03/03/2016 23:22
Halkbank ANKARA upset passionate crowd at Palapanini to qualify for Playoffs 6
2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Men
Modena, Italy, March 3, 2016. Though they lost the re-match with Italy’s standout DHL MODENA at the tie-break, Turkey’s Halkbank ANKARA secured on Thursday night their qualification for the Playoffs 6 of the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Men after capitalising on their 3-0 home win from two weeks ago. Halkbank will be playing another Italian team, Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA, in the next round for a spot to compete at the Final Four scheduled for April 16-17 in Krakow, Poland. DHL MODENA’s 3-2 win (22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 17-25, 15-9) was kind of useless as the Turks needed to claim two sets from this re-match to secure their progression to the next round and so they did in the end.
Halkbank ANKARA opened the match leading 8-5 at the first technical time-out before the score was leveled at 12-all. The Turks edged ahead again but pushed by the great atmosphere created by their 2,300 fans in attendance, DHL MODENA kept the score tight up to 19-all. This close affair continued up to 22-22 before Halkbank scored three in a row to pull out a 25-22 set win.
The second set was another close race with the score being levelled at 7-7 and 11-11. At the second technical time-out Halkbank had the narrowest margin over their opponent (16-15) but DHL MODENA delivered a strong performance edging ahead at 19-17 and 21-18 before securing this set at 25-20.
DHL MODENA continued their show in the third set with some amazing actions delivered by their world-class setter Bruno Rezende. The hosts claimed a 13-9 lead pushed by the great crowd in attendance at Palapanini and they were able to hold on to their advantage up to 18-12. Though Halkbank cut their deficit at 22-18, DHL MODENA did not lose composure and finished the set 25-21.
DHL MODENA were still alive in the race for a spot in the Playoffs 6 but Halkbank came out with all guns blazing in set 4 leading 10-7 and continued to push to secure a five-point lead at the second technical time-out (16-11). The Turks had somehow got the right edge in the match and with their dominant 25-17 set win they qualified for the Playoffs 6, with the tie-break that followed being meaningless.
“We claimed a very tough match against a great team, now we have to refocus and think about our next matches with CIVITANOVA,” said Halkbank coach Lorenzo Bernardi.
Home mentor Angelo Lorenzetti commented: “My players did a great job and gave everything they had, so I have nothing to complain about.”
Click here for more info including detailed stats of the match
|