How bitter Europe is, Perugia and Modena remain on the ground

Zaksa-Perugia 3-1 (25-18, 24-26, 25-19, 25-22)

Now Sir Perugia will need the great feat to qualify for the Champions League final, after the defeat in four sets at Zaksa. The Polish team actually turned out to be superior to the Umbrian one, both on a technical level, as well as in terms of compactness and above all continuity. The second leg of this semi-final is scheduled for Thursday 6 April at 20.30 at the PalaBarton, even if SIR will be engaged in game 4 of the quarter-finals of the Scudetto playoffs first, which will be played away against Allianz Milano on Sunday at 18.00. Against Zaksa, coach Andrea Anastasi initially left out Solè and Semeniuk, deploying Giannelli as director and opposite Rychlicki, Russo and Flavio in the centre, Leon and Plotnytskyi as spikers, with Colaci free. In the first set Zaksa started strong, stretching up to 12-6 and then 20-14, finding on the other side a Sir who, with her own mistakes and with a not very incisive serve, favored the game of the Poles, who with Smith and Bednorz were devastating at times, until Leon’s final serving error, which gave the set (25-18) to Zaksa. In the second set Anastasi tried to run for cover, inserting Herrera for Rychlicki from the start and a better balance was seen on the court, going from 11-11 to 13-13 and 15-15, then there was l Perugia extends until 16-19, but with the recovery of the Poles on 19-19. Thanks to Herrera himself (8 points and 80% in attack in the fraction), Perugia started ahead again on 19-21, then being overtaken on 24-23. A double touch from Poland brought Perugia back to an equal footing, until Flavio’s final block (24-26) on Bednorz who brought the match back to 1-1. In the third set Zaksa immediately ahead on 4-1, which was then confirmed on 7-4 and 10-7. Every attempt by Anastasi’s sextet to react proved to be in vain and Zaksa went up to 16-11 and then to 19-14. Perugia looked for a comeback, getting close to 22-19, and then giving away the final point (25-19) with a lob from Giannelli that ended wide. In the fourth set Anastasi introduced Semeniuk and Solè from the start for Plotnytskyi and Solè, but the sextet of Tuomas Sammelvuo started equally ahead on 8-4 and then on 15-10 thanks to a superlative Bednorz (best scorer of the match with 23 points), but Perugia with a break brought it closer to 15-14. On the new extension of the Poles up to 20-17, Anastasi’s team fell apart, despite Leon’s growth in serve (Perugia’s best scorer with 17 points, of which 3 aces) up to the closing point of the match (25- 22) arrived with a Janusz block on Semeniuk. To reach the final, next Thursday Perugia will have to beat the Poles 3-0 or 3-1 and then win the additional play-off set. (Antonello Menconi)

Modena-Roeselare 0-3 (21-25, 23-25, 21-25) “We never lit up in the most important race of the year. Now we have to find the strength, above all mental, to get out of this hole”. Bruno’s words summarize what was a defeat for Modena in the first leg of the Cev Cup final. Roeselare has in fact asphalted the gialloblù, the latter always forced to chase. Practically only Lagumdzija, as often happens, was the only one who kept a sunken boat afloat without ever reacting. Satisfied? Tired? Not concentrated? Hard to figure out a real reason. It was enough to see Ngapeth’s face after the first exchanges to understand that it wasn’t going to be an evening. Bruno imprecise, Rinaldi never in the game and too foul in some important moments. But almost the whole team failed. In short, the worst Modena of the whole season. Gialloblù with the starting team. Belgians on the field with D’Hulst-Koukartsev, Rotty (forced out due to injury at 2-3) -Verhanneman, central Coolman-Fasteland, libero Deroey. Modena’s departure was not the best. Lack of concentration, continuously imprecise reception, difficulty in defence. On the contrary, the Belgians regularly receive on the head of the playmaker D’Hulst and with a regular ball change they also give the first tear on the errors of Modena, with Stankovic and Ngapeth. 12-9 for the guests who will defend the advantage until the end. Valsa continues to make mistakes, Ngapeth still seems out of the game, attack in the hands of Lagumdzija (7 points in the set). At 20-22 Rinaldi could lead to -1 but crushes off the pitch. First set that closes on 25-21 for Roeselare, relentless in attack (63%) The second set is a photocopy of the first. Equality until 10-10 then between mistakes, some decisive, and Bruno’s inaccuracies, everything becomes complicated for Modena and Roeselare puts their head forward. As? Bad replay by Stankovic, error in reception by Rinaldi, and the Belgians go ahead 13-10. Ace Bruno (13-14) is an illusion. Modena remains attached until 19-20. Attack out by Rinaldi, wrong reception by Rinaldi himself, and Roeselare goes up 22-19. Giani recalls Rinaldi and lets Marechal enter. The inertia of the set is marked, ace and attack by Lagumdzija (23-24). The curtain falls on Ngapeth’s wrong joke completely out of the race like the whole team except the Turkish opposite. 17 points in two sets for Lagumdzija, but he can’t do everything alone. On the other hand, Koukrtsev continues to wreak havoc. No reaction in the third set. Roeselare tramples on what remains of Modena. Lagumdzija signs 9 all, then it’s a constant collapse. Giani’s team stays within one until 20-21. The Belgians, precise in reception and overtime in defense, do not forgive the slightest mistake and thus win in the carriage. For Modena on Sunday in Piacenza game four of the playoffs. In seven days I return to Belgium. To lift the trophy Valsa will have to win four sets. There are 30 point mistakes made by Modena in just three partials, Roeselare implacable with the Argentinean Koukartsev (17 points) and Tammerau. The director D’Hulst is perfect. (Paolo Reggianini)