Conegliano and Milano Start Strong in Italian Semifinals

As the #CLVolleyW semifinals approach, the Italian representatives also began their domestic semifinal campaigns in their leagues this weekend. At their first games, Conegliano and Milano both secured dominant victories, taking 1-0 leads in their respective best-of-three series. With such commanding performances, both teams gained valuable momentum ahead of their upcoming clashes.

The reigning CEV Champions League Volley and Italian league champions, A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano, faced Igor Gorgonzola Novara in the first leg of their Serie A1 semifinal matchup. From start to finish, Conegliano delivered a masterclass performance, comfortably sweeping Novara 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-13).

Swedish opposite Isabelle Haak led all scorers, but the spotlight belonged to Chinese superstar Zhu Ting, who was named MVP with 16 points. On the other hand, Novara struggled to keep up with Conegliano’s relentless attack, as Maja Aleksic was the team’s most effective player with only eight points.

In the other semifinal clash, Numia Vero Volley Milano faced a familiar opponent in fellow CEV Champions League Volley semifinalist Savino Del Bene Scandicci. While a close battle was expected, Milano put on an impressive display, securing a straight-set 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-21) victory and taking a crucial 1-0 lead in the series.

Italian star Paola Egonu once again stole the show, finishing as both MVP and top scorer with 23 points, including two blocks and an ace. Dutch international Nika Daalderop added 10 points while rising Serbian middle blocker Hena Kurtagic contributed three kill blocks. Despite a strong 17-point effort from Italian opposite Ekaterina Antropova, Scandicci was unable to match Milano’s consistency.

As the season progresses with more serious battles, Conegliano and Milano will gain momentum for their following campaigns both domestically and continentally. While they aim to secure spots in the Italian Serie A1 Finals, their European ambitions remain a top priority as they prepare for their decisive European clashes.