The Cortina Express reacts with character to the initial defeat. Dominated the decisive set, Garzaro best scorer
Crazy thriller at De Mas. But the Lupe are in the final. The prey, this time, is called Fusion Venezia, and is the strongest opponent seen in recent months. The Cortina Express, 3-0 down, wins the golden set and flies to the third round where they will find Conegliano: the first leg will be played at De Mas on Sunday, the return the following weekend at the Zoppas Arena.
But it’s good to rewind the tape. Second playoff round, race-1: Belluno defeats Trivignano 3-1. For the qualification it still takes an effort. Race-2: Fusion Venezia arrives at De Mas with only one chance: to win three sets and send the challenge to the playoff. And so it happens. We go to the golden set and the Cortina Express remembers that victory is in its DNA. So he wins 15-9 to still go ahead, in the third round, the final.
Nightmare boot
The basic sextet chosen by coach Pavei is not new, with Mengaziol and Garzaro diagonally, captain Fantinel and Poles on the bands, Chiericati and Fiabane in the center, Pavei free. At the start, the Fusion Venezia is a fury: 7-0 and two time-outs called by the Belluno bench in the space of a few minutes.
Poles interrupts the host dominance (7-1) and shortens to 9-4. Then Fantinel on the serve manages to displace the opponent’s reception (10-6). Venice comes back up (16-10) provoking a first reaction of pride in the Bellunesi: Fantinel scores three broadsides in a row and seems to reopen the games (16-14). But that’s not enough.
Fusion is in the evening of grace while at Belluno everything goes wrong. Even on 20-18, when the Belluno central Claudia Fiabane suffers a blow in the hand and is forced to leave the field. Bortoluzzi replaces her, but Venice has already taken off, until 25-19.
The second set ends with the same result. This time, however, Belluno starts better (6-4 with an ace from Chiericati) and soon finds Fiabane gritting his teeth and returning to the front line. Fusion comes back with an 8-1 break. At 7-12, Pavei drops the Fioretti card, but things don’t change. Fusion goes to 16-9, then to 20-11.
Reinforcements still arrive from the bench. In directing, Marchesan takes over Mengaziol. Cortina Express shortens to minus 3 (19-22), then stops.
The start of the third set is initially balanced. Then the guests dominate by doubling the Belluno 18-9. Coach Pavei understands that the golden set is in the air and takes countermeasures by letting Garzaro and Mengaziol catch his breath. Inside Marchesan and Casagrande who prove to have character (the second, in particular, also signs three points). The set is easy prey for the Fusion (25-13 by Biesso).
Lupe mannare
After three sets the evening falls on De Mas. But the game still reserves one final, decisive act, the golden set. Garzaro, who, unlike race-1, does not manage to affect much for three sets, lights up in the play-off part and becomes relentless. His is the point that brings Belluno forward for the first time (6-5).
The change of field sees the Belluno players ahead 8-5. Then the advantage becomes more consistent: 11-7 and guest time out. Garzaro on the wall makes 13-7. Fiabane in the center and it is 14-8. The 15-9 is daring, but that’s okay. Fusion leaves with a very high head. The Belluno goes on. With merit.