CEV Cup: Piacenza Wins Thrilling Tie-Break Against Ljubljana

Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory against ACH Volley Ljubljana in the CEV Cup, overcoming an initially challenging match. The Italian team demonstrated remarkable resilience, especially in the opening set and the decisive tie-break.

The match began unfavorably for Piacenza, who quickly fell behind in the first set, with the Slovenians establishing a five-point lead and holding four set points. However, Piacenza staged an incredible comeback, nullifying seven set points before eventually closing the set 30-28 with an ace from Bovolenta on their second opportunity. This momentum carried Piacenza to an easier win in the second set.

The third set saw Ljubljana fight back strongly. After Piacenza managed to cancel four set points, the Slovenians ultimately won the set 29-27. Ljubljana continued their resurgence in the fourth set, dominating to secure a 25-20 victory, forcing the match into a tie-break.

In the crucial fifth set, Piacenza left no doubt. Following an initial point for Ljubljana, Piacenza took command, establishing an 8-3 lead. The tie-break became a showcase for Mandiraci, who delivered an astounding run of ten consecutive serves, including three aces, propelling Piacenza to a dominant 15-4 win and sealing the match.

Individual performances were key to Piacenza's success. Mandiraci led the scoring with an outstanding 23 points, closely followed by Bovolenta with 21. Gutierrez and Simon also made significant contributions, each tallying 17 points.

Coach Dante Boninfante's Comments

Coach Boninfante acknowledged the tough nature of the game: "We knew it would be a struggle; we faced an excellent team that plays perhaps differently from Italian teams, but they are very effective when it comes to hitting hard. The boys did well to interpret the game. I expected the start to be even more difficult after Sunday's defeat; in these two days, we focused solely on recovering energy and essentially didn't train. The tie-break was magnificent. Now we build on this victory, and we'll start thinking about the return leg from Monday, after the challenging match against Modena, which I expect to be very long and balanced."

Match Summary

GAS SALES BLUENERGY VOLLEY PIACENZA – ACH VOLLEY LJUBLJANA 3-2 (30-28, 25-20, 27-29, 20-25, 15-4)

GAS SALES BLUENERGY VOLLEY PIACENZA: Comparoni 5, Bovolenta 21, Gutierrez 17, Simon 17, Porro 1, Mandiraci 23, Loreti (L), Andringa, Leon 2, Travica, Pace, Bergmann, Iyegbekedo. (Did not play: Galassi (L)). Coach: Boninfante.

ACH VOLLEY LJUBLJANA: Urnaut 10, Krzic Janz 6, Stern 33, Marovt 15, Pajenk 11, Ropret 1, Kovacic (L), Sket, Sen. (Did not play: Krzic Jost, Najdic, Prevorcnik, Verdinek (L)). Coach: Kolakovic.

Referees: Magdalena Niewiarowska (Poland), Nuno Teixeira (Portugal).

Set Durations: 33’, 27’, 32’, 25’, 12’. Total Match Duration: 129’.

Attendance: 1870