Back at the PalaSanGiorgio, hoping for the same outcome as last time in Cavallermaggiore. After the Easter break, which served to recharge physically and mentally after Game 2, Monge-Gerbaudo Savigliano is preparing for Game 3 of the playout series against Terni Volley Academy, who travels once again to Piedmont.
The opponent. They didn’t know each other before these playouts, but now they already seem like old friends. Savigliano and Terni have learned to recognize each other’s strengths and weaknesses in the eight sets played so far in the series. The five sets that characterized a very intense Game 2, for example, highlighted the effectiveness of the Umbrian attack, particularly the heavy and precise arm of Martinez, who was by far the top scorer of the match with 33 points. Among these, the very delicate one that earned a provisional 25-24 lead in a fourth set that was becoming complicated for Volley Academy. Despite their opponents’ uneven form, coach Camardese’s men showcased excellent qualities and a renewed depth in their squad, with Picardo returning to the center and immediately making a decisive impact with some crucial blocks. In short, the team arriving in the province of Cuneo will undoubtedly be a confident opponent, reinvigorated by their narrow escape in front of their home crowd.
Here’s Monge vs. Gerbaudo Savigliano. For their part, the Piedmontese team, while still licking their wounds, returned from Umbria confident that they had long been up to the task. Indeed, on the Gunetto Autolinee-branded bus, there were also some regrets, arising at the end of a fourth set that, with a little more clarity, could have even turned the game around for the white-and-blues, culminating in a remarkable comeback. “The fifteen days granted to us by the Easter break have undoubtedly served to recharge and overcome some aches and pains we’ve been carrying around for a few weeks. The first two matches of the series demonstrated how crucial home court advantage can be. We’ll have to be good at exploiting it, aware that even small details can make the difference in such close matches,” said coach Andrea Berra.
Previous matches. The record so far is very simple: one win each, with Monge-Gerbaudo ideally leading in sets won, 5-3. The top scorer so far? The aforementioned Martinez, who scored 46 points overall (13 and 33), compared to his Savigliano counterpart Rossato’s 40 (17 and 23).
