After 14 played rounds and 13 consecutive losses, the Grottazzolina team finally achieved its first victory in the championship, and that too at home in the "PalaSavelli" in Porto San Giorgio, where they dramatically defeated their direct competitor for survival – Cisterna (Latina) with a score of 3:2 (20-25, 26-24, 25-22, 23-25, 15-9).
The success came after a real battle, in which the Bulgarian presence played a significant role, with Georgi Tatarov standing out most prominently. The national player entered the game decisively in the fourth and fifth sets and brought the necessary freshness, stability, and key plays, which ultimately tipped the scales in favor of the hosts.
Tatarov was among the main protagonists at the end of the fourth set, when Grottazzolina almost pushed the set to deuce. An ace by the Bulgarian made the score 23:24 and restored hope for the hosts. Subsequently, a video replay led to a tie-break, in which Grottazzolina showed stronger nerves.
In the decisive fifth set, the hosts took an early lead and established control. Errors in Cisterna's squad became more frequent, and at 6:3 came the first timeout. Tatarov continued to dictate the tempo – his technical tip made the score 7:4, and then a block by the Bulgarian led to the side change at 8:4. Grottazzolina's pressure intensified, and the lead grew to 10:5 after another video replay. After a service error by Plak, the hosts reached their first match point, and an attack by Magalini sealed the match.
Georgi Tatarov finished with 11 points, including 1 block and 3 aces, achieved in two full sets of play. The other Bulgarian in the squad – Iliya Petkov, added 4 points and 1 block.
The top scorer for the winners was Michele Fedrizzi with 23 points. Magalini contributed 16, and the Iranian Golzaden finished with 13 points. For the visitors from Cisterna, Filippo Lanza scored the most – 18 points.
Purely statistically, the match was extremely even, which perfectly corresponds with its development and reaching a tie-break. Cisterna had a minimal advantage in attack points (57 against 56), but it did not prove decisive. Blocking was completely even – 9 points for both teams, indicating a similar level of net play.
The difference came from the serve and control in key moments. Grottazzolina scored more points from service (9 against 6), with the aces at the end of the fourth set and in the tie-break rattling the visitors' reception. Equally important were Cisterna's errors – 35 points in favor of the hosts against 33 in the opposite direction. At first glance, the difference is small, but in a match decided in a fifth set, these two points proved to be of immense significance.
Ultimately, the statistics clearly show that Grottazzolina did not win by domination, but with better management of pressure, more effective serving, and less hesitation in crucial rallies.
This first victory could prove to be a turning point for Grottazzolina in their battle to stay in the elite, and the Bulgarian contribution in key moments cannot be overlooked.
