In the fourth round of the second half of the Italian Men's Volleyball League, Monza, where Takahashi Ai plays, played against Taranto on Sunday, January 21st (local time) and won 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-22, 25-22). Takahashi Ai started and scored 11 points.
First set starting lineup
Monza
OH: Ma (Canada), Takahashi
MB: Galassi (Italy), Di Martino (Italy)
OP: Schwartz (Canada)
S: Cachopa (Brazil)
L: Gaggini (Italy)
Taranto
OH: Lanza (Italy), Gutierrez (Cuba)
MB: Gargiulo (Italy), Jendrick (USA)
OP: Russell (USA)
S: Trinidad (Serbia)
L: Rizzo (Italy)
*Positions: OH = outside hitter, MB = middle blocker, OP = opposite, S = setter, L = libero
Match Report
The first set was a close one. Monza took the lead at 6-4 with a block from OH Takahashi, but Taranto also took the lead at 8-9 with a service ace from MB Jendrik, and the score remained close as both teams broke the lead. However, from the middle of the set, Monza gradually pulled away with spikes from OP Schwartz, and took a 16-12 lead. Monza then made a series of mistakes, and was pushed to within one point at 17-16, but spikes from OP Schwartz and MB Galassi widened the gap again to 22-18. Finally, OP Schwartz's block was successful, and Monza took the set 25-20.
In the second set, Taranto took a 0-2 lead after breaking from OH Lanza's serve, but Monza broke back with a serve from S Cachopa to tie the score at 6-6. From there, Monza scored points from OP Schwartz and OH Marr, while Taranto scored points from OH Lanza and OP Russell, and the match continued to be close, with the score at 18-18. However, with a block from MB Gargiulo, Taranto took the lead at 18-21 in the final stages, and OH Gutierrez's spike at the end of the set gave Taranto a 21-25 victory.
In the third set, Taranto took the lead 2-5 with spikes and blocks from OH Lanza. However, MB Gargiulo made consecutive attack mistakes, tying the score at 10-10, and then OP Schwartz's spikes and blocks made a comeback to 13-12. MB Di Martino's consecutive blocks gave Monza a 19-16 lead. MB Galassi's block then gave them a set point at 24-20, and OP Schwartz's spike finally gave Monza a 25-22 victory.
In the fourth set, Monza took the lead at 5-3 thanks to a service ace from OH Takahashi, but Taranto quickly turned the game around with a service ace from OH Gutierrez to make it 5-6. From there, Monza scored points mainly from OH Marr and MB Galassi, while Taranto scored points mainly from OH Lanza and OP Russell, and the match continued to be close at 16-16. However, OH Takahashi scored consecutive spikes to give Monza an edge at 18-16, and after that they did not allow Taranto to break, and finally OH Marr scored a spike to take the set 25-22.
As a result, Monza won against Taranto 3-1.
MVP: OP Arthur Schwartz 22 points (3 blocks) Team attack efficiency rate 42.86%
OH Ai Takahashi 11 points (1 serve, 1 block) Attack effectiveness rate 26.09%
This leaves Monza in 6th place with a total record of 8 wins, 7 losses and 24 points.
The next match will be against Verona on Wednesday, January 24th at 28:30 Japan time.
Italian League Website: https://www.legavolley.it/
Distribution (VBTV, paid): https://www.volleyballworld.tv/home
Toshiki's comment
First of all, congratulations on breaking the losing streak in the league!
I think it must be very difficult to stay in shape with such a tight schedule, but my honest reaction is that I'm relieved that we were able to win against an opponent we had to beat.
This match was Schwartz's day, both in terms of the impression he showed and the numbers. He was the obvious MVP. His tall spikes stood out. As a former middle blocker, he also had three blocks. However, he seemed to make a lot of mistakes with his serve. His serve is also strong, so I hope he will be in top form for the Coppa Italia. His fake set with Takahashi was also a success.
On the other hand, Takahashi didn't stand out much in this game. He scored fewer goals than Galassi in the middle. But I think it's better if he doesn't stand out too much. He's a player who has a lot of energy and contributes a lot that doesn't show up in the numbers, so I think that's fine considering the long season. Still, I wanted to improve the attack effectiveness rate a little more.
Galassi was good in the middle, but Di Martino's blocking at key points was also outstanding. The middle shots at Monza were not that high, but the attacks, blocks, and serves were all at a high level.
Taranto was highlighted by the efforts of former Italian national team player Lanza. He is 33 years old this year, but he still has a lot to offer.
Well, after the match against Verona next week, we will finally reach the Coppa Italia semi-finals. How we spend this week and how we can get into good condition will be one of the keys, so I hope we will do our best to perform at our best next weekend.
Photo: volleyball.it
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