An MVP performance by Serbia's Srecko Lisinac and a team high of 20 points by Bulgaria's Matey Kaziyski powered Itas Trentino to a stunning 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 26-24, 22-25, 15-11) win over table leaders Sir Safety Conad Perugia as the Italian men's league opened the new year on Sunday.
Superlega 2021
Lisinac, Kaziyski power Trentino in takedown of Perugia
Italian league leaders fall in five sets as nine-match winning streak comes to an end
Published 10:26, 02 Jan 2022
High scorer Matey Kaziyski and MVP Srecko Lisinac combine for a powerful block as the latter stops Wilfredo Leon and Trentino stun Perugia in the Italian league.
It was a match of Round 18 originally scheduled for later this month, but brought forward after coronavirus-related cancellations necessitated re-ordering of the calendar. Only three matches were played on Sunday.
Perugia's Cuba-born Pole Wilfredo Leon with 28 points and Kamil Rychlicki of Luxembourg with 22 both scored more than Kaziyski - but their downfall was the 31 unforced errors that they conceded.
Trentino produced some excellent blocking - five by Daniele Lavia, four from Serbia's Marko Podrascanin, while Lisinac attacked for 85% (11/13), added two stuffs and made some excellent serving runs.
Watch all matches of the Italian men's and women's leagues, live or on demand, on VolleyballWorld.tv.
The win brings Trentino alongside defending champions Lube in second place of the standings after 14 matches (though Lube have played 13).
Perugia, who saw their winning streak of nine matches (including in the European Champions League) come to an end, continue to lead, ten points ahead of their persuers but on 15 matches.
In other Sunday action, Francesco Recine and Turkey's Adis Lagumdzija scored 13 points each and France's Thibault Rossard added another 12 while USA's Max Holt attacked 8/8 in the middle to lead Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza to a 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 34-32) of Vero Volley Monza who failed to convert two set points in a bid to prolong the match.
However, the match high of 21 points came from Monza's Vlad Davyskiba of Belarus.
This was also a Round 18 match.
To wrap up play, in a previously postponed Round 13 match, it took Allianz of Milan all of five sets to overcome Gioiella Prisma Taranto on the road with a 3-2 (27-29, 25-22, 25-16, 21-25, 15-10). It may have come a bit easier for the visitors, had they capitalised on a set point in the first.
As it turned out, USA's Thomas Jaeschke bagged the match high of 23 points for the Lombardy side, while Taranto's Giulio Sabbi came up one short at 22. Sabbi's tally included four blocks, though Matteo Piano registered six.
Get all the details from all the matches of the Italian League here.
Round 16 of the Regular Season is scheduled for next weekend - all matches streamed live on VolleyballWorld.tv.
