Italy's champion Itas Trentino avoided a sensational home defeat but was forced to go through a five-set drama against bottom-of-the-table Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina – 3:2(22:25,25:15,23:25,25:22,15:13).
The guests from the Marche region pushed the favorite to their limits and even took a 2:1 lead in sets, which put the hosts under immense pressure and forced them to seek their maximum to avoid embarrassment and a historic sensation.
Tatarov shines
The Bulgarian national player Georgi Tatarov was above all in the match, playing an impressive game and becoming the top scorer with 23 points, a +8 efficiency rating, 2 blocks, 44% positive reception, and 47% attack efficiency.
Magalini added 19 points, and veteran Dragan Stankovic scored 12 more, but Grottazzolina's efforts only brought them one point in the standings. The team is playing for honor, having only one win and 6 points this season. Iliya Petkov is not yet in the game due to a long injury absence, but he was warming up and ready to enter the game.
Trentino without Micheletto and Loecher, but with experience in decisive moments
The champions were seriously weakened – without the injured Loecher in the middle and without their star Alessandro Micheletto. Nevertheless, Trentino found a way to escape the difficult situation.
Ramon led the hosts with 19 points, the accelerating Daniele Lavia added 16 (he was named MVP), Théo Faure finished with 13, and Gabi Garcia and Bella Barta each contributed 10 points.
Even in the tie-break, things didn't start well for Trentino, as Grottazzolina was the first to reach the eighth point. Ultimately, however, experience prevailed, and the champion closed the match, taking two points instead of three.
Team Statistics
| Statistic | Trentino | Grottazzolina |
|---|---|---|
| Block | 17 | 7 |
| Attack % | 47% | 42% |
| Attack Points | 54 | 56 |
| Positive Reception | 42% | 41% |
| Aces | 9 | 3 |
| Service Errors | 20 | 21 |
| Total Points | 110 | 100 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 30 | 34 |
The huge difference in blocks (17 against 7) proved crucial for Trento, which compensated for difficulties in attack precisely with dominance at the net. Grottazzolina even scored more points from attack, but failed to hold onto their lead in key moments.
With these two points, Trento remains in third place with 44 points, ahead of Modena with 41. However, the lost point could be significant, as the champions have a tough away game against Piacenza on February 22 in the battle to maintain their top position.
Grottazzolina, on the other hand, showed that even though they are last, they can be an extremely uncomfortable opponent when playing without pressure and with motivation for prestige.
Sunday's match was a jubilee for Riccardo Sbertoli, who captained Trentino Volley for the 80th time in his career. The next goal for the Milanese setter is Nikola Grbić, who performed this role in "yellow-blue" 85 times between 2007 and 2009. Currently, Sbertoli is the sixth player in the club's history by matches as captain, after Kaziyski (306), Lanza (150), Giannelli (131), Birarelli (91), and Grbić himself (85).
photos: legdvolley.it
