Fano, with Bulgarian volleyball players Stoil Palev and Denis Karyagin in its squad, suffered a dramatic 2:3 (23:25, 25:17, 25:22, 25:27, 13:15) loss while visiting Belluno in a match from the fourth round of the Italian Serie A2.
The match in VHV Arena lasted 150 minutes, with the visitors being only two points away from victory in the fourth set, but ultimately losing after a tie-break.
Bulgarian setter Stoil Palev started as a starter and finished with 4 points, all scored from blocks. He was Fano's most effective player in this element, also performing 17 serves.
Denis Karyagin started as a starter but was subsequently substituted. The Bulgarian outside hitter finished with 3 points – one from attack and two from blocks. He scored one out of 12 attacks (8% success rate), and also registered 14 receptions.
Giulio Pinali was the most effective player for Fano with 23 points, of which 19 were from attack, 2 aces, and 2 blocks. Matteo Meschiari added 20 points, and Claudio Cattaneo finished with 12.
For the winners, Andrea Baldi scored 23 points, Carli Alic added 21, and Enrico Basso contributed 11.
The match started evenly, with Belluno narrowly taking the first set 25:23. Fano responded convincingly in the second set with 25:17, and after 25:22 in the third, they were already leading 2:1 in sets.
The fourth set became the key moment of the match. The visitors had a 21:20 lead, but Belluno managed to turn the tide and snatch the set 27:25.
In the tie-break, the hosts took a 5:3 lead and after a hard-fought final part, won 15:13.
Interestingly, Fano had a significant advantage in blocks – 15:10, with six of the successful blocks coming from the two Bulgarians. The visitors also scored more points from attack – 59 against 58, with a higher success rate – 45% against 40%.
However, one of the main problems for Fano was the serve. The team made a total of 26 service errors against 18 for Belluno, which affected the final result.
Despite the defeat, Fano left Belluno with one point, but can certainly regret the missed opportunity to win the match already in the fourth set.
photo: legavolley.it
