Bitter debut for Garlasco, only won one set

In the Marche the lomellini start badly, they recover in the second set, then the Grottazzolina wall makes the difference

GROTTAZZOLINA (Fm)

It was a prohibitive away match and such was the historic debut in the men’s A3 series of Volleyball 2001 Garlasco who surrendered 3-1 on the field of Videx Grottazzolina, one of the big players in the group. Good the second set of the lomellini, not surprisingly won with the right attitude in every fundamental after a first set without history. In the other two, Coali and his teammates never manage to re-emerge from the decisive breaks of the most popular team from the Marche region. On the wall Garlasco tries to surprise the hosts at the start with two blocks from Coali that trigger the 1-4. Grottazzolina, on the block, builds a good part of the counter break (5-0) for the 6-4 which is interrupted by an excellent first half by Coali. An error from the center of the Marche is worth the new parity (7-7), but for coach Marco Maranesi there is no alternative to time out when Grottazzolina stretches significantly on the amnesia of his boys (11-7). The hosts close every gap in the wall to the Lomellini attackers (14-8), Vecchi’s batting round drags Grottazzolina up to 17-9 while the Garlasco reception is definitely in crisis and on 19-10 coach Marco Maranesi runs out of suspensions . By now the set is compromised and Garlasco often fails even to counterattack on the great difficulty in receiving and the Marchigiani quickly close the first set 25-11.

Porcello signs the ace of 1-3 at the beginning of the second set and the good moment is extended up to 3-6 by the turn in Mellano’s service. Clean plays with the wall, Grottazzolina messes a bit (7-10). Another ace from Porcello, then a wall from Crusca and it’s 11-14 with local time out. Garlasco now believes it, on the wall he finds 13-17, with a great defense on 13-18, Porcello puts his hand on the wall for 16-21 and is still local time out. Petrone sorts the game well, then Magalini signs the diagonal of 18-24 and a mistake by Grottazzolina is worth the first historic set won in the A3 series (19-25) by Garlasco.

Time out of coach Maranesi on 11-8 of the third set after a long balance that confirms the growth of Garlasco. Grottazzolina increases in intensity (19-14), coach Maranesi’s boys drop in reception and the set goes to archive at 25-17. The local block makes a difference (6-3) at the start of the fourth period and it is a break that directs the fraction. Maranesi is in time out at 14-10, Magalini is stopped by the Marche wall while everything is fine in Grottazzolina (16-10 and 20-12) which quickly closes 25-16. –

Fabio Babetto