It seemed like a nightmare that never ended. After Perugia 2018 there is Monza 2024. In between, many things happened, but it would be too long and in some ways ungenerous to list them. Sir Susa Vim Perugia did it and for the second time can boast of the most important trophy at national level, the scudetto.
This achievement does nothing but embellish a season that is certainly not a gamble to define as legendary: this team, despite the difficulties, especially linked to injuries, which were certainly not lacking, managed to win everything. And this only makes an absolutely stratospheric undertaking even greater.
The merits must obviously be divided equally: from the club, probably too mistreated by external environments, which was able to get all the moves right (with all due respect to the detractors, who were mercilessly defeated), to a coach who with his wisdom and experience was able make the right decisions, even if they often turned out to be unpopular (see Leon). Finally, the players, who were perhaps able to be as good as a team had ever been seen, never giving up in the face of negative events and always maintaining the necessary compactness, from the first to the last match.
It was a difficult match at the Opiquad Arena (and it couldn’t have been otherwise), with Mint Vero Volley Monza confirming that it was a worthy challenger and making the Juventus fans tremble for just over a set; as always at the key moment the strength of the Block Devils came out and the most coveted prize rightly arrived.
Returning to Angelo Lorenzetti, the true leader of this miracle, he demonstrated once again that he is a specialist in helping to bring victory back to places that hadn’t done so for some time. It happened in Modena in 2016, which had not tasted the joy of the tricolor for 14 years, and then arrived in Trento last season after eight years of abstinence, and finally in Perugia. His next bet could be the Champions League, which he has never won. And who knows, maybe this might be the right time…
The match
There are no changes in the starting lineup and Plotnytskyi scores the first mini break (4-6). Takahashi equalized the score at 8 and Ben Tara’s attack ended wide costing the score 11-9. Semeniuk balances the score again, but it is in fact Juventus’ last gasp of this first set: Takahashi’s ace at 13-11 marks the break that will continue until 20-14 with Galassi’s block. Semeniuk manages to halve the score (21-18), but Monza keeps a cool head and closes with Maar (25-19).
Perugia is forced to respond and does so with Ben Tara’s block (2-4). It seems like a flash in the pan because the Brianza players really seem to have more because the break opened by Di Martino’s ace (8-7) and closed by Galassi’s block (12-7) really seems to close the door to an early triumph for Sir . Leon, who recently took over, drags the Bianconeri to 16 all, then an error by De Martino determines the overtaking (17-18). Maar gives the new draw (23-23), Leon and Giannelli are authors of the two decisive points (23-25). One by one and the ball in the center.
Another winning move by the Fano coach is Herrera, who gives the shock at the beginning of the third set with the ace to make it 3-5. Giannelli extends his lead (4-7), but Maar confirms himself as an uncomfortable customer (7-8). Flavio also gets into gear, also at the last in the black and white (8-12), then Giannelli’s ace means 13-19. However, the suffering is not over: when Plontytskyi scores the 20-24 it seems over, but Eccheli’s men manage to cancel all the set points with an amazing Di Martino blocking (24-24). This time Maar doesn’t find the field and it’s 25-27.
Clear objective to close the discussion and it is Flavio who scores the 3-6. Leon doesn’t make a mistake and it’s 4-8, Galassi halves it (7-9). Perugia takes another lead with Leon’s 8-12, but Di Martino’s block puts Sir back at attention (10-12). New break with Semeniuk (10-16), Maar however is the last to give up (16-17). This team’s desire for the championship is too great and Flavio hits the very important block of 16-19. Leon wants to leave his mark and gives the Block Devils five match points (19-24), Semeniuk closes out on the second occasion with the hands out at 20-25. It ends like this and this company can become legend. More than rightly.
Comments from the protagonists
Moved at the end of the match Simone Giannelliawarded as best player of the scudetto finals: “Without my teammates there would have been none of this, they have been special all year. Last year after losing in the quarterfinals I said that we all had to improve and this year we did it, the club, we players and the fans who have always supported us. This championship belongs to the collective, it belongs to Perugia.”
The scoreboard
MINT VERO VOLLEY MONZA – SIR SUSA VIM PERUGIA 1-3
Partials: 25-19, 23-25, 25-27, 20-25
MINT VERO VOLLEY MONZA: Cachopa 1, Loeppky 15, Di Martino 5, Galassi 12, Maar 20, Takahashi 14, Gaggini (libero), Visic, Szwarc 2, Mujanovic. Ne: Comparoni, Morazzini (free), Beretta. All. Eccheli, deputy all. Ambrosio.
SIR SUSA VIM PERUGIA: Giannelli 8, Ben Tara 4, Flavio 8, Russo 7, Plotnytskyi 9, Semeniuk 6, Colaci (free), Leon 25, Held, Herrera 7. Ne: Solè, Ropret, Toscani (free), Candellaro. All. Lorenzetti, deputy all. Giaccardi.
Referees: Andrea Puecher – Gianluca Cappello
LE CIFRE – MONZA: 12 bs, 5 ace, 35% ric. pos., 12% ric. prf., 48% att., 12 muri. PERUGIA: 15 bs, 4 ace, 40% ric. pos., 18% ric. prf., 54% att., 5 muri.