Italian 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 above all
Bulgarian national player Georgi Tatarov was the best 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 another 12, but Grottazzolina's efforts yielded only one point in the standings. The team is playing for honor, having only one win and 6 points accumulated during the season. Iliya Petkov is not yet in the game due to a long absence from injury, but he was warming up and ready to play.
Trentino without Michieletto and Loecher, but with experience in decisive moments
The champions were severely weakened – without the injured Loecher in the middle and without their star Alessandro Michieletto. Nevertheless, Trentino found a way to escape the difficult situation.
Ramon led the hosts with 19 points, the accelerating Daniele Lavia added 16, Theo Faure finished with 13, and Gabi Garcia and Bella Barta each contributed 10 points.
Even in the tie-break, things did not start well for Trentino, as Grottazzolina was the first to reach the eighth point. Ultimately, however, experience prevailed, and the champion closed out the match, taking two points instead of three.
Team statistics
| Category | 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 vs 7) proved crucial for Trento, who compensated for their 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 position at the top.
Grottazzolina, for its part, showed that even though last, it can be an extremely inconvenient opponent when playing without pressure and with motivation for prestige.
photos: legavolley.it
