Superlega 2021

Michieletto leads Trentino into SuperLega semis

The rising Italian star hammers six aces towards a shutout of Piacenza

Published 06:13, 11 Apr 2022

Alessandro Michieletto

Alessandro Michieletto

Itas Trentino booked the last remaining vacancy in Italy’s SuperLega Credem Banca semifinals after rising Italian star Alessandro Michieletto delivered six serving aces towards a three-set victory over Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza in Sunday’s decider. Michieletto and his teammates will now take on defending champions Cucine Lube Civitanova in a best-of-five playoff series for a spot in the final.

At one win each, the best-of-three series between Trentino and Piacenza was the only quarterfinal remaining unresolved after the first two legs of play. Having suffered an upset in Piacenza a week earlier, favourites Trentino shrugged off the exhaustion from their successful CEV Champions League semifinal against compatriots Sir Safety Conad Perugia on Thursday, and hammered out a 3-0 (25-22, 25-19, 25-21) shutout of Piacenza at home to close the quarterfinal playoff their way.

20-year-old outside hitter Michieletto was on fire from the serving line, producing as many as six aces towards a match tally of 14 points, thus sharing the team’s leading scorer honours with 22-year-old opposite Daniele Lavia. Michieletto, who earned the MVP nomination, had his way in 57% of his spike attempts, while Lavia also scored a blocking point in addition to his 13 kills in attack. Serbian star Srecko Lisinac led Trentino’s blocking effort with five stuffs to his name.

Piacenza’s Slovenian opposite Toncek Stern was the best scorer of the match on 19 points.

“It was not an easy match, especially after the hard-fought battle against Perugia on Thursday. Compared to last Sunday, today we were more lucid and concrete. It allowed us to finish the match in three sets, without too many risks. A special thank you goes to the crowd who came to support us today. We have earned this semifinal place on the court, so this wonderful season continues. Now let's focus on the semifinal against Lube. It will be a tough battle, but we are ready. We have shown our high-level game and we want to keep it that way.” Alessandro Michieletto, outside hitter of Itas Trentino

The best-of-five semifinals will get underway on Wednesday, April 13, with regular season winners Perugia hosting Leo Shoes PerkinElmer Modena for the first match of their series. Trentino travel to Civitanova on Thursday.

Piacenza will now join Allianz Milano, Vero Volley Monza, Top Volley Cisterna, Verona Volley and Gioiella Prisma Taranto in a six-way single round-robin race for the fifth place in the season’s final standings, paving the way towards next season’s continental CEV Challenge Cup competition.

“Trentino played an extraordinary defence game and deserved the victory. They fielded a very strong team and very high quality. We are aware of the differences between our team and theirs, now a new championship is starting and we must achieve the goal we set for ourselves at the beginning of the season.” Lorenzo Bernardi, head coach of Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza
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