ABBA Pineto won the fourth edition of the memorial tournamentFuriassi-Valenti, repeating their success from last year. The competition, part of the preparation for the new season in Serie A2, gathered three of the championship participants on the court at "Banca Macerata Forum" – the hosts from Banca Macerata, Pineto, and Fano.
Promising debut for Rusi Zhelev
Bulgarian receiver Rusi Zhelev appeared in play for Banca Macerata literally hours after his arrival in Italy and immediately made an excellent impression. In the first match against Fano, his team won 2:1 (25-21, 22-25, 15-7), with Zhelev starting as a regular, alongside his compatriot Denis Karyagin in reception. The Bulgarian, a silver medalist from the World Championship in the Philippines, finished with 12 points, demonstrating quick adaptation and effectiveness in attack.
| Macerata – Fano | Result |
|---|---|
| Set 1 | 25-21 |
| Set 2 | 22-25 |
| Set 3 | 15-7 |
Statistics show a stable performance by Macerata in the first and decisive third set, and Zhelev fitted perfectly into the attack from his very first match.
The Final: Pineto prevailed after a tie-break
After a convincing victory by Pineto over Fano (2:0), the two strongest teams faced each other in the final match. Pineto started stronger and took the first set with 25-17, but Macerata responded with 25-22. In the decisive tie-break, Zhelev was again among the top scorers with 8 points, but it was not enough – Pineto triumphed with 15-13 and won the trophy.
| Macerata – Pineto | Result |
|---|---|
| Set 1 | 17-25 |
| Set 2 | 25-22 |
| Set 3 | 13-15 |
Despite a lost final, Zhelev's performance was one of the most positive news for Macerata – activity in attack, stability in reception, and quickly getting into game rhythm.
Zhelev: "I am confident in the potential of this team"
I arrived today and immediately started with a tournament – it was difficult, but I am impressed by the quality of the team. I am sure that a great season awaits us," Rusi Zhelev told the club's website after the match.
