End the game or postpone the outcome. It’s only just begun, but the semifinal series between ABBA Pineto and Virtus Aversa is already at a crossroads. The playoffs are like this: fast-paced, high pressure, and little time to celebrate or ruminate. So tomorrow (Sunday), at 6:00 PM at the Palajacazzi in Aversa, it will be Game 2 of the Normanni match against the white-and-blues in the race for promotion to the Credem Banca Serie A2.
The team coached by Simone Di Tommaso has a potential match point in their grasp. ABBA is coming off a 3-1 victory in the marathon Game 1 last Wednesday at the Pala Santa Maria, a victory that puts Di Silvestre and his teammates in a strong position to book their ticket to the final in Campania. It’s a dead heat for Aversa, who must win to move the series back to Abruzzo for a possible Game 2 on April 29th at Pala Santa Maria (8:30 PM).
“It’s a very difficult match,” coach Simone Di Tommaso commented on the eve of the match, “against a strong team that has rediscovered its brilliance in recent months, who also demonstrated in Game 1 that they’re in excellent form and who have the chance to extend this series by playing in front of their home crowd. We expect a packed, heated arena. Aversa is a team that is definitely intent on extending the series and taking us to Game 3. That said, we must remain focused on the court, on playing the best volleyball possible, trying to limit their strengths, continuing to play good volleyball as we did in Game 1, trying to maintain a high level of service and attack, and then taking advantage of the moments when we can put pressure on Aversa. Playing at home, they will obviously have more energy, but at the same time they will have a bit of weight in the prediction of having to win to take us to the third match.”
