Volleyball, Prosecco Doc Imoco suffers but goes to the final at the Club World Cup

Conegliano loses the first set against Minas and wins the second with a thrill, then finishes 3-1. Final on Sunday at 4.30pm

ANKARA. The Panthers in the running for an encore. At the Women’s Club World Cup in Ankara, the first ticket for tomorrow’s final goes to Conegliano, who overcomes the Brazilians of Minas Tenis, vice-champion of South America: 3-1 with partial of 23-25, 26-24, 25-15, 25-19 in favor of the girls of coach Santarelli.

Prosecco DOC Imoco, reigning world champion – was awarded the last edition held in December 2019 in China while the tournament last year was not disputed due to Covid – and winner of the last Champions, is now waiting to know which she will be the rival in tomorrow’s final, scheduled for 4.30 pm in Italy: she will come out of the other semifinal, the Turkish derby between Fenerbahce and Vakifbank Istanbul.

With this they make thirteen. Thirteen consecutive finals in just over three years reached by Conegliano, who has reached the bottom in all the tournaments he has played. The last two defeats date back to the Italian Cup and the Champions 2019, when Egonu played in Novara. Now the 23-year-old from Cittadella is in yellow-blue, or rather in rosé, and is ready with all her companions to try the encore world champion. That of the panthers is yet another team victory, with the central protagonists and Sylla taking over from a subdued Plummer.

Wet powders at the start, with the Brazilians, dragged by Cuttino (two attacks and a wall), who immediately go ahead 1-5. Conegliano tries to chase away pressure and nervousness with Folie’s three consecutive points and shortens to 9-10, overtaking close to the technical timeout. Two errors by Cuttino and a fast by De Kruijf bring Conegliano to the maximum advantage (15-12), but there is a lot of effort in reception on the deep serves of Minas, which uses two aces and a couple of easy attacks (16-18) . Conegliano disunites and goes under 17-22, but it is still Folie with another hat-trick to mend, then Egonu shortens to 21-22. Two errors by Plummer and Frosini, plus an attack by Oszoy in the face of De Gennaro, cost Conegliano the first set lost in the competition.

It takes a good batting from Egonu to start seeing some bright play, which translates into three consecutive blocks from De Kruijf (8-5). In Conegliano, Plummer’s points are completely missing, soon replaced by Sylla, and the ball change phase. Egonu tries a couple of times, without finding them, the hands of the opponent’s block (9-12). The pressure of the semifinal is clearly visible on the faces of Wolosz and teammates, while the Biancocelesti from Belo Horizonte play without worries and knowing they have nothing to lose. It is enough to adjust the reception a little to find the right rhythm, with Egonu starting to mesh and slowly mend steadily from 12-15 to 22-20. Cuttino and Oszoy are still the main dangers for the panthers who are first reached and then overcome by granting a set point. Egonu cancels it from the heavens, who then overturns the situation with a power ace. Cuttino sends out and returns smiles and conviction to Conegliano.

The 4-1 with which the third set begins also bears the signature of Sylla, who properly mitigates the opponent’s serve. Slower balls come out, but more precise for Wolosz. Courtney also finds the pace in attack and Folie continues to rage with the early times. The advantage grows as much as the voltage on the other side of the grid falls.

At this point the ending is already written. Minas deceives themselves with Oszoy (7-5), but De Kruijf and Folie, well supported by Sylla, pass with class and determination. For the Brazilians the climb is too steep and today they will play for the bronze. In Conegliano, once again, it is deservedly up to fight for gold.