Lube Civitanova missed the opportunity to fight for fifth place before the playoffs in the Italian SuperLega, after losing its away match to 10th-placed Cisterna di Latina with a score of 3:2 (23:25, 21:25, 25:22, 25:23, 12:15) after 2 hours and 32 minutes of play.
The news about the outcome of the match between Piacenza and Trento, where Piacenza took a 2:1 lead in sets and secured at least one point, definitively deprived the Civitanova team of a chance to attack fifth position.
The match – from total control to a squandered clear victory
The match started excellently for the visitors. Lube imposed aggressive serving, stable attacking, and good defensive organization to take a 2:0 lead in sets.
After the second set, however, the dynamic changed. Cisterna raised its block level and started to read the visitors' setter's play better. In the third set, the hosts scored 3 aces, while Lube did not record a single point from serve and block.
A similar picture was seen in the fourth set. The block of the team from the Lazio region proved crucial in forcing the match into a tie-break, even though Lube had its chances to close the encounter with a 3:1 victory.
In the fifth set, the visitors were more concentrated and managed to assert control in the decisive rallies, also aided by two aces. Despite the tie-break win, the lost point proved crucial in the battle for the standings.
Individual Statistics
Alex Nikolov played an exceptional match and finished with 34 points (+15), 1 ace, 2 blocks, and 63% attack efficiency. However, the Bulgarian international made 11 errors from 16 serves. In reception, he recorded 70% positive reception. Logically, he was named MVP of the match.
Leoppky added 15 points, and Pablo Kukartsev – 9, with 8 of them coming in the fourth and fifth sets. The inclusion of the Argentinian opposite could have been earlier, which likely would have changed the course of the match.
For Cisterna, opposite Barotto scored 29 points, and Yuga added 12.
Team Statistics
| Statistic | Cisterna | Lube |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 8 | 6 |
| Attack Efficiency | 46% | 56% |
| Attack Points | 54 | 75 |
| Positive Reception | 40% | 64% |
| Aces | 4 | 5 |
| Points from opponent errors | 20 | 26 |
| Total points scored | 96 | 115 |
The statistics show a paradox – Lube outperforms the opponent in attack (56% vs 46%), has more attack points and better reception. However, Cisterna's block (8 vs 6) and better efficiency in the key moments of the third and fourth set tipped the scales.
A significant factor was also the service errors of the visitors, which limited their ability to exert constant pressure. Ultimately, the lost point proved crucial for Lube's ambitions in the standings before the playoffs. On February 25, Lube hosts Monza in a 'Bulgarian' derby in the last match of the regular season. We remind you that during their visit to Atanasov, Velichkov and company in December, Lube suffered a loss, and Alex Nikolov received his first red card, which subsequently proved decisive, causing him to miss one match from the championship.
