Volley Modica called to overturn the defeat of the first leg against Mantova

Back at home after the long trip to Lombardy, Avimec Modica has immediately turned the page and is back at work this morning to take care of every detail in preparation for game-2 of the first round of the play-offs.

On Sunday afternoon, at the PalaRizza, the blue and white of the County will host Gabbiano Farmamed Mantova. The first leg, won by the Mantova team in four sets, provided some good moments at times, but the Modica team was unable to impose their game, ultimately paying the price. Chillemi and his teammates are now aiming to overturn the verdict in the return match.

“In the away match in Mantova – explains coach Enzo Distefano – our real regret was leaving the court without being able to express our game, the one that characterized us in the second half of the regular season and allowed us to finish well and deservedly in fourth place. We took a step back; perhaps if we had played the volleyball we played in the second half of the season, the result would have been different. Finding our game is what we aim to do in game 2 next Sunday.”

Analyzing the challenge at the PalaSguaitzer with a clear mind, the coach clarifies the issues that did not work as expected: “We had a wrong approach – emphasizes the coach of Avimec Modica – against a team whose value we knew, especially in serving and in the block-defense phase. Mantova pushed right from the first serve and put us in trouble in reception, so we struggled with managing the side out. Our setters, in fact, were forced to chase in this phase, where we were unable to fully exploit our firepower, especially in the middle. Bertozzi, despite the difficulties, managed to make his presence felt at the net in the first two sets, but it wasn't enough because many things didn't fit together as they should in the reconstruction phase.”

“It's a shame about the first set which – he continues – we managed to recover very well, but we couldn't complete the comeback, because Mantova, driven by their serve and their almost perfect block during that phase of the match, forced us to play with the ball detached from the net and managed to take it back and bring it home. We managed to win the third set playing some good volleyball, but it's a shame about the fourth set that we lost at the photo finish due to some of our lapses in concentration and some episodes that could have gone in our favor but were wasted. Winning the fourth set could have given us the point that might have allowed us to play with less pressure in game 2, but now we have to try to overturn the result to go to the golden set.”

“As always – concludes coach Distefano – we're not making a tragedy out of this defeat and starting today we are back to work thinking precisely about redeeming ourselves at PalaRizza, where we need to make the home advantage count and to do that we definitely need to approach the match differently because otherwise everything will be more complicated and uphill.”