Superleague, victory with some anxiety for Milan with Grottazzolina

Three points were supposed to be and three points were, but Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina gave Allianz Milano a hard time especially in the third partial recovered and won in the advantages. Milan thus signed its first positive streak of two consecutive successes (Cisterna and Grottazzolina) in the space of a few days and, above all, demonstrated the goodness of its long roster. The hosts are better than the guests in attack percentages and ace count (5-3). The Marche wall è however, very positive (11-10). Good impact on the match for Davide Gardini with 23 personal points (4 walls) elected Mvp of the match. Among guests è the Bulgarian Tatarov who in front of kaiser Kaziyski plays first lateral, then opposite and closes with 23 personal points 50% in attack and 3 walls.

Grottazzolina starts with Zhukouski in diagonal with Cvanciger, Tatarov and Antonov acting in place four, Demyanenko and Mattei in the middle and Marchisio free. Piazza responds with a 6+1 that features 3 new additions compared to recent outings. Porro and Reggers make up the opposite setter diagonal, Davide Gardini and Yacine Louati are the setters, at center captain Matteo Piano returns with Jordan Schnitzer, the libero è Matteo Staforini.
Porro immediately triggers Gardini in pipe and in place four (he will doà 5 points, top scorer of the partial). Schnitzer’s ace makes it 6-2 Allianz Milano. He keeps the Allianz lead, with Louati’s 10-6. Tatarov answers and è 10-8. Piano’s wall è impassable: 13-9 and first time out asked by Ortenzi. Gardini also stops Antonov at the wall, a fundamental that with the attack percentages of the Lombards (59%) will be the key to the set (3 the walls of Milan against 2 of Grotta). Kaziyski serves for Piano at 17-12. Ortenzi sets Vecchi for Tatarov on 19-15. On the 21-15 attack error by Antonov, Yuasa stops the game again. Even the Marches’ double change fails to sew up, Gardini goes to bat on 24-17. Porro closes by second 25-18 in 25’ of play.

Sextets unchanged for the second partial. Yuasa doesn’t want to be an extra and with Cvanciger decides the first long exchange of the set 4-3. It’ per’ a flash in the pan, the guests struggle in the ball change 10-6 on Piano’s service turn. Ortenzi has to stop the game on 13-8 for the Lombards propitiated by an attack by Gardini (8 points for him in the partial). Grottazzolina break on Zhukouski’s service turn who also gets an ace favored by the net (15-13). Allianz double change, Barotto and Zonta in for Porro and Reggers. On Piano’s service turn, Milano stretches (18-14). Ortenzi puts Compraoni in for the serve. New Milan break propitiated by an attack out by Antonov and time out Grottazzolina (20-15). Fedrizzi replaces Cvanciger, Tatarov (5 points in the second set) plays opposite, but is stopped at the wall by Gardini and Schnitzer (22-17). Vecchi for Demyanenko on 23-19. Goes Reggers from nine meters for the first of five setpoints 24-19. Louati’s pipe closes 25-20.

In the third part inside Frenchman Matteo Schalk (later replaced by Fedrizzi) as lateral and Tatarov plays opposite. The visiting team improves its balance. Prolonged action closed by Yuasa. The 4-4 è a parallel attack just over three meters by an inspired Gardini. It goes on point to point. Reggers makes it 7-7, then the Allianz Milano break propitiated by Paolo Porro’s serve. Yuasa Battery seems not to give way, but the mechanism jams on Schnitzer’s serve that brings Allianz up to 13-9. Marche comeback 14-12. Allianz double change, Barotto and Zonta in, but Yuasa shortens again 15-14 on director Zhukouski’s serve. Louati’s wall brings Allianz Milano back to +3. On 17-15 Fedrizzi serve and Yuasa at -1 with Porro and Reggers return. Paolo Porro’s ace breaks forò the partial: 19-16 and time out Ortenzi. Allianz time out on 20-18. Kaziyski serving on Schnitzer and 21-18. The guest game rises in the meantime. Allianz on the other side of the net stops on rotation with Porro in zone 5, Grottazzolina overtake 21-22. Reggers attack hits the’antenna: 22-24, Gardini says no to the first and also to the second guest setpoint with an attack and an ace 24-24. It goes to the advantages. Louati’s attack è out, Milan videocheck for possible touch at the net, but the cameras confirm the referee decision ends 25-27 and we go to the fourth set.

Grottazzolina reintroduces lateral Fedrizzi and starts on the wings of partial success also in the fourth 0-3. Louati’s ace is worth forò the tie 3-3. Grotta doesn’t mind and ties at 6-6 with Tatarov at bat. Yuasa Battery blaze and guest lead 8-9. Allianz Milano reverses it on the serve of its captain: 12-9 and time out Ortenzi. It’ the decisive break. Keeping the Allianz lead, Reggers makes it 14-10 and 16-10. Ortenzi has to stop the game again. Fedrizzi’s ace makes it 16-12. Tatarov is not è as effective from nine meters as in attack: 19-14. Otsuka is also in, serving for Gardini on 20-15, Louati ès hands out; the 22-17 point. Again the Frenchman with an ace corrected by video check to close an exciting fourth set 25-19.

ALLIANZ MILAN – YUASA BATTERY GROTTAZZOLINA 2-1
(25-17, 25-20, 25-27, 25-19)

ALLIANZ MILANO: Porro 2, Reggers 14, Gardini 23, Louati 14, Schnitzer 9, Piano 6, Staforini (L), Caneschi ne, Kaziyski, Larizza ne, Catania (L2) ne, Zonta, Barotto 1, Otsuka. All. Roberto Piazza. Ass. Nicola Daldello.

YUASA BATTERY GROTTAZZOLINA: Zhukouski 3, Antonov 9, Cubito ne, Vecchi, Demyanenko 5, Mattei 4, Comparoni 1, Petkovic (L2) ne, Fedrizzi 4, Marchiani, Cvanciger 6, Tatarov 23, Schalk 1, Marchisio (L). All. Massimiliano Ortenzi. Ass. Mattia Minnoni.
Referees: Umberto Zanussi of Treviso and Stefano Caretti of Rome (3° Michele Marconi). Video Check: Francesco Saverio Suaria. Scorekeeper: William Violini

Notes: Duration sets 25’, 26’, 33’ and 27’ for one’hour and 51 minutes.
Spectators: 1,388
MVP Davide Gardini (Allianz Milan)
MVP chosen by the audience of the’Allianz Cloud: Matteo Piano
Walls point Milan 10, Grottazzolina 11. Point hits Milan 5 with 19 errors, Grottazzolina 3 with 22 errors. Point attack Milan 52%, Grottazzolina 43%. Positive reception Milan 62% (37% perfect), Grottazzolina 52% (25%).

Matteo Staforini after the match: “I am happy with the result and on a personal level I really missed playing. Then, in this arena, in front of our fans è always exciting. These are three points that we needed. I think we showed good things, there’è was some smearing in the third set, on balls where we had to put a little more attention; then we were good to close in the fourth without losing points”.

Massimiliano Ortenzi (coach): “We struggled a lot in the beginning to get into the game with the ball change, and with the serve we were catching the wrong zones. Then we tried to turn a little bit, in the third we got a little bit fired up from the point of view of agonism, we got some winning walls. Lì the game è changed a little bit. È Fedrizzi came back and made a couple of good turns on serve as well, we were able to win it. We started the fourth well, then forò we went back to having the same problem we had at the beginning of the game, the ball change rotation. Those things lì we have to do them better if we want to take something away against these teams. With Trent we had to be happy with the approach, how we were on the court. Tonight è we missed a little something, so we can’t settle for this level here, absolutely”.