The European champions and World Championship runners-up Itas Trentino defeated Cisterna 3-1 (25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 25-15) and qualified for their sixteenth semi-final in the Italian Cup tournament, which will take place on January 25/26, 2025, at the Unipol Arena in Casalecchio di Reno (Bologna).
Alessandro Michieletto, who finished with 29 points, was the undisputed hero of the match. "We really wanted this victory; this was one of the most important matches of the season. The support of our fans gave us an additional boost, but Cisterna showed they have serious weapons like serve and attack to make it difficult for us. We played well, although not perfectly. The important thing was to win," he shared after the match.
Domenico Pace, Cisterna's libero and former Trentino player, who was applauded by the crowd, acknowledged the opponent's strength: "At the beginning, the match was competitive; we knew it wouldn't be easy today. In the second set, Itas Trentino showed great volleyball and deservedly won a spot in the Italian Cup semi-finals."
Coach Fabio Soli opted for a starting six with Sbertoli as setter, Rychlicki - opposite, Michieletto and Lavia - outside hitters, Flavio and Bartha - middle blockers, and Laurenzano - libero. For their part, coach Falasca started with Fanizza as setter, Forry - opposite, Bayram and Ramon - outside hitters, Diamantini and Nedeljkovic - middle blockers, and Pace - libero.
The match went through several phases, with the hosts from Trentino dominating the second and fourth sets, while Cisterna managed to win the third set. The fourth set proved decisive, with Trentino asserting their superiority with powerful serving and strong defense to close the match 25-15. In front of 3900 spectators at the ilT Quotidiano Arena, Trentino achieved an important victory on their way to the Final Four, while Cisterna exited the tournament with their heads held high, showing they can compete with one of the strongest teams in Europe.