The match had a breathtaking duel between the two top Italian opposites at the moment, with Scandicci’s Ekaterina Antropova scoring a match-high 19 points (15 kills, three aces, one block) to prevail over Milano’s Paola Egonu, who left the court with 17 (14 kills, three aces), and take home the MVP award.
“In the playoffs, everything can change from one match to the other,” said Scandicci’s head coach Massimo Barbolini. “I think today the team kept a great mentality as we played point by point when we were down in the first two sets. Last year we also won the first match, but allowed them to come back, so we need to do everything we can to end the series in Milano on Wednesday this time. They are one of the best teams in the world and small details can make a difference.”
Scandicci, who are looking to appear in the Italian Finals for the first time in club history, also counted on 13 points (ten kills, two blocks, one ace) from Chinese superstar Zhu Ting to beat their rivals after five consecutive losses – the last Scandicci victory in the encounter had happened almost a year ago.
