He was one of the best players on the court in ErmGroup Altotevere’s 3-2 victory over Belluno, securing the first leg of the Serie A3 Credem Banca playoff semifinal. Beyond the attackers’ winning shots, volleyball relies on several key skills that contribute to winning matches. One of these is reception, where libero Filippo Pochini excelled. He was organized and adept at absorbing the opposing server’s shots to the point of repeatedly preventing the setter from moving: the best foundation for building attacks. In this regard, “Pok”—who even had a banner displayed in his honor by his dedicated supporters—was a surefire winner. “Personally, I’m also satisfied,” stated the 36-year-old athlete from Perugia, “because I think I perhaps had my best performance of the season, but what matters is the team’s victory.” ErmGroup wanted this victory, partly to shake off the burden of previous unfavorable matches, and Pochini himself analyzes it in more than one way. “First of all, it was gratifying to achieve this result, if only because we played in front of a San Giustino sports hall with more spectators than usual and a more enthusiastic crowd: a truly beautiful crowd. The rest was up to us: we entered the field with the right attitude and mentally free. At the end of the day, we were positive in all the fundamentals, albeit in alternating phases, but always ‘on point’.”
