In their first official test of the new season, Cucine Lube Civitanova started with an expected, but not easy, victory over the ambitious newcomer Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina – 3:1 (25:15, 25:16, 23:25, 25:23). Alex Nikolov became the hero of the match, scoring 30 points for the win.
The match, dubbed 'the Marche region derby', pitted three Bulgarian names on the court against each other – Alex Nikolov for Lube and Georgi Tatarov and Iliya Petkov for Grottazzolina.
Before the start of the match, the hosts honored Lube's world champions - Mattia Bottolo, Giovanni Gargiulo, and Fabio Balaso, as well as silver medalist Alex Nikolov.
First set – Lube's dominance and display of class
The start was even only up to 4:4, after which Lube unleashed its full potential.
Alex Nikolov opened with a powerful diagonal for 2:0 and continued to trouble the visitors' block. After an ace by Bottolo (7:4) and a block by Leuppi (10:8), the hosts gradually pulled ahead.
Stable reception and effective attack allowed Lube to build a comfortable lead – 19:13, and at the end, Porro contributed an ace for 25:15.
Key moments:
5 points for Alex Nikolov already in this set
2 aces and 2 blocks for Lube
6 service errors against only 1 for Grottazzolina
Second set – Nikolov took on the role of leader
Bottolo started with a powerful serve, and Nikolov continued to score – first on a counter-attack, then off Tatarov's fingers.
Lube pulled ahead 5:2 and never lost the initiative.
The Bulgarian scored three consecutive successful attacks and an ace, bringing his tally to double digits even before the middle of the set.
Grottazzolina tried to come back through Iliya Petkov's blocks, but Nikolov and Leuppi were unstoppable – 25:16 after another counter-attack by Gargiulo.
Key moments:
5 aces for Lube, including one by Nikolov
Petkov with two successful blocks
Excellent attack percentage – over 70% for the hosts
Third set – resistance and reaction from Grottazzolina
After losing two sets, the visitors finally found their rhythm.
Petkov's serve and Magalini's attacks put Lube under pressure.
Grottazzolina took a 6:10 lead and held onto their advantage thanks to their three aces in the set.
Nikolov narrowed the gap to 20:21 with an ace (his 21st point), but a series of serving errors and missed counter-attacks allowed the visitors to close out the set at 23:25.
Key moments:
18 total serving errors for Lube by the end of the set
3 aces for Grottazzolina – crucial in this set
The visitors' aggressive serving secured the win in this set.
Fourth set – Nikolov's leadership and a classy finish
With 22 points already under his belt, Alex Nikolov continued to be Lube's main weapon.
After 3:2, Botolo served an ace, sparking a run to 10:5, forcing Grottazzolina to call a timeout.
The Bulgarian added eight more points, including the attack for the final 25:23, which closed out the match.
The visitors attempted a final surge, narrowing the gap to 24:23, but Lube demonstrated maturity and the match ended symbolically – with an attack by Nikolov from zone 4. The national player finished with a colossal 30 points in four sets and deservedly became the match MVP.
Match statistics
| Statistic | Lube Civitanova | Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 55 | 35 |
| Block | 6 | 7 |
| Aces | 12 | 3 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 25 | 34 |
| Service errors | 25 | 18 |
| Най-резултатен играч | Алекс Николов – 30 точки |
