ミラノが5位決定戦を制しリーグを締めくくる、大塚達宣はスタメン出場で勝利に貢献【イタリア男子バレー】

On Saturday, May 3rd local time, Milan, where Tatsunori Otsuka plays, faced Modena in the Italian Superlegga 5th place final, with Milan winning 3-1 (18-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-19). As a result, Milan finished in 5th place in the league and qualified to play in next season's CEV Challenge Cup.

Match Report

Starting lineup (from P1)

Milan: OH Otsuka, MB Schnitzer, OP Regels, OH Kaziski, MB Kaneschi, S Porro, L Catania

Modena: MB Anzani, S Dececco, OH Gutierrez, MB Matti, OP Buketgel, OH Daviskiba, L Federici

1st set: Modena takes a big lead with MB Matti serving

From the beginning, Modena took a big lead of 3-11 with seven consecutive breaks thanks to two service aces from MB Matti and a spike from OP Bukegel. Milano then narrowed the gap to 12-16 thanks to a spike from MB Schnitzer, a block from OH Ruati, and a service ace from OP Regels. However, Modena again widened the gap to 15-21 thanks to a service ace from OH Daviskiba, and finally a block from OP Bukegel gave Modena a 18-25 lead in the set.

Second set: Milan's attack is more stable, Modena's mistakes are increasing

In the early stages, Modena took the lead with OH Daviskiba's spikes and other points, leading 6-8. However, Milan quickly caught up with OH Kaziski's block and service ace at 8-8, and then OP Regels' spike, S Pollo's block, and OH Daviskiba's attack mistake led Milan to 15-9. After that, Modena made several breaks, but made mistakes and couldn't get into the flow, and Milan maintained the lead with points from OH Otsuka's spikes and other points. Finally, MB Schnitzer's spike was successful and Milan took the set back 25-21.

Third set: Modena self-destructs with seven missed attacks

Milan started off with a 3-0 lead thanks to a block from OP Regels and an attack mistake from Modena, but then Modena's attack mistakes and a spike from OH Kaziski helped Milan widen the gap to 11-5. Modena then narrowed the gap to 12-11 with a service ace from OH Daviskiba and a block from OH Gutierrez. However, Modena continued to make mistakes again, and Milan widened the gap again to 20-15. After that, OP Regels and others continued to score, and Milan finished off the set with a quick from MB Schnitzer, winning the set 25-19.

Fourth set: Milano takes control with effective serve and block

Modena took a 1-4 lead with two service aces from MB Matti. However, Milano quickly tied the score at 4-4 with consecutive breaks from OH Otsuka's serve, and then took the lead at 12-8 with spikes and blocks from OP Regels. Milano continued to score with a high attack success rate, mainly from OP Regels and OH Kaziski, and maintained their lead, and finally won the set with a 25-19 serve error from OP Bukegel.

As a result, Milan won against Modena 3-1.

Key Points of the Match

1) Milan's block vs. Modena's serve

Milano's break points came mainly from blocks and Modena's from serves, with Milano scoring 11 block points (5 from OP Regers) and Modena scoring 9 service points (5 from MB Matti) throughout the match.

② Milan improved their attack

Milan's team attack effectiveness rate (= (points scored - points conceded)/number of hits) was quite low at only 5% in the first set, but it improved significantly from the second set onwards to 551 TP3T, 411 TP3T, and 441 TP3T. In particular, OP Regels (11 points from attacks) and OH Kaziski (10 points) maintained their good form.

3) Modena self-destructs due to attack mistakes

Modena played a near perfect game in the first set, giving Milan no way to win, but lost five points in the second set and seven points in the third set due to attack mistakes, almost destroying the set. In the fourth set, Modena improved in that respect, but was unable to score as they wanted against Milan's serve and block, which had regained their form, and they struggled with side outs.

Notable players' performances

OP Ferre Regiers (Milan, MVP)

17 points (attack 11, serve 1, block 5), attack efficiency rate 421 TP 3T

In the first set, he was not very good at attacking, but from the second set onwards, he showed his true scoring ability. He was the most reliable attacker, especially in high ball situations, and saved the team from difficult situations many times. He also showed his presence in blocking in this match, scoring 5 block points by himself. In particular, he put a lot of pressure on the opponent's OH Daviskiba, which may have led to him making mistakes.

OH Tatsunobu Otsuka (Milan)

4 points (attack 4), attack effectiveness rate 13%, serve reception success rate 47%

Although he did not contribute much in terms of points in this match, he supported his team with his characteristic defense. In the fourth set, his control serve near zone 2 (front right) was effective and created a break chance.

MB Pardo Mati (Modena)

13 points (attack 6, serve 5, block 2), attack efficiency rate 331 TP 3T

Among the defeated Modena, Matty left an impression with his powerful serve. In addition to five aces, he also earned many breaks, and it is no exaggeration to say that it was almost entirely thanks to him that they took the first set. Although his spikes and blocks are still developing, he is 19 years old, born in 2006, so his future is very exciting. By the way, this match was also a Matty vs. Matej (Kaziyski) showdown (lol).

Toshiki's comment

Milan had lost 0-3 to Modena in the 5th place qualifying round, and in this match, Modena played a nearly perfect game in the first set, so I honestly thought, "I wonder if Modena will win this one." But they destroyed themselves spectacularly.

The serve, led by the aforementioned MB Matti, was running a lot and breaking down Milan, while Modena's serve reception was solid. Still, everything was ruined by a total of 13 attack errors. Of course, it could be said that the mistakes were made due to the pressure of Milan's block, but even so, it was a lot.

On the other hand, Milan made very few mistakes, only three in total, and did not miss any opportunities. I think that the fourth set, in which Modena's mistakes were improved, was a complete victory for Milan.

Modena is no longer what it used to be when it was one of the BIG4. Although they have good players, I get the impression that they have not yet become a team. Next season, my favorite players, OH Porro (Milan's S Porro's younger brother) and L Perry, are scheduled to join, so I am looking forward to positive changes.

Milan has also qualified to participate in next season's CEV Challenge Cup, making it their third consecutive season in European competitions. Otsuka is likely to remain with Milan next season, and as this is a competition where they can realistically aim for the title, I hope they do their best. This was Ishikawa's title in his first year with Milan. However, Milan's members are likely to change significantly next season, so it is still unknown how the team will change. However, it seems that Regers will remain, so that is reassuring.

I'm really glad that Milan finished the season in 5th place. I think it was a difficult season for the team, with the loss of Yuki Ishikawa, who was the face of the team in both name and reality, and the team's strength being unstable due to injuries, but I'm really glad that they were able to finish as a team that could win in the end. It was also a fitting tribute to Captain Piano's retirement.

Otsuka is going to return to Japan and will play in the Asian Champions League as a player for Osaka Bulleteon from Friday. Jeski left Bulleteon before this tournament, and Otsuka's power was probably needed to add a touch of glamour to Tille's last stage. Even so, he's tough (laughs).

It would be exciting to see the final match between Otsuka Tatsunori and Takahashi Ai, which did not happen in Italy, in Japan.

Milan wins the 5th place match to finish off the league, Tatsunori Otsuka contributes to the victory by playing in the starting line-up [Italian Men's Volleyball]