Hämeenlinna, Finland, February 22, 2017. Pomì CASALMAGGIORE of Italy continued their march towards the finals of the 2017 CEV Volleyball Cup - Women on Wednesday. In a highly anticipated match in Finland, hosts HPK HÄMEENLINNA took two sets after the favourites had cleared their way on to the next round. Pomì still gave a lesson to HPK by winning the match 3-2 (25-16, 25-21, 15-25, 25-27, 15-12). In the next round, the Italians will play Germany’s national cup winners Allianz MTV STUTTGART.
HPK did not start in the best way. Pomì CASALMAGGIORE instead delivered a show of the best women’s Volleyball the crowd of Elenia Areena had seen during the current season. Pomì blocked HPK attacks as many as six times and confused the home side’s block-defence system with the lead of the setter Carli Lloyd.
The hosts were able to cope with the opponents’ service in the second set. CASALMAGGIORE eased anyway to a seven-point lead halfway through the set via an outstanding performance by Lloyd and spiker Valentina Tirozzi. In the end, HPK managed to reach the 20-point line as the Finnish international opposite Piia Korhonen scored eight points.
As CASALMAGGIORE had secured their quarterfinal berth, they substituted Lloyd, starting libero Immacolata Sirressi and middle blocker Lauren Gibbemeyer. With nothing to lose, HPK broke away early on in the third set. The home team played like Pomì in the first two sets and routed the Italians with a 10-point margin.
Even though Carli Lloyd returned to the court in the fourth set, HPK continued with their great effort. It was a close race and the motivated Finns shocked CASALMAGGIORE again in the ‘extra time’. Besides Korhonen and Tirozzi, also HPK outside spiker Allison Mayfield broke the 20-point line.
In the tie-breaking fifth set, HPK HÄMEENLINNA was bound to cause a sensation as they led 9-7. During Carmen Turlea’s serve, the Italian giants however turned the set and the match in their favour. Piia Korhonen (23 points) and Valentina Tirozzi (22) were awarded as their team’s MVPs while Mayfield was the top scorer of the match with 29 points.
The head coach of Pomì CASALMAGGIORE, Giovanni Caprara was satisfied with their qualification to the quarterfinals. “We played a good match. The first two sets we played very well and the next two not so well but the most important thing was our qualification to the next round. HPK are a good team and were able to receive very well in the third and fourth sets. That is the reason why they won two sets,” Caprara applauded their opponent.
The HPK trainer Luca Chiappini had fun meeting a top club from his home country. He was happy with the way his team played. “Finally we played our Volleyball. I just asked the girls to enjoy and play in a way they are able to, no matter who the opponent is. I’m satisfied we went to a 3-2 result”, Chiappini said.
The most valuable player for the visitors in the sets that sent them through to the next round was obviously their setter Carli Lloyd. She thought Pomì played good Volleyball in the first sets and that is what mattered. “I think we started the match pretty well. We had our goals and I think we did a good job achieving them. Then the coach wanted some other players to play and I think they were maybe a bit nervous. We weren’t the team we should be and the level dropped a little bit,” Lloyd said.
The American international gives respect for the way HPK played. “They kept pushing even though we needed two sets to qualify. I think that is a tribute to them being respectful and playing hard. I appreciate that. It’s good we had to push to come back.”
Lucia Bacchi, player of Pomì CASALMAGGIORE: “After securing our qualification to the next round, we slowed down but we never want to lose and as a result, we had to play to win this match.”
Click here for more info including detailed stats of the match