In the third round of the Italian Superleague, Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina once again missed a chance for their first victory, losing as guests to Cisterna Volley with a score of 2:3 (22:25, 25:22, 20:25, 25:22, 13:15). The match was not particularly high-class, but it was full of twists, tension, and important individual performances – among them were the Bulgarians Iliya Petkov and Georgi Tatarov.

A hesitant start, but Yuasa stabilized.

Without their main opposite hitter Petkovic, Massimo Ortenzi's team started with difficulty, showing serious fluctuations in reception. Nevertheless, Georgi Tatarov set the tone for resistance – his block led to a 7:7 tie, and his confident presence later helped Yuasa get back into the match. The first set still went to the hosts (25:22), who exerted pressure with their serve.

The second set – Petkov's stage.

In the second part, Grottazzolina took the lead after a strong run, highlighted by two consecutive blocks by Iliya Petkov and an excellent diagonal attack by Tatarov. The Bulgarian middle blocker was stable in attack and brought calmness to the guests' play. Even after a controversial video check situation that unnerved the team, Petkov and company maintained concentration and leveled the score with a 22:25 win.

Fall and resurgence.

The third set was Yuasa's weakest – not a single ace, not a single block, and reception crumbled. Cisterna punished every mistake and took a 2:1 lead.
But in the fourth part, Iliya Petkov and Georgi Tatarov once again led the team – Petkov was flawless in the middle and scored the crucial point for 25:22, leveling the score and sending the match to a tie-break. Tatarov, for his part, was the most reliable in attack, converting important balls at the end of the set.

Dramatic tie-break and a missed chance.

The decisive fifth set started promisingly for the guests (2:5), but a series of reception errors and a great serve by Filippo Lanza turned the tide of the match. Grottazzolina couldn't hold onto their lead, and Cisterna, led by their experienced captain (16 points in the match), closed out the match 15:13.
Despite the defeat, Petkov's and Tatarov's performances were among the few bright spots for Yuasa. The middle blocker finished with 3 points, being targeted 6 times by the setter, making 1 attack error, and being blocked twice. The national team player's serve proved more stable, with only two errors from 15 attempts. Tatarov contributed 12 points (1 block) and showed relative stability both in attack, where he finished with 37%, and in difficult digs in defense. In reception, the national team player achieved 41% positive and only 18% perfect.

Match statistics.

Yuasa showed higher efficiency in attack, but the difference came from the serve "," only two aces against eleven for the hosts. This proved decisive in the key moments of the match.

Grottazzolina again demonstrated potential, but also a lack of composure at the end. If the team manages to stabilize their reception and serve, their first victory is a matter of time.