The trophy case opens for the third time, the circle closes in the most glorious way possible. After the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa, Domotek Volley Reggio Calabria completes a sensational and historic treble, earning promotion to Serie A2 that sends the entire city into a frenzy of joy.
In a packed PalaCalafiore with seven thousand people and more records at this level and beyond, coach Polimeni’s boys defeated Belluno in the finale of a season that would be an understatement to call perfect. Leading the team on the court, with the usual clarity and charisma of great champions, was setter Davide Saitta. The veteran of the group, accustomed to international stages, enjoyed the celebrations alongside an extraordinary crowd, immediately reviewing an unforgettable evening.
“It was the perfect finale to a fantastic season,” an emotional Saitta began. “If we had to write a better ending, we couldn’t have done it. Obviously, in Belluno, we were disappointed not to be able to close out the series immediately, but a small part of us knew that returning to this arena and celebrating here, together with our people, would have been special. We knew we’d get a huge boost.”
A victory that came thanks to meticulous tactical study and the ability to endure:
“We had the right amount of fear, that kind of respect for the opponent that makes you train well and stay focused all week to find the right confidence. We knew they would study the game well, marking Lazzaretto closely. So ‘Lazza’ did the work of a gregarious player, taking the man away and freeing the middle blockers. We pushed hard in the middle with Innocenzi, the MVP, and an exceptional Luca Presa. We all played brilliantly.”
The Reggio Calabria arena was literally the extra man, a factor Saitta is keen to emphasize: “The crowd was like an extra man on the pitch, and that’s not just a figure of speech. This level of spectacle is rarely seen in… Italy, and for a Serie A3 final, it’s something Reggio Calabria should be deeply proud of.”
Despite a wealth of titles and monumental experience, Saitta became one of the group from day one, closing the gap with his younger teammates. This humility made the difference: “The group was our extra weapon. I want to name those who played less, like Spinello, Parrini, and Ciaramita, without forgetting the unfortunate Mancinelli and Lopetrone: in training, they always worked hard to make us suffer every day and get us used to the battle.
