Vero Volley Monza qualified for the semifinals of the Playoff Challenge in the Italian SuperLega, after recording a second convincing victory over Sonepar Padua. Massimo Eccheli's team won 3:0 (25:17, 25:19, 25:21) and will face Itas Trentino in the next phase.
The top scorer for Monza's victory was Diego Frascio, who scored 19 points and was deservedly chosen as the most valuable player of the match.
The match was the last for Bulgarian national player Boris Nachev with Padua's team. The middle blocker, who intends to leave the club after the end of the season, finished with 3 points, 2 of which came from blocks.
Indicative of the difficulties in the hosts' game was that no Padua player reached double-digit points.
The other Bulgarian national player in the match, Zhasmin Velichkov, finished with 6 points. He recorded 71% positive and 36% perfect reception, and in attack, he finished with 33% efficiency.
Monza controlled the course of all three sets, showing higher efficiency in attack and more stable blocking. The visitors finished with 55% in attack against 37% for Padua, and precisely the difference in finishing rallies weighed most heavily on the final outcome.
Team statistics:
| Indicator | Padua | Monza |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 3 | 8 |
| Attack efficiency | 37% | 55% |
| Attack points | 26 | 41 |
| Positive reception | 57% | 52% |
| Aces | 2 | 0 |
| Service errors | 15 | 15 |
| Total points | 57 | 75 |
Monza excelled over their opponent primarily at the net and in attack. Eight blocks against only three for Padua and 41 attack points against 26 clearly show why the visitors left no doubt about their superiority. Padua performed slightly better in reception and recorded more aces, but this could not compensate for the significant deficit in the offensive phase.
For Monza, a semifinal clash against Trento awaits in the battle for fifth place, while for Padua, the season ended with a painful elimination and a farewell match for Boris Nachev.
photos: legavolley.it
