Lube Civitanova took an important step towards the semifinals in the Italian SuperLega, after winning away against Trento with 3:1 (25:23, 26:24, 23:25, 25:17) in the first match of the quarterfinal series. The great hero of the match was again Bulgarian national player Alex Nikolov, who scored 26 points and was the top scorer for the winners.
Already in the first set, Nikolov showed he would be a key figure. At 22:20 for the visitors, he already had 9 points, including a block. It was in this set that the Bulgarian receiver crossed the 500-point mark for the season, finishing the set with 501. The set ended with two consecutive aces from Belgian middle blocker De Heer, which gave Lube the lead.
In the second set, Trento started stronger and took a three-point lead, but the advantage quickly evaporated and the game became a point-for-point exchange. The match was marked by numerous service errors, with a large portion coming from the visitors. After an ace by Ramon, the hosts led 19:16, but two consecutive points by Nikolov brought Lube back into the game.
Later, an ace by Leoppky tied the score at 20:20. The hosts reached set point first through Ramon, but Nikolov equalized at 24:24 and recorded his 17th point. Ultimately, after an ace against Ramon and an attack out by Trento, the visitors closed the set and took a 2:0 lead, with the Bulgarian having 52% attack efficiency up to that point.
The third set started better for Lube, who after an ace by Nikolov took a 6:3 lead. Trento, however, reacted and after a series of strong attacks by Theo Fore, equalized at 10:10, and subsequently turned the score around. Towards the end, the game went point for point and the set went into extra points. After a service error by Botolo and an ace by substitute Gaby Garcia, the hosts reduced the deficit to 2:1 sets.
The fourth set was controlled by Lube. After Trento's opening points, the visitors took the initiative and gradually built up a lead. At 6:9, Nikolov scored his 25th point, and a series of errors by the hosts extended the lead to 8:12.
The difference grew to 11:18 after a block by Lube. Despite Bella Barta's efforts, the visitors' blocking started working excellently. After a rally that lasted almost three minutes, a double block by Gargiulo and Nikolov made it 16:23.
Erik Leoppky secured match point, and the last point came after an attack out from zone 4 by Daniele Lavia.
| Team | Total points | Attack | Block | Aces | Points from errors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trento | 89 | 41 | 4 | 9 | 35 |
| Lube Civitanova | 101 | 56 | 12 | 8 | 25 |
The main difference in the match came from attack and block. Lube scored 56 points in attack against 41 for Trento, which indicates higher efficiency in finishing attacks. There was also a significant advantage in blocks – 12 against 4, which tipped the scales, especially in the fourth set. Trento partially compensated with more points from opponent errors, but this was not enough.
| Player | Team | Points | +/- Rating | Aces | Block | Attack % | Positive Reception % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Nikolov | Lube | 26 | +6 | 1 | 3 | 48% | 55% |
| Mattia Bottolo | Lube | 16 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Erik Loeppky | Lube | 14 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Garcillo | Lube | 10 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Théo Faure | Trento | 15 | - | - | - | - | - |
Alex Nikolov was the most influential player on the court. Besidesthe 26 points, he also contributed with3 blocks and stable reception (55% positive), which allowed him to be a constant offensive option. For Trento, the only one with a double-digit score wasThéo Faure with 15 points, which clearly shows the home team's problems in attack.
The second match of the series between Lube Civitanova and Trento is scheduled forMarch 15 in Civitanova, where Alex Nikolov's team will have the opportunity to take another step towards the semi-finals.
