An extraordinary Paola Egonu takes down Conegliano, the Supercup is Milan’s
Numia Vero Volley Milan dream. It came after more than two hours of play and a heart-stopping match, the success of the Milanese lineup that imposed itself at the tie-break with the score of 2-3 (25-18; 22-25; 20-25; 25-13; 12-15) on Conegliano, thus winning the Fineco 2025 Supercoppa, the first Women’s Volleyball League trophy in its history. A nuanced challenge: after an underwhelming start, Egonu and her teammates managed to find their stability, playing a great match and finding an’excellent wall-defense correlation, something that allowed them to be solid on the counterattack. Positive from nine meters and effective from place four and place two, the rosablu girls played a match to the best of their ability, remaining united and lucid in the most important moments. MVP of the challenge capitan Paola Egonu – scoring 30 points (28 attacks, 1 wall and 1 ace) – who took her team by the hand leading them to win this historic victory, which takes the title of champions right away from the Venetian Prosecco Doc A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano. Emma Cagnin’s performance was also noteworthy: the setter – who took over in the second set – offered an excellent contribution in defense and attack in the hottest moments of the match.
The MATCH
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For this Supercoppa Fineco coach Lavarini deploys the diagonal Bosio-Egonu, setter department composed by Piva and Lanier, at the center the pair Danesi-Kurtagic. Fersino libero. Conegliano responds with the starting sextet: Wolosz-Haak on the setter-opponent diagonal, Gabi and Zhu in place four. At center Fahr and Chirichella; De Gennaro libero.
First SET
Underwhelming start for Egonu and her teammates who immediately found themselves down 6-2. Forced to chase, Numia starts to get into gear and first halves the disadvantage (10-8), then, Kurtagic’s two consecutive monster blocks give Milan parity (12-12). In comes Pietrini for Piva but the change does not intimidate Conegliano: +3 (17-14) for the Venetians and the Vero Volley bench stops the game. In the final, the pink jersey formation dominated, earning seven set points and closing the partial with a score of 25-18.
SECOND SET
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The’start of the second set is a photocopy of the first, with the rosablu chasing but unable to find their game; under in the score of 9-4 coach Lavarini spends the first time-out of the partial to try to break the rhythm of the opponents. Timid reaction of the meneghine that shorten the gap (11-8) but the Panthers stretch again. Captain Egonu’s service turn gives confidence to her team that gets back in touch (16-16) and finds the first lead of the match on 16-17. Bosio’s ace allows Numia to take a +2 lead (19-21) at the crucial moment of the set. Milan’s run continues (19-23), but Prosecco Doc attempts a comeback. Coach Santarelli’s lineup mistake gives Numia Vero Volley three set points, with Milan –on the second chance – winning the set 22-25 and bringing the set count back into balance.
THIRD SET
Coach Lavarini confirms Cagnin on the court, who was well taken over in the second set. Equilibrium at the start of the fraction, but the break comes for Wolosz and teammates who take a 6-4 lead. Numia Vero Volley Milano seems to have found its rhythm and responds: 8-11 for the meneghine and suspension for coach Santarelli. The Veneto bench tries to run for cover: in come Sillah and Daalderop, but the opponents’ changes do not seem to stop Egonu and her teammates who keep the lead firmly (11-17). Conegliano shortens the distance (16-20) and the meneghino staff calls the’break. Despite Prosecco Doc’s attempt to extend the set, at the end Coach Lavarini’s girls were good at keeping their concentration and closing 20-25, a score that allowed them to take the lead to 1-2 in the set tally.
FURTH SET
The partial does not start in the best way for Numia Vero Volleyball, which, as in the previous fractions, finds itself forced to chase the Venetians, returned the court with a different spirit. 8-4 for the Panthers and time-out Milan, but on the return to the court the opponents prevail: 12-5 for Imoco and coach Lavarini tries to change the cards by inserting Miner and Pietrini. The new entries do not benefit the Milanese game that nothing can to the overwhelming power of the girls in pink jersey (16-7). Vero Volley couldn’t counter Conegliano’s run that with Zhu’s attack closed the fraction (25-13) and took the match to the tie-break.
FINTH SET
Back-and-forth at the start of the fifth and decisive set, but it is the meneghine who find the break that is worth 2-6 and Santarelli suspends the game in an attempt to break the pace of the rosablu. At the changeover, it is Milan that is ahead (4-8); Egonu and her teammates suffer the Venetian comeback, but they are good at staying sharp and keeping control of the set (8-11). Egonu’s attack from set two gives three match points to Numia: Conegliano cancels the first but once again captain Egonu puts the ball on the floor (12-15) that gives Milan the Fineco 2025 Supercup.
POST-PARTIAL STATEMENTS
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Paola Egonu, captain Numia Vero Volley Milano: “I am super proud of this group and this result: we worked so hard, starting from scratch. I am happy that we believed until the last without ever giving up, for us this is a great achievement”.
Claudio Bonati, Vero Volleyball sports director: “I am very happy with this victory, we deserved it: we have all worked in this direction in recent years. We have made important choices by letting go very emblazoned players, but others have arrived: it is a very different team, which fights every day to get to its goals. A very united group and I hope this is just the beginning of a beautiful story, for this season and the next ones. I am very happy and want to dedicate this victory to my family, but also and especially to the ownership: Aldo Fumagalli and Alessandra Marzari, our president who deserves this and other successes”.
Prosecco Doc A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano – Numia Vero Volley Milan 2-3 (25-18; 22-25; 20-25; 25-13; 12-15)
Prosecco Doc A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano: Gabi 8, Zhu 10, Scognamillo, Ewert, Lubian 5, De Gennaro (L), Haak 32, Wolosz, Adigwe 1, Daalderop 1, Chirichella 6, Fahr 2, Sillah 11. N.E.: Munarini (L). All. Santarelli.
Numia Vero Volley Milano: Miner, Gelin, Bosio 8, Pietrini 2, Plak 2, Sartori 1, Danesi 5, Kurtagic 7, Cagnin 6, Lanier 14, Egonu 30, Piva 1, Fersino (L). N. E.: Modesti (L). All. Lavarini.
NOTE
Arbitrators: Massimiliano Giardini, Maurizio Canessa
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Spectators: 6807
Set duration: 22′, 28′, 25′, 22′, 17′. Tot. 2h10′.
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MVP: Paola Egonu (Numia Vero Volley Milan)
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Prosecco Doc A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano: winning strokes 1, wrong strokes 12, walls 7, errors 21, attack 43%
Numia Vero Volley Milan: winning strokes 4, wrong strokes 12, walls 11, errors 28, attack 37%
Facility: PalaTrieste – Trieste
