19/01/2016 22:40
TRENTINO set sight on Playoffs after routing Greek champions
2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Men
Trento, Italy, January 19, 2016. In a match on schedule for the fifth round of play in Pool C of the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Men Italy’s TRENTINO Diatec defeated Greece’s PAOK THESSALONIKI in three sets (25-18, 25-20, 27-25). As a result TRENTINO made it one step closer to qualifying for the Playoffs 12 of Europe’s elite competition as they currently fight with France’s TOURS VB for first place in their group.
In what was their first international match of the New Year, home coach Radostin Stoytchev opted for a starting line-up including setter Simone Giannelli, opposite Mitar Tzourits, outside spikers Tine Urnaut and Filippo Lanza, middle blockers Simon Van de Voorde and Sebastian Solé, and libero Massimo Colaci.
The first set was played point for point up to 12-12; right before the second technical time-out PAOK edged ahead but Simon Van de Voorde helped move the score to 20-17 for TRENTINO while standing behind the service line. The Italians eventually finished the job at 25-18.
From the very beginning of the second set PAOK THESSALONIKI took the lead (4-1). Home star Mitar Tzourits and his teammates were able to cancel their gap but it was difficult to preserve the advantage as the Greeks did not seem willing to give up until the second technical time-out. After that TRENTINO imposed their class and closed the second set at 25-20.
TRENTINO Diatec pushed to finish the match as quickly as possible and guided by their opposite Tzourits and middle blocker Sebastian Solé, the hosts set the pace of the game until 13-11 when PAOK got back on track thanks to Rolando Cepeda (from 18-13 to 20-18 before levelling the count at 24-24). At the end of this exciting period, Tzourits led his team to the final 27-25 set win that sealed the fourth victory in Pool C for the home side.
Tzourits was named MVP of the match with 74% of efficiency in attack (he recorded 21 points including four aces). On the other side of the net the performance of the Cuban-born opposite of PAOK THESSALONIKI, Rolando Cepeda, was truly remarkable as he scored 13 points, including one ace.
“We wanted a victory and three points and were willing to show a good performance in every aspect of the game. We succeeded in achieving all of these goals and obviously we are very happy, even though there is still a lot of work to be done,” stated local head coach Radostin Stoytchev.
“TRENTINO are a team of a high level, with a lot of experience in this competition and with a very effective serve, all qualities that we lack. We are happy to have the opportunity to play against such an opponent, but we did not manage to fight back, except for the third set,” stated Ioannis Kalmazidis, head coach of PAOK THESSALONIKI.
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