because’former duty player Lanza (19) è found himself too lonely to counter the Trento action.
Match report. Itas Trentino comes to Apulia still without Kozamernik, with coach Soli choosing in this case the Romanian Bartha to take his place in the center of the net diagonally opposite Flavio, in a starting that also sees Sbertoli at the helm, Rychlicki opposite, Michieletto and Lavia as setters and Laurenzano as libero. Gioiella Prisma responds with Zimmermann at setter, Gironi opposite, Lanza and Hoffer in the band, D’Heer and Alonso at center, Luzzi libero. The beginning of the match è in the sign of balance (4-4, 8-8), then Lanza defends Flavio and counterattacks for the first +2 of the night in favor of the locals (8-10); Trento does not disunite, takes advantage of Gironi’s error to tie at 13 and then Sbertoli’s wall on Lanza to put the arrow (16-14). The margin grew (18-14) thanks to another block on the former on duty, but then the Gialloblù couldn’t hold on to the +4: Hofer almost completely rebuilt the gap (22-21), but then Itas Trentino armored the ball change with Bartha and Michieletto until 24-22, before being caught up to 24-24 again by Lanza. The European champions have to wait until 30-30 and the eighth set ball to get the better of their opponents: Michieletto does it with two consecutive aces to close the deal, after Trento had previously cancelled the only Ionian chance to end the set on 29-30.

On the wave of the enthusiasm for the sprint victory of the previous fraction, the Trentino team started well also in the second set (8-5 with Lavia in evidence), but the wide lead lasted very little, because Lanza and Gironi (with service) projected within a few minutes Taranto first to the tie at 8 and then to the’stretch on 9-11. Fabio Soli interrupts the game, but at the resumption it is always the Ionians who are the big voice, gradually increasing the lead (13-16, 14-18 and 15-20) thanks again to the Italian pair of place 4, which scores with regularity. The tie in the partial tally then comes quickly, already on 19-25, with Hofer also participating in the good moment rossoblù.
Itas Trentino suffers the blow and in the third period gets off to a bad start (1-4), with Soli immediately trying to contain the situation by spending a preventive time out, which, however, is of no use because at the resumption Alonso walls Rychlicki and Lanza finds the ace on Lavia’s bagher (1-6). The gialloblù do not pull the plug forò and a bit’ at a time they regain ideas and vigor to go up the slope thanks to Sbertoli’s walls and also to Gironi’s difficulties who, due to cramps, has to leave the court on 9-11. Santangelo enters the court in his place, but Trento takes advantage of the situation to tie at twelve with Flavio and then to put the arrow (15-14) with Rychlicki. An error by the Apulians offers the double advantage (19-17), then Soli ès team is ruthless and travels confidently to the 2-1 outside (21-19, 23-20 and 25-20) with Michieletto and Flavio in great form.
Itas Trentino tries to take advantage again in the fourth quarter (6-4) with Lavia, but Taranto responds with the three-slapper form and Lanza (7-9). It takes Flavio at the wall and then Rychlicki to give back the +2 to the gialloblù (12-10); Trento runs away again (16-11) with Michieletto, Taranto repeatedly makes mistakes and finally rears its head again (20-12). The champions of’Europe fly fast to the 3-1 success, which comes already on 25-15.
“We knew it was going to be a battle here in Taranto, we expected it – explained at the end of the match the’Itas Trentino coach Fabio Soli – ; we went in trouble as it could actually happen because at PalaMazzola the hosts play very well in batting and attack and they did it again tonight. We were good at holding our own, being patient and at one point regaining the energy needed to bring home the entire stake, closing the gap that had been created between us and Gioiella Prisma. Given what we have spent in recent weeks, this è a very important result, which allows us to be able to return home with greater serenityà and even moreù determination to continue our work on a path that must always be of growth”.
L’Itas Trentino will return to Trento in the night after sixteen days of absence and starting from the afternoon of Tuesday, December 24, will begin to prepare the next round of SuperLega, scheduled for the evening of Boxing Day at the ilT quotidiano Arena; at 18:00, live on RAI Sport, to visit the gialloblù will arrive the’Allianz Milano for the traditional insurance derby.

Below is the scoreboard of the match of the 13th day of the regular season of SuperLega Credem Banca 2024/25 played this evening at PalaMazzola in Taranto.

Gioiella Prisma Taranto-Itas Trentino 1-3
(30-32, 25-19, 20-25, 15-25)
GIOIELLA PRISMA: Gironi 12, Lanza 19, Alonso 10, Zimmerann 2, Hofer 11, D’Heer 5, Luzzi (L); Held 2, Alletti, Santangelo 1, Paglialunga. N.e. Rizzo, Balestra, Fevereiro. All. Dante Boninfante.
ITAS TRENTINO: Bartha 10, Sbertoli 4, Lavia 8, Flavio 14, Rychlicki 15, Michieletto 21, Laurenzano (L); Gabi Garcia. N.e. Bristot, Pesaresi, Pellacani, Magalini and Acquarone. All. Fabio Soli.
REFEREE: Brancati of Città di Castello (Perugia) and Canessa (of Bari).
SET DURATION: 35’, 25’, 34’, 23’ tot 1h and 57’.
NOTES: about 2,500 spectators. Gioiella Prisma: 9 walls, 6 aces, 20 hitting errors, 8 attack errors, 46% offense, 42% (34%) reception. Itas Trentino: 11 walls, 5 aces, 20 hitting errors, 8 attack errors, 54% attack, 55% (27%) reception. Mvp Michieletto.