Volleyball, the Panthers are back: Conegliano wants to mend the championship at Monza

Sylla: «We can do even better». Folie: «Be careful, Monza won’t give up». Egonu: «Race-4? It will be a lot of fun … “

CONEGLIANO. The thread that sews the tricolor on the yellow and blue jerseys and had loosened between race 1 and race 2, has returned to tighten strongly. The final knot is missing, which can be closed tomorrow evening at the Monza Arena. The test of technique, character and strength that the Panthers fielded on Saturday was one of the best of the year, at the level of the double Champions League match played against Monza a couple of months ago. In the most important moment of the season, the compactness of the group and the talent of the individualities came out once again.

These are two elements that nourish and support each other, if you think that 17 points from Egonu were enough for Conegliano, with a percentage, modest for her, of 44%. «Believing in ourselves makes the difference – underlines Daniele Santarelli – and everyone feels more serene and confident makes us play better ». After conceding Monza four sets in a row between the end of the race and the start of race 2, the Prosecco Doc has drawn a streak of six consecutive sets won, giving the clear impression of having completely regained the reins and the destiny of this final. “The matches are really weird. Also on Saturday we were down 21-18 in the first set and we were good at recovering it. But this is the team we would always like to see in the decisive moments. We are also seeing in other leagues that the results are not always those predicted ».

In Turkey, Vakifbank are 2-1 down against Fenerbahçe and tonight they will try to reach Game 5. In Russia Dinamo Moscow and Dinamo Kazan stopped in the semifinals, in France Le Cannet won his first title. The favorite is still Conegliano, who now has two chances to confirm himself as champion of Italy, while Monza is forced to chase. «We can do even better – says Miriam Sulla – we are still missing something, hopefully a little. On Saturday we played with a positive attitude, our fans gave us courage. We know that Monza will not give us anything tomorrow and we have to go there with a knife in our teeth ». The steps forward since the beginning of the series have been increasingly evident. «They are a great team, as he demonstrated in the semifinal with Novara. We were good at getting out of difficult situations ».

Superior to the block (9 against 1) and, happy news, also in the service (7 aces against 1), Conegliano still has room for growth in terms of the number of errors. The greatest load comes from the serve, but also in attack on Saturday, despite appearances, the team remained well below average (43% against 50% of the season). A lot, however, starts from the defense, where Monica De Gennaro it is the undisputed tamer. “We know that’s our thermometer. We can’t afford to watch balloons fall without trying. In this way we rebuilt well and a good race came out on our part ». Tomorrow Conegliano will have to maintain tactical order, which has been one of the growth factors. «I am obviously expecting another battle in an arena that will once again be full. I think we are seeing a good series ».

If we do not go to Game 5, as all the Gialloblù supporters hope, we will have to wait until the end of October, after the World Championship, to see the panthers still at work at Palaverde. The faces will be different and somehow the goodbyes have already begun. Egonu has been known for some time, many young people or second lines will find space and luck elsewhere. After six memorable seasons, the first to say goodbye was Raphaela Madness. The Bolzano player did not hide the excitement of what she potentially considered her last home match. «We have won a lot together. I am proud of all my companions, from the first to the last and I hope to give other satisfactions in the next few days. Monza never gives up and I expect a challenging match tomorrow too ».

“It was important to remember that this is our home – said Paola Egonu at the end of the game – and I’m very proud of us girls, the audience and the whole context. The first two races were very close, I’m proud of how we came out victorious from the second, and that helped us a lot. Race-4? It will be very funny ».