Italian "Megabox Ondulati del Savio Vallefoglia", coached by Andrea Pistola, started its pre-season training with participation inthe 1st Pordenone City Cup tournament, where in the semi-final it faced Greek "Panathinaikos". The team from Athens, led by Italian Alessandro Chiappini, is one of the strongest in the Greek championship and this year will play in theCEV Challenge Cup. After four contested sets, the victory went to the Greek team \u2013 3:1.
National team player Mikaela Stoyanova scored 9 points and was among the top scorers for the team, actively entering the rotation.Tsvetomira Mitkova remained among the unused substitutes, and is expected to get more playing time during the course of the preparation.
This is an important moment for our two young volleyball players, who are continuing their adaptation to one of the strongest championships in Europe.
Score and statistics
| Team | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | Set 4 | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panathinaikos | 25 | 25 | 18 | 25 | 3 |
| Megabox | 22 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 1 |
All sets were evenly matched, with "Megabox" losing minimally in the first two, and being close to a tie-break in the fourth. This suggests that the team is already showing synergy, but still makes mistakes in crucial points.
| Megabox Vallefoglia | Points |
|---|---|
| Bici | 15 |
| Ungureanu | 15 |
| Stoyanova (Bulgaria) | 9 |
| Candi | 10 |
| Omoruyi | 8 |
| Carletti | 4 |
| Butigan | 4 |
| Bartoluzzi | 2 |
Mika Stoyanova ranks third in scoring for the team – indicative of the trust she receives. Despite the defeat, the presence of three attackers with double-digit scores is a positive for "Megabox."
On Sunday, September 21, "Megabox" will play for third place against the loser of the other semifinal between "Imoco Conegliano" and "Macerata." This will be a new opportunity for the Bulgarians to gain game practice and confidence before the start of the Serie A1 season.
