Sir Safety Susa Vim Perugia took a decisive step towards the championship title in the Italian SuperLega, after winning as a guest against Cucine Lube Civitanova with a comeback of 3:1 (22:25, 25:22, 25:22, 25:22) and leading 2:0 in the final series. Angelo Lorenzetti's team is now just one victory away from the gold, and can close out the series on May 6 in front of their home crowd at "Pala Barton".
The match started excellently for the hosts from Lube. After an even start up to 10:10, Aleksandar Nikolov gave impetus with a successful attack and a subsequent ace for 11:10. In the crucial moments, Mattia Bottolo was above all, finishing the set with 8 points and securing Civitanova's advantage – 1:0.
The second set again started under Lube's dictation. Two three-point runs gave them a 9:5 lead, and at 18:14, after Nikolov's seventh point, the hosts seemed close to doubling their score. However, a collapse followed – Perugia turned the game around with a powerful run, in which Ben Tara was a key factor, and an ace by Kamil Plotnytskyi and a block against Nikolov made it 19:22. The visitors closed the set and equalized.
The third set unfolded in a similar scenario. Lube led initially, but Perugia gradually leveled the play, leading to a tie at 20:20. In the decisive rallies, an ace by Agustin Loser tipped the scales, and an attack error by Bottolo gave the visitors a chance to take a 2:1 lead.
In the fourth set, the tie remained until 14:14, after which Perugia took control and maintained a 2-3 point lead. Lube equalized at 22:22 after an attack by Bottolo, but Ben Tara again put the visitors ahead, and Loser and Plotnytskyi ended the dispute.
Individual Statistics
Erik Loeppky and Aleksandar Nikolov finished with 14 points each. The Bulgarian international added 1 ace and 2 blocks, recording 34% attack efficiency. Mattia Bottolo was the top scorer for the hosts with 16 points, but his efforts were not enough.
For Perugia, the trio that carried the team throughout the season once again stood out – Wassim Ben Tara finished with 23 points, Oleh Plotnytskyi added 18, and Kamil Semeniuk recorded 13. Their effectiveness in crucial moments made the difference.
Team Statistics
| Statistic | Lube | Perugia |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 19 | 9 |
| Attack (%) | 47% | 48% |
| Attack points | 48 | 56 |
| Positive reception | 58% | 39% |
| Aces | 4 | 4 |
| Service errors | 18 | 21 |
| Points from opponent errors | 27 | 26 |
| Total points | 92 | 96 |
Despite Lube having a significant advantage in blocks (19:9) and better reception (58% vs. 39%), Perugia compensated with a more effective attack in terms of volume (56 points vs. 48). It was the better execution in attack and the stability in blocking/defense in crucial moments that tilted the match in favor of the visitors. A key factor was the work of setter Simone Giannelli. Despite a more inconsistent reception, he managed to organize the attack excellently and distribute the play to the main trio Ben Tara – Plotnytskyi – Semeniuk, who once again demonstrated their ability to decide big matches.
Perugia is just one win away from the title and will have the opportunity to win it in front of their home crowd. Lube showed that they can dominate in individual aspects, but their lack of consistency in key moments has so far proven decisive in the final series.
