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Cisneros Alter TENERIFE enjoyed a successful return to the European stage after more than three decades since the team from the Canary Islands managed to come from behind to win 3-1 the first round of their Spanish derby with Río Duero SORIA scheduled for the 32nd Finals of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup.
It was a historic night for Santa Cruz de Tenerife, even more so after the match ended. Despite falling behind 0-1 on the scoreboard, Cisneros Alter shone on the court, turning the initially adverse result around to ultimately win 3-1 against Río Duero. The Pabellón Quico Cabrera enjoyed the heroics of Cisneros in their debut in the CEV Challenge Cup, and the local favourites will be travelling to Castile and León with half the work done.
Cisneros did not start in the best way, especially in attack. The visitors received comfortably, quickly opening a gap to 1-5. The local reaction came quickly, but the joy was short-lived (4-5). With effective serves, the visitors racked up even more points, forcing Matías Guidolin to call a timeout at 6-10. However, the break did not fully awaken the Cisneros players, who continued to struggle offensively while suffering from the powerful serves of the Soria team. The islanders did not give up, but the set became an uphill climb with the score standing at 15-21. In the end, Río Duero sealed the deal at 25-17 in their favour.
The start of the second period was completely different from the previous one. This time, the Cisneros players came out much more energised, as evidenced by the timeout requested by Alberto Toribio at 5-1. From then on, the Tenerife team always maintained control of the match. Río Duero attempted to close the gap but made several errors that hindered their efforts. Players like Vítor Amorim, Sergio Noda, and Carlos Nieves capitalised on this, increasing the lead to 18-14. The locals saw their rivals in the rearview mirror again, but a key block by Adrián Oliva set the point on track (22-19). Ultimately, the Cisneros team pushed through to 25-21.
The third set began with extreme equality, worthy of the potential of both teams. Cisneros took advantage of the strong performances from Amorim and Nieves, but Río Duero remained solid in defence (11-11). This period showcased high-quality Volleyball, particularly from a stellar Noda. Still, everything was tied (19-19). As the match reached its climax, the Cisneros players stepped up. A direct point from Amorim, Gastón Fernández making his presence felt at the net, and a final play by Noda sealed the 2-1 lead (25-22) loudly celebrated by the local fans.
With the positive momentum, Matías Guidolin’s team quickly took the lead (2-0) in the fourth set, keeping the always-competitive Río Duero at bay. The first significant lead of the period was 10-5, which included a visitor’s timeout. Unfortunately for the visiting team, Cisneros continued to perform at a high level upon their return to the court, even improving their defensive play (14-7).
Victory seemed to be on the horizon, but nothing was certain yet, especially against the runner-up of the last Superliga Masculina. The tireless Amorim continued to score, reaching 19-12. To finish, the Argentine coach made several substitutions, and Francisco Duque’s minutes showcased the immense quality of the entire Cisneros squad.
The Quico Cabrera arena vibrated throughout the match but literally erupted when Río Duero’s service hit the net. The fourth set ended at 25-16 thereby securing an advantage for Cisneros ahead of the rematch coming up next week in Soria.