Bulgarian national coach Gianlorenzo Blengini continues his impressive performance at the helm of the women's team of Vero Volley Milano in the Italian Serie A1.
In the big derby of the seventh round, Milano crushed Savino Del Bene Scandicci as a guest with3:0 (25:21, 25:22, 25:17)and inflicted a third defeat on one of the main contenders for the title.
The victory in Florence was particularly valuable, as the hosts were in excellent form and had won their previous four matches in the championship. Against Blengini's well-organized squad, however, Scandicci failed to win even a set.
Milano started the match confidently and took the first set with 25:21. The second set was the most contested, but the guests again showed greater stability in the decisive rallies and prevailed with 25:22.
In the third set, Milano's superiority became even more palpable. Blengini's volleyball players gradually increased their lead and closed the match with a convincing 25:17.
Paola Egonu was once again the big star of the winners.The Italian international finished with 21 points, of which 15 in attack, 4 aces and 2 successful blocks. Halia Lanier with 10 points, Anna Danesi with 9 and Hena Kurtagic with 7 also made a significant contribution.
Danesi's blocking performance was particularly impressive. The middle blocker scored 5 points from this element, making a major contribution to Milano's superiority at the net.
For the hosts, the most effective scorer was Canadian international Kiera Van Ryk with 13 points, while Avery Skinner and Caterina Bosetti added 10 each.
The block made the difference
The statistics from the match show Milano's categorical superiority in one of the most important components of modern volleyball. The guests won 11 points from blocks against only 4 for Scandicci.
Interestingly, in attack, the two teams were almost equal - 36 successful attacks for Milano against 35 for the hosts. On serve, Blengini's team also had an advantage with 6 aces against 4.
Six wins with 3:0 and one with 3:1
After seven rounds, Vero Volley Milano has an impressive record of seven wins and no losses, with six of the successes achieved without losing a set.
The only team that managed to win a set against Milano since the beginning of the championship is Macerata.
Thus, Blengini's team collected the maximum 21 points and temporarily took the lead in the standings, before the remaining matches of the round were played.
For Bulgarian fans, Milano's performance has additional significance. Gianlorenzo Blengini combines his work in one of the strongest women's club championships in the world with his duties as coach of the Bulgarian men's national team.
Milano's next challenge is a home game against Brescia on November 11, and on November 22, the big derby with champion Conegliano is coming up.
photo:legavolleyfemminile.it
