Monza fails in feat, Warsaw wins Challenge Cup

MINT Vero Volley Monza failed in its quest to overturn the result of the first leg Final in Poland and saw its dream of lifting the 2024 CEV Challenge Cup fade away. In an Opiquad Arena packed with spectators, more than 3,200 fans flocked to support their favorites, Projekt Warszawa managed to get the better of the Monza team 1-3. A bewitched final for the Consortium’s men’s flagship team, which sees its dream fade away just a step away from glory, as already happened in 2019 against the Russians of Belgorod. MINT fought with pride in the first set, lost only in the advantages, falling però even in the second partial, which definitively delivered the Cup into Polish hands. The challenge, then, è closed on the 1-3 final, after MINT Vero Volley Monza had managed to impose itself in the third fraction, before surrendering 22-25 in the fourth set.

For this challenge, the starting sextet è consisted of Kreling as director and Szwarc as opposite, Maar-Loeppky as the pair of setters, Galassi-Di Martino as center with Gaggini as libero.

Di Martino’s monster block opens the match as best as it could for MINT Vero Volley Monza (1-0). Vero Volley è good to find the first break of the match on 6-4, thanks to Loeppky’s pipe. Super ace by Maar (8-6), with an angled serve that is impregnable for the Polish reception. Monza pushes hard on serve: Galassi hits the second Brianza ace of the set, sending the hosts to +4 (11-7) and prompting coach Graban to time-out. Warsaw manages to get back in the slipstream (11-9), but it’s Di Martino’s first serve on Kreling’s riser that puts the three-length gap back. The Poles have no intention of giving up and tie the match at 12-12: time-out Eccheli. Great balance at this stage of the set, with neither side able to take a clear lead in the match (17-17). Warsaw finds the break, with great solidity at the wall: 17-19 and second technical suspension for Eccheli. MINT regains the thread of the game and ties it at 20-20, after a diagonal by Maar. The’inertia è on Warsaw’s side (22-23), but the Monzese come back to parity with courage. Projekt earns the first set-point, canceled by the videocheck call showing a net invasion by the Poles: 24-24. Warsaw è defended well on Italian attacks, eventually earning the first set with a 25-27 wall.

Galassi strikes in the opening of the second set, but è again Warsaw takes control with the break that sends the guests to +3 (2-5). Coach Eccheli chooses to call sé his boys for a time-out; the Projekt è galvanized by the result of the first set and continues to push on offense, putting a decided gap against Monza (2-9). MINT is unable to find countermeasures to the Polish game, with Graban’s men able to take a +9 lead (2-11). Eccheli inserts Takahashi and Mujanovic; Di Martino fights like a lion and scores the -6 halftime lead (6-12). The two newcomers show up with a couple of good offensive sorties (parallel by Mujanovic, lob by Takahashi) but the score does not budge from -6 (10-16). MINT fails to regain its order in the match and falls behind by eight lengths (12-21) in a now compromised partial. Coach Eccheli plays the second time-out card at -10 (12-22) to try to straighten things out. Warsaw, however, did not back down and won the second set – and consequently the final victory in the CEV Challenge Cup -, 16-25.

Wide shifts for Eccheli in the third set, with Visic-Mujanovic as the diagonal opposite setter, Beretta-Comparoni the two middle hitters, Loeppky-Takahashi setters and Morazzini free. The partial proves to be balanced (3-3) until MINT’s first spurt thanks to Mujanovic and Takahashi (6-4), followed shortly after by Loeppky’s ace. Graban calls time-out, but Monza continues to stretch with an inspired Mujanovic (10-5). MINT wants to earn the honor of arms, continuing to push on offense and also showing good wall-defense correlation, enough to stretch sharply to 20-15. Mujanovic’s ace sends the game to the credits (23-16), capped by Visic’s dunk (25-17).

In the fourth partial, which began with captain Beretta’s point, the very young setter Frascio – class 2006 -, a product of Vero Volley’s nursery, also enters. Monza continues along the lines of the previous partial, controlling the score well thanks to the good performance of Mujanovic and Takahashi in addition to Beretta’s ace (10-7). Projekt again came up short in the score (12-11), then, the Poles tried to close the match, turning the tables and taking a +2 lead (13-15). Time-out for coach Eccheli on 14-17. Monza comes back close thanks to Frascio’s winning attack (17-18) and finds a tie (20-20): the set will be decided only at the final sprint. Borkowski directs the’outcome with two precise diagonals (21-23) and time-out Eccheli. Projekt Warszawa finds the strength to close the match, and also secures the last set: 22-25.

MVP of the final, as also in the first match, Yurii Semeniuk, author of 10 points. Of note for MINT Vero Volley Monza were Nik Mujanovic’s 17 points; also in double figures were Takahashi (12 points) and Loeppky (10).

There will be no time to rest for MINT Vero Volleyball Monza that on Sunday, March 3, at 5:30 p.m., will be back immediately on the court again at the Opiquad Arena for the SuperLega Credem Banca championship, for the last day of the regular season against Cisterna Volleyball, a decisive match to determine the placement in the Playoff grid for the Scudetto.

THE STATEMENTS
Max Eccheli (coach MINT Vero Volley Monza): “The match had even opened well in the first set, then we were lacking in the counterattack phase. Losing the first partial like that gave them great confidence, and it weakened our hopes by making everything more difficult. The boys were great, because theyé approached it well especially on the serve and at the wall, but unfortunately it è was not enough”.

Thomas Beretta (captain MINT Vero Volley Monza): “We were good in the first set, while in the second we got a little bit stuck. We knew it was difficult and it weighs more each point when you know that the opponents only need two sets to win. Itè s not easy to handle this factor forò we really tried our best. We are a united group, an aspect that has distinguished us all year. It’s a shame but they were stronger. Now head to the match against Cisterna ahead of the Playoffs; we hope to play a good game and bring home more points”.

THE TABLE

MINT Vero Volleyball Monza – Projekt Warszawa 1-3 (25-27; 16-25; 25-17; 22-25)

MINT Vero Volley Monza: Visic 1, Loeppky 10, Frascio 1, Comparoni 1, Maar 5, Mujanovic 17, Morazzini (L), Galassi 3, Takahashi 12, Beretta 2, Kreling, Di Martino 4, Gaggini (L), Szwarc 4. All. Eccheli.
Projekt Warszawa: Kowalczyk 2, Stepien 1, Firlej, Tillie 7, Wrona 5, Boladz 13, Semeniuk 10, Szalpuk 8, Grobelny 4, Gruszczynsky (L), Wojtaszek (L), Weber 6, Borkowski 6. Not entered: Averill. All. Graban

NOTES

Referees: Suleyman Yalcin (NED), Vladimir Simonovic (SVI)

Spectators: 3242

Set duration: 32′, 25′, 25′, 27′ Tot: 1h49′

MINT Vero Volley Monza: winning strokes 5, wrong strokes 17, walls 5, errors 28, attack 42%
Projekt Warszawa: winning strokes 2, wrong strokes 20, walls 14, errors 28, attack 49%

Facility: Opiquad Arena – Monza (MB)

Consorzio Vero Volleyball Press Office