Alexandria – At the Palacima, on Saturday 14 January, we witnessed a very intense and for long stretches very exciting meeting. After the Christmas holidays, the women’s volleyball series C championship resumed which, as per the calendar, pitted two of the three forces in the group against each other. The girls of Alessandria volleyball second in the standings to face a formidable, strong and well organized Rosaltiora Verbania third in the standings. The match that we could define as the big match of the day saw President Andrea La Rosa’s girls emerge victorious by 3 to 2, 23 to 25, 25 to 17, 20 to 25, 25 to 22 and 15 to 11 at the tie break.
In volleyball there is no draw and perhaps it would have been a fair result given the forces on the field but Fracchia and her teammates, as they have accustomed us on several occasions, had the coolness, tenacity and determination to bring the match to fruition with a victory. Vittoria greeted by a large audience present as always in the stands and by all the managerial staff from Alessandria who were joined by two of the current sponsors Claudia Zanaga of the Fratelli Zanaga Company and Stefano Mantelli owner of the SCC Società Costruzioni Capannoni and the welcome presence of Giorgio Laguzzi councilor of the Municipality of Alessandria. For this second half of the championship, coach Marco “Jus” Ruscigni had the captain Romina Marku and her team mates Giulia Ponzano, Valentina Soriani, Martina Fracchia, Matilde Furegato, Alice Giacomin, Arianna Ferrari, Elisa Marku, Silvia Rinaldi, Arianna Bernagozzi, Chiara Cazzulo, Alessia Falocco, Francesca Oberti and as always the staff from Alessandria was also made up of Giorgio Oberti as second coach and athletic trainer, the Team Managers Marco Bernardelli and Simone Ponzano, the team doctor Dr. Francesco Mele and the physiotherapist Antonio Aita. As already mentioned, the victory smiled on the Alessandrians even if it was certainly not the best performance put on the field, a performance studded with inaccuracies in attack and above all in defense where important components such as reactivity, dexterity and precision were missing, technical values instead put in field from the Verbanese.
- First set with a very contracted start, first with a study phase between two teams that have shown that they fear each other and a second part with Fabrizio Balzano’s girls to believe it and demonstrate their desire to bring home the entire stake. The Alessandrians always chasing and in the end taking the situation in hand, leading by 21 to 18 after having won 5 consecutive points, 5 points also left to the opponents for a 21 to 23 in their favor and closing the set on a score of 23 to 25 and a passive of 0 to 1.
- Second fraction with reversed parts with sprint start for Soriani and partners and for the whole fraction the Verbanese chasing but the large gap recorded allowed Alessandria to lead the set quite easily with a score of 25 to 17 and tie the accounts.
- Third set with a good start for Ruscigni’s girls who lead the time up to the halfway point of the score. But the second part of the fraction is from the Verbanese brand who thanks to their good shots and mistakes and inaccuracies the opponents close the set count on 20 to 25 and 1 to 2.
- Fourth fraction: Alexandrians on the field for the classic “either in or out” and having this sword of Damocles on their head they change their attitude in a crescendo, even if not irresistible as demonstrated on other occasions, which leads them to greater attention, precision and determination . The set goes on for the most part with many ball changes and counterattacks that brings the teams up to 14-14 followed by a leap from the lake that scores a 15-18 against the Alessandrians. On this score, with a flick of the tail and winning paws, Marku and his teammates score 8 points and despite an opponent’s comeback attempt they close on 25 to 22 and send everything back to the tie break.
- Girls all around coach Ruscigni for the latest tactical indications and off to the tie break which saw Ponzano and its partners always leading and Verbania chasing until the final whistle of the referee with the scoreboard indicating the final 3 to 2 in favor of the ‘Alessandria volley that sanctions the eleventh victory out of twelve matches and a second place guarantee for the playoffs for the conquest of the B2 series.
After this twelfth day we always find Lilliput in the lead with 35 points followed by Alessandria volley at 32 and Verbania with 26, these are the positions to access the playoffs, then Issa Novara at 23, Real Venaria 22, Ovada 21, La Vanchiglia To 18, Cigliano 16, Sammaborgo 15, Piossasco 13 to follow the hot zone with Pavic 12, Pianezza 7 (playout) and Valenza 7, Igor 2 (relegation zone), with Piossasco and Pavic one game less. Next meeting on Saturday 21 January at 17.45 at the Palasport Loc. Geirino in Ovada which will see Alessandria volleyball face Ovada volleyball.
