Monza recorded their first victory of the new season in the Italian SuperLega, defeating Cuneo 3:2 (25:21, 25:23, 23:25, 26:28, 15:13) as guests in a match from the fourth round of the championship. Bulgarian internationals Zhasmin Velichkov and Iliya Petkov made significant contributions to the success, which saw Massimo Eccheli's team break their streak of three consecutive defeats.
Monza took a 2:0 lead in sets, winning the first two parts 25:21 and 25:23. However, the hosts did not give up and managed to restore parity after 25:23 and 28:26. Thus, the winner had to be determined in a tie-break, where the guests showed stronger nerves and achieved success with 15:13.
The most effective player for Monza was opposite Diego Fracchio with 27 points, including 25 from attack with 54% efficiency. He was also named player of the match.

Zhasmin Velichkov finished with 15 points, of which 11 were from attack, 3 blocks, and 1 ace. The Bulgarian outside hitter was tasked with 33 attacks and 25 receptions, with 48% positive reception. Velichkov was also Monza's most utilized player in reception, taking nearly 30% of all opponent's serves.

Middle blocker Iliya Petkov also performed excellently, scoring 13 points. The Bulgarian demonstrated impressive efficiency in attack - 10 successful plays from 15 attempts (67%), to which he added 2 blocks and 1 ace.
Monza's other middle blocker, Thomas Beretta, also played a strong match, finishing with 12 points, including 5 blocks. Blocking proved to be one of the guests' important weapons, as they finished with a total of 11 points from this element.
For Cuneo, Nathan Ferral was above all with 31 points, including 26 from attack, 3 blocks, and 2 aces. Despite his impressive individual performance, the hosts were unable to achieve a comeback.
The victory is particularly important for Monza, who started the season with three losses and needed a positive result. The success in Cuneo brought the first two points to the team's tally and showed that Bulgarian internationals Velichkov and Petkov can play a leading role in the squad this season.

photos:legavolley.it