Trento, 16 March 2023
Champions League, the golden set rejects dreams of the semifinals: ahead of Zaksa
Captain Matey Kaziyski dragged his team close to the feat again tonight: 28 personal points (photo Trabalza)
The dream of confirming itself for the third consecutive year among the four best teams in Europe vanishes only in the golden set for Trentino Itas. Grupa Azoty Kedzierzyn-Kozle interrupted him, who after blocking the way twice in the Final in Verona in 2021 and in Ljubljana in 2022, this time eliminated the Gialloblù one step away from the semifinals.
The return of the quarter-finals played today at the BLM Group Arena confirmed the great balance that the two teams had already been able to show nine days ago in Poland in the first leg but, as then, it was the reigning champions who proved themselves more cynical and effective in important moments.
The success in the fifth set in the official match in fact served the Gialloblù “only” to get to play the play-off, demonstrating once again all the temper and character of a team that had had the best impact on the match, later suffered the return of the opponents but still managed to keep alive the hopes of qualifying until the end, recovering from 1-2 to 3-2. The golden set was marked by the guests’ wall (he scored 19 times throughout the evening), gradually extinguishing the hopes of the hosts. Beyond the elimination, many positive aspects remain on the Mondoflex game for Trentino Itas, which has found Lisinac again (14 points with 63% in attack) and which can continue to count on the certainties represented by Kaziyski (28 points tonight as well , best scorer), Michieletto (23 with 59% on the net, one block and 5 aces) and Podrascanin: 67% in the first half, one ace and six blocks for a total of 13 points. Firm points from which to start again in view of the imminent start of the Play Offs Scudetto (already on Sunday, again at the BLM Group Arena against Monza).
Below is the scoresheet for the second leg of the 2023 CEV Champions League quarter-finals, played tonight at the BLM Group Arena in Trento.
Trentino Itas-Grupa Azoty Kedzierzyn-Kozle 3-2, golden set 9-15
(25-19, 23-25, 27-29, 25-21, 15-12)
TRENTINO ITAS: Sbertoli, Lisinac 14, Kaziyski 28, Michieletto 23, Podrascanin 13, Lavia 11, Laurenzano (L); Nelli, Dzavoronok, Cavuto. Ne D’Heer, Pace, Berger, Depalma. Herd Angelo Lorenzetti.
AZOTY GROUP: Sliwka 16, Smith 12, Kaczmarek 27, Bednorz 20, Pashitskii 2, Janusz 2, Shoji (L); Kluth, Huber 12, Staszewski. Ne Stepien, Wiltenburg, Zalinski e Banach. all. Tuomas Sammelvuo.
REFEREES: Schimpl of Bratislava (Slovakia) and Szabo of Budapest (Hungary).
DURABLE SET: 22′, 28′, 33′, 22′, 16′, 16′; tot 2h e 18′.
NOTE: 2,367 spectators, takings of 21,538 euros. Trentino Itas: 12 blocks, 10 aces, 19 serving errors, 9 action errors, 49% in attack, 46% (18%) in reception. Grupa Azoty: 19 blocks, 8 aces, 25 batting errors, 8 action errors, 51% in attack, 44% (20%) in reception. MVP Kaczmarek.
Trentino Volley Srl
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