Spanish Guaguas Las Palmas, who eliminated Levski on their way to the Champions League group stage, played an excellent match against Italian powerhouse Perugia, but dramatically lost 2:3 (23:25, 20:25, 25:22, 25:16, 10:15).
After losing the first two sets, the Spaniards found their rhythm, leading 21:13 in the fourth set and giving away only three more points to the Italian giants. This was thanks to solid blocking and strong serving - 6 points for the hosts in that set came from 3 blocks and three aces, against only one point-scoring block for the Italians.
Former Bulgarian national setter Dobromir Dimitrov came on in the second and third sets, stabilized the play, and helped the hosts equalize the score and force the match into a tie-break.
For Guaguas Las Palmas, Wallace Souza was the top scorer with 23 points, while Osmany Juantorena played a very strong match with 15 points, being among the leaders in attack and a key figure in the comeback in the third and fourth sets. Rousseaux and Ramos added 14 points each, and Spencer finished with 13.
In Perugia's lineup, Ben Tara showed his class with 22 points, Solè with 17, and Ishikawa with 16, who tipped the scales in favor of the Italians in the decisive fifth set. The Tunisian opposite, who is rumored for a transfer to Japan, became the MVP of the match.
Despite the loss, the Spaniards once again proved that they deservedly eliminated Levski, and Dimitrov's inclusion and Juantorena's strong performance were among the biggest positives for Las Palmas.
photos: cev.eu
