NOVARA mount two comebacks to edge German sensation in first round of #CEVChallengeCupW semis
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Italy’s heavyweight Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA have added yet another victory to their record in this year’s CEV Challenge Cup. On Thursday night, they beat Germany’s sensation VC WIESBADEN 3-1 in the first round of the semis to improve their seasonal record to 12 wins in as many international matches that they have contested in the WEVZA Cup and Challenge Cup. Their record across all – domestic and international – competitions this season stands at 26 wins and four losses only.
Sara Bonifacio was named MVP of the game following a very consistent performance: she had a very high scoring ratio (81%) and her serving skills were crucial for the comebacks mounted by Igor Gorgonzola in the second and in the fourth set as well. In set 2, NOVARA came back from 14-22 down to emerge victorious at 30-28 with much help coming from their middle blockers. In the fourth, they achieved a similar feat making up for a 15-21 deficit to win it by 25-23. VC WIESBADEN played a great match, putting much pressure on the receivers of Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA and using their attacking skills very smartly. Izabella Rapacz was the top scorer of the visiting team with 15 points, while Rachel Anderson had a great impact on the game with her serve, scoring three aces. Both setters on the court used all their attackers: all the 10 attacking players from the starting six (five on each side of the net) scored at least 10 points, which is quite unusual.
Sara Bonifacio“I want to congratulate both my opponents, as they delivered a great performance, and my teammates, as we never gave up and were able to come back twice in the match. We expected the game to be tough and we expect the away game to be even more complicated, as they are at their best when playing at home. It is important that we could win the game by taking three points but now we need another great performance to finish the job and secure a spot in the final, which is our goal.”
Player of igor Gorgonzola NOVARA
Christian Sossenheimer, coach of VC WIESBADEN: “It is not easy to summarise our feelings after a match like this. We are very disappointed but at the same time, I must congratulate my team on a fantastic performance. We wanted to upset our opponents and came close to causing a sensation. We played very well tactically at the start, served fantastically, and put the pressure on. NOVARA had problems with that. Unfortunately, we did not manage to maintain our lead in the second and fourth sets. It was to be expected that such a high-calibre opponent could then go one better. The fans in the hall got loud again, which put us under additional pressure. Despite the disappointment, we will take a lot of positives into the upcoming games against VfB SUHL Lotto Thüringen in the German Bundesliga on Saturday and Igor Gorgonzola on Wednesday.”
VC WIESBADEN head coach Benedikt Frank was unable to travel to Italy due to a torn patella tendon suffered on Tuesday; he has undergone surgery already and he would like to watch the return match on Wednesday at least from the stands.