The best match. And once again they win it, the girls from Conegliano. Imoco wins the fourth Italian Cup in its history, the third in a row. Novara loses, but only at the tie break and after a great match played by the Piedmontese, able to go 2-0 and then succumb only to the fifth set for only two lengths. A battle, beautiful to see also for the number one fan of Italian volleyball, the president Sergio Mattarella who at the Palasport in Rome, in his last official outing of the seven-year period, celebrated the two teams and sang the national anthem together with the 3,230 spectators present. . For the Head of State as a gift the jerseys and balls autographed by all the players on the field and the ovation of the public to consecrate him “MVP”, best player of the match.
For the twelfth time against each other in a final, Conegliano and Novara offered an absolute level show, transforming the final act of the Frecciarossa Italian Cup into yet another fantastic spot for Italian volleyball, broadcast live on prime-time television. on Rai Due: an event.
The first set opens with a monologue from Novara which ends up at 3-0. Egonu and Sylla too. Chirichella’s wall brings Igor Novara to +6 (4-10). Between Egonu and Karakurt there is a duel of class and power that the Turkish opponent wins with the attack of 14-7. Three consecutive errors by Bosetti, Chirichella and Karakurt offer Conegliano the opportunity to get back into the game (17-13), but Bosetti himself breaks the negative streak of the Piedmontese with the hands-off of 18-14. The +5 point is a Karakurt wall on Sylla (22-17), and it is always she who closes the first fraction with a diabolical diagonal blow (25-19).
In the second fraction the rocket start is up to the Venetians who reach 3-0 in a flash. We continue with the three points of advantage for Imoco, until the Dutch Nika Daalderop decides to change the inertia of the race, serving as a prelude to the Piedmontese overtaking that occurs with an ace from Bosetti and a dunk from Karakurt: Novara above two. Conegliano is not there, he regains his head but struggles to keep the ball low to close the points, thus becoming vulnerable under the net where Novara controls walls and dunks. The decisive point of the set is that of 23-18: Conegliano defends, the ball is called to the ground. Take control with the hawk eye: the images prove the first referee, Rossella Piana, right: +5 for Igor who closes the fraction with a feat by Karakurt. It is 2-0 (25-19) for the Novara players.
The third set starts in the sign of balance: for Prosecco there is Megan Courtney on the field together with Plummer. And it is the latter that drags Conegliano to the maximum advantage: 5-9. Halfway through the set, the video check confirms Conegliano is right and thus goes to +5 (7-12). Paola Egonu, after a difficult start, re-sheaths her narrow diagonal (7-13) and then goes back to making mistakes immediately afterwards. Herbots hits and brings the Novara down (11-13). The Belgian spiker also has the -1 ball but De Gennaro defends it, Courtney responds in attack and Egonu restores the distance: 11-15. Coach Santarelli puts Sylla back on the field for Plummer and the captain of the national team allows Folie to keep the gap: 22-18. The signing at 2-1 is by Kathryn Plummer: 21-25.
In the fourth set the Imoco re-proposes the American couple Plummer-Courtney in the band. It travels on the absolute balance (4-4) but the ball weighs and errors arrive from both sides. We proceed point by point (8-8) until the Panthers try to escape with a break advantage (13-15). Among the ranks of Novara, the Olympic champion Haleigh Washington, still recovering from the knee injury: enters the front line but fails to break through with the attack and a wall of Folie on Bosetti sends the Imoco to +4 (16 -20). Conegliano is clearly on the hunt for the tie break. The point of 23-21 is by Megan Courtney with a diagonal from place-4. The hawk’s eye again agrees with Conegliano, but Novara protests for a possible touch by Plummer in defense. What decides the set is a lob from Egonu: 2-2 (22-25), we go to the tie break.
In the fifth set a double ace by Joanna Wolosz immediately: 1-4 for the Imoco. Then it goes point by point, Conegliano returns to +2 (8-10) but Lavarini sees an invasion and calls the video check: the invasion is not there. Egonu regains power in attack (9-11) and Conegliano has the inertia of the game in hand. With three match balls (11-14) available it seems over, but Igor resists and goes to -1. Captain Wolosz trusts Folie: a slightly dirty ball that falls behind the wall and the Panthers explode with joy. Egonu lets out crying in the arms of Moki De Gennaro: for her 26 points, the title of MVP and the ever closer agreement with VakıfBank Istanbul at 5 million.
But it is the night of Conegliano, the one to celebrate the Cup and the great beauty of Italian volleyball.
PROSECCO DOC IMOCO VOLLEY CONEGLIANO – IGOR GORGONZOLA NOVARA 3-2 (19-25 19-25 25-21 25-22 15-13)
PROSECCO DOC IMOCO VOLLEY CONEGLIANO: Plummer 17, Folie 15, Egonu 26, Sylla 4, De Kruijf 7, Wolosz 3, De Gennaro (L), Courtney 7, Omoruyi 1, Caravello. Do not enter: Frosini (L), Vuchkova, Gennari, Butigan. All. Santarelli. IGOR
GORGONZOLA NOVARA: Hancock 4, Bosetti 16, Bonifacio 5, Karakurt 23, Daalderop 16, Chirichella 11, Fersino (L), Herbots 1, Washington 1, D’odorico, Montibeller. Do not enter: Costantini, Imperiali (L), Battistoni. Herds Lavarini. REFEREES: Piana, Cerra.
NOTES – Spectators: 3230, Set duration: 26 ‘, 28’, 33 ‘, 28’, 18 ‘; Tot: 133 ′.