The Italian men's volleyball league Serie A is in its seventh round, and Japan's outside hitter Ishikawa Yuki played against Verona at his Milan home stadium, winning 3-1 to mark his third win of the season.
Results
Milan vs Verona 3-1 (24-26, 25-22, 25-20, 25-18)
Their opponent, Verona, is a very young team with OH Mozic (Slovenia) 19, OH Asparuhov (Bulgaria) 21, and OP Jansen (Denmark) 21, with the average age of the three starters being 20.3. They are unstoppable when they get going, but perhaps due to their lack of experience, they have only managed to win one game this season. This is why they were an opponent that Milan absolutely wanted to beat.
Although Milan lost the first set after a deuce, they went on to win three sets in a row, each with a set point difference, resulting in a comeback victory for the team.
The first set started with a skillful shot from Ishikawa's reception. Ishikawa Yuki's movements were sharp that day, and I think he was able to fully demonstrate his true abilities. He scored 16 points with a mix of hard and soft attacks, with a success rate of 501 TP and 3 T. He made 3 mistakes, but only 1 was blocked. He also scored 18 points in total, 1 point each for serve and block points. I think that today, he was particularly effective with soft shots. I think more than half of his points were from soft shots. His roll shot that seemed to mock the opponent's block for the 11th point in the 4th set, and his push that landed in the middle of the court for the 19th point were plays that were typical of Ishikawa. The English commentator even shouted "This is Yuki Ishikawa!!!" lol. There was also a scene where a ball that was returned over the line into zone 1 was a point. It was a match that made me think that Ishikawa really has a good eye for the court. A sharp spike is worth one point, but a slow, soft hit is also worth one point.
He was outstanding not only in attack but also in defense. As always, he was targeted by the opponent's serves, and his return rate of 401 TP3T was not good, but he also lost zero points, which was an amazing number. He also supported his team with good digs and passes during the rallies.
However, the MVP of the day was not Ishikawa, but the opposite player Patrie (France). He scored 20 attack points with a success rate of 611 TP3T. He had 3 service aces and 3 blocks for a total of 26 points, making a big impact. He made many high sets in particularly difficult situations. This was a spectacular performance that you would expect from an opposite player. Also, libero Pesaresi (Italy) stood out as an individual player, even though the numbers didn't show up. Not only was his reception stable, but there were many scenes where he was able to turn around and score points from his digs and block follows.
As a team, the number of blocks was noticeable. The team scored 14 in total. In addition to Patry, Piano (Italy) and Cineniese (France) also scored three mid-range blocks, and all six starters scored at least one block.
Verona's OH Mojic and OP Jansen did well, but the other players were caught by Milan's block despite their number of hits. However, Mojic has become the team's leader with a sense of stability that is hard to believe for a 19-year-old. His form and defensive skills are reminiscent of fellow Slovenian national team player Urnarto, who played for Milan last season, but his power and explosiveness are even greater than Urnarto's, and if he continues to improve, he will become an unstoppable player. The team has not been winning much, but I hope he will continue to improve his level this season.
The next match will be against Cisterna at home on Tuesday, November 23rd at 8:30pm. They are a lower-ranked opponent, so we want to win for sure, but they have plenty of offensive power, including former teammate OH Marr (Canada), young OH Rinaldi (Italy) who has been making great strides this season, and OP Schwartz (Canada), who was talked about as a good-looking guy at the Olympics. The key will be how well they can break down the opponent with their serves and win the rallies. Good luck Milano. Good luck Yuki.
Photo: Lega Pallavolo Serie A
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