Champions League, Trento sees quarterfinals

A lonely Christmas at the top of the standings, both in SuperLega Credem Banca and in Pool B of 2024 CEV Champions League. È what Trentino Itas will be able to spend thanks to the victories obtained at the ‘The T Daily Arena’ in the direct clashes played in the last four days. The operation that began on Sunday afternoon with the 3-1 win against Perugia è was in fact brilliantly completed this evening, overcoming in just three sets Tours Vb, second in the group standings of the top European club competition.

Moreover, today’s success has an even greater specific weight than the recent previous ones because it guarantees, already now, the mathematical qualification to the Playoffs of the tournament, taking into account that even losing the last two matches of the round in January the Gialloblù would be ranked at least second – a placement that guarantees the access to the round of 16. Confirming even more clearly the supremacy already highlighted in the first leg match played in France at the end of November, tonight Soli’s team managed to impose its law without leaving partials on the road, suffering in some moments of the match (as in the final of the first and second partial) but basically never giving the’impression of being able to yield the reins of the game to the guests who, after five consecutive victories in Ligue A, had to give way further detaching themselves from the Champions of Italy, now first with two wins and six points ahead of the first pursuers after four rounds of play.

The elongation at the top bears the signature mainly of Alessandro Michieletto, lethal at the net with 58% in attack, six blocks, one ace for a total of 22 points (out of the 57 active points scored by Trento over the course of the evening). The match’s mvp è was well assisted by Podrascanin and Rychlicki, with the former making his voice heard mainly at the wall (4) and the latter at the bat (4 winning serves).

For the last international match of 2023, Trentino Itas will take the court with the best possible starting six: Sbertoli at the direction, Rychlicki opposite, Lavia diagonally opposite Michieletto in place 4, Kozamernik in the center of the net along with Podrascanin and Laurenzano in the role of libero. Tours Vb has to do without Estonian hammer Tammearu at the’last, who dug himself out in the eve training, and comes back six and a half years after the last time in Trento with Coric at the director, Drame Neto opposite, Pothron and Mendez as setters, Parkinson and Dos Santos as center, Ramon as libero. The’start è in the sign of the hosts, who with defense and Michieletto’s counterattack built the first promising lead (5-2), then further increased when Kozamernik grounded the first half at break point (10-6). Mendez tries to shake his team (12-10), but è only a moment because è then the gialloblù, led by Rychlicki and Podrascanin (winning wall), return to rage at the net (16-12). On 19-13 the run to the internal 1-0 already seems to be coming to an end, but the French with Pothron serving (no direct ace but a lot of quality from nine meters) reopen the contesam bringing it up to minus one (19-18, partial 0-5). The two almost consecutive time outs spent by Soli guarantee the shake-up that the Gialloblù coach was looking for, but the 22-19 realized thanks to Drame Neto’s error does not è however, the tombstone on the set. Trento wasted two opportunitiesà to close (24-22 to 24-24), made a mistake with Michieletto (24-25), but then the same Alessandro walled Drame Neto, animating the redemption of the locals, which passed by Rychlicki’s service and Pothron’s out attack (27-25).

Trentino Itas got off to a good start, thanks to the usual Michieletto, also in the second fraction (5-3 and 10-7), with the transalpine wall-defense system failing to take measures to the left-handed hammer. Pothron, this time on offense, leads his team’s redemption until a tie at 11, then the guests take the lead at 14-15 thanks to a Drame Neto hand-off, forcing Soli to interrupt the game. On the resumption, it was Michieletto and Lavia who drew a promising new lead (18-16); the Italian champions protected the advantage (20-18), before stretching it further with an ace by Rychlicki and a counterattack by Michieletto: the 2-0 lead came this time without further fuss (25-22).

The third set è played on the edge of balance until 9-8, then it is Rychlicki and Michieletto who dictate the change of pace (12-9, time out Fronckowiack). At the resumption Trento runs away (15-12 and 17-13) always with more personality; thanks to the service and the counterattack; the 3-0 soon arrives (20-15 and 25-18), because the Champions of Italy don’t lower their tension anymore.

“Tonight we may not have been as beautiful as in the last two matches with Resovia and Perugia, but we were definitely practical, getting the result we wanted and that allows us to look with confidence and serenity to our path in this competition – commented Trentino Itas coach Fabio Soli at the end of the match – . We had the ability to suffer and stay on the piece at the moment when Tours started to defend a lot; we didn’t get nervous and, with high-level wall and batting, we came out on top of a match that could have been complicated. So congratulations to the boys for the result and how they were able to seize it”.

The next engagement in 2024 CEV Champions League è scheduled only for Wednesday, January 10 in Ljubljana (penultimate round of group B); for the three weeks to come Itas Trentino will be able’Itas Trentino; then devote exclusively to the championship and the Italian Cup, starting with the match scheduled in Padua on Boxing Day evening (December 26 – 6 pm) and valid for the last day of the SuperLega Credem Banca 2023/24 regular season round.