In the first match of the quarterfinals of the Italian Women's Volleyball League playoffs, Chieri, coached by Hayashi Kento, faced Novara on Wednesday, March 27th (local time) and won 3-2 (25-18, 17-25, 28-26, 19-25, 15-8).
First set starting lineup
Kieri
OH: Skinner (USA), Kingdon (USA)
MB: Gray (Italy), Zacchaeus (Cyprus)
OP: Globerna (Belgium)
S: Marinov (Italy)
L: Spirito (Italy)
Novara
OH: Bozzetti (Italy), Markova (Russia)
MB: Danesi (Italy), Bonifacio (Italy)
OP: Akimova (Russia)
S: Bosio (Italy)
L: Felsino (Italy)
*Positions: OH = outside hitter, MB = middle blocker, OP = opposite, S = setter, L = libero
MVP: OP Kaya Groberna
23 points (2 on serve)
Attack effectiveness rate: 33.33%
This brings Chieri's record to 1 win and 0 losses in the quarterfinals, and if he wins his next match he will advance to the semifinals (best of 3, 2 wins).
The second leg of the playoff quarter-finals will be held at Chieri's home grounds at 28:30 on Saturday, March 30th (Japan time).
Italian League Website: https://www.legavolleyfemminile.it/
Distribution (VBTV, paid): https://www.volleyballworld.tv/home
Post-match comments from Coach Kento Hayashi
The first playoff game will see them take on the challenger role.
Chieri has never made it to the Final Four before. The first game is important for making new history.
Although they were wary of their opponents' new players, they were able to beat them down with their serves from the beginning and gain the upper hand.
Midway through the match, the outside hitter was replaced by Suzaku Marie, and she struggled against the opponent's good defense and skillful hits, losing the set. However, she continued to remember to serve aggressively until the end, and managed to snatch victory through her own efforts.
The biggest difference I felt was the level of cooperation between the bench and the players. We have a slogan of "SIDE BEFORE SELF" and we always try to play and act for the team. The players listen carefully to the staff, and the staff also think about the players and I get the feeling that we are all working towards the same goal.
On the other hand, Novara's team cohesion seemed low, with each team member looking in a different direction even when the coach was speaking, or starting a conversation somewhere else. This is just my personal opinion.
As I mentioned earlier, the key to our play was our superior mindset, which ultimately led to our victory.
However, they are a formidable opponent. They will definitely make adjustments next time.
I look forward to enjoying this thrilling and amazing performance to the fullest and creating a new page for Chieri.
Photo: legavolleyfemminile.it
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