Gi Group Monza – Diatec Trentino 0-3 (22-25, 20-25, 21-25) – Gi Group Monza: Jovovic 4, Botto 8, Beretta 4, Vissotto Neves 6, Fromm 10, Verhees 5, Rizzo (L), Brunetti (L), Dzavoronok 0, Daldello 0, Hirsch 7, Raic 0. DNP Galliani, Terpin. Coach. Falasca. Diatec Trentino: Giannelli 5, Urnaut 10, Mazzone D. 7, Stokr 10, Lanza 10, Van De Voorde 10, Chiappa (L), Antonov 0, Colaci (L), Blasi 0, Nelli 0. DNP Mazzone T., Solé, Burgsthaler. Coach. Lorenzetti. REFEREES: Satanassi, Tanasi. NOTES – sets: 26′, 26′, 28′; tot: 80′. MVP: Simone Giannelli (Diatec Trentino)
For first time in history Gi Group Team Monza will participate to Superleague PlayOffs, thanks to the seventh place earned in regular season. In quarterfinals Gi Group will face Diatec Trentino, the team who defeated Monza on tonight in front of sell out crowd of Palazzetto dello Sport in Monza. With this win Angelo Lorenzetti’s team earned the second place in regular season standings, avoiding to face evenctually Lube Civitanova in semifinals. A great start for Trento, drove by a perfect game by Simone Giannelli, inspiring middle blockers Mazzone and Van de Voorde, both almost perfects (100% in attack for Mazzone), calling also the numbers of Lanza, Stokr and Urnaut (10 points apiece). On the other hand Monza struggled, a good game by Fromm and Hirsch (who stepped on the court in place of Vissotto, in trouble all game long), but Trento won with authority first two sets. In third Trento is still in front, but Monza tried to fight back, staying in the game until the crunch time of the third, with Diatec winner 25-21, for the final 3-0 in favour of Trento. Next sunday Gi Group Monza and Diatec Trentino will face each other at PalaTrento for Game 1 of Quarterfinals.
Thomas Beretta (Gi Group Team Monza): “We knew it would not be easy versus Trento. Now we are in a good moment of the season, we are in good shape, we are confident for these upcoming playoffs. We will need to put on the floor our best volleyball, we’ll try. In this season we showed personality and great mentality. Versus Trento we’ll need to be united and tough, keeping away the pressure”.
Simone Giannelli (Diatec Trentino): “Our next opponent will be Monza, we are not thinking to Civitanova.On tonight we played good volleyball, we were determined and tough, we closed the game with authority. Gi Group Team is a good team, sometimes on today they put us in trouble. Let’s think game by game, keeping the balance, together humility, our strength”.