Smackdown at the Cuneo Sports Palace: La Ma Acqua S.Bernardo Cuneo outmuscles Smartsystem Essence Hotels Fano in thrilling battle
Cuneo Volley faces off against Fano in the Italian Cup quarterfinals, with a potential rematch against Brescia looming in the semis.
In a heated quarter-final match of the Del Monte Coppa Italia A2, held on May 1st at the Cuneo sports palace, the home team, La Ma Acqua S.Bernardo Cuneo, emerged victorious against Smartsystem Essence Hotels Fano with a scoreline of 3-1 (25-18, 25-20, 20-25, 25-22). The match, watched by over 1300 spectators, saw Cuneo's Skipper Sottile and his troops grind it out in over an hour and forty minutes, eventually overcoming the Marchigians who were on par in the third and fourth sets.
The MVP, Felice, shone brilliantly in the decisive fourth set, racking up a stunning 15 points with an impressive 57% attack rate. In the semi-finals, our heroes, led by coach Matteo Battocchio, will face Consoli Sferc Brescia on May 10th at the San Filippo in Brescia in a rematch of the playoff final. The Tucani had already defeated Acicastello in three sets.
The Battle
The clash began with Sottile donning the setter role for Cuneo; Sottile as opposite; Sette and Malavasi on the wings; Codarin and Volpato in the middle; Cavaccini as libero. Fano countered with Coscione-Marks on the diagonal; Merlo and Klobucar as spikers; Mengozzi and Acuti as middle blockers; Raffa as libero. Quickly, Cuneo sprints to a 5-1 lead, with two blocks by Codarin contributing to the early advantage.
The rest of the first set witnessed a dominant performance from Pinali and Sette, with Pinali recording 6 points and boasting a 75% attack rate, and Sette scoring 4 points, registering a perfect 100%! Cuneo cruised to a 25-18 win in the opening set, but Fano showed signs of determination and mounted a 5-0 run in the second set, thanks to two aces courtesy of Marks.
The second set proved to be a more balanced contest, with Fano staying neck and neck with Cuneo for the major part of the set, but multiple service and attack mistakes (7 and 3 respectively) saw the blue and whites lose grip. The set eventually went the way of the home team (25-20).
Upon the restart, Fano cut down on their mistakes and secured the first lead of the match (9-11), eventually extending it to 12-16.
The Crux of the Matter
Up against the ropes, Cuneo demonstrated exceptional teamwork, revving up with Sette's service, who scored 2 aces. The tide turned, with Fano fighting back and, fortified by Klobucar and Mengozzi's blocks, taking the set (20-25). Allik's entry for Malavasi on 18-18 was in vain. However, Fano remained optimistic and took the lead in the fourth set (6-8).
With Allik coming in for Malavasi, Cuneo clawed back, with Sette and Volpato shining once again. Despite stout resistance from Fano, they were ultimately unable to withstand the onslaught, with Sette putting the finishing touch on the victory.
Enrichment Data:
Early Semifinal Rounds: The quarterfinal games for the Del Monte Coppa Italia A2 were played on May 1st, 2025. The playoffs will consist of four quarterfinal winners, with the semifinals scheduled for May 10, 2025[3].
Further Playoff Information: Emma Villas Siena was mentioned in an earlier semifinal reference under the Play Off A2 Credem Banca, but this may not directly correlate with the Coppa Italia timeline[2].
Cuneo’s Semifinal Opponent: La Ma Acqua S.Bernardo Cuneo's official semifinal opponent and match details have not been confirmed or included in the provided sources; for the latest updates, check official updates from Lega Pallavolo Serie A[1].
Key dates:- Semifinals: May 10, 2025[3].- Final: May 11, 2025 (likely)[3].
- The average points scored by Sette in the first two sets was impressive, boasting a perfect 100% attack rate in the first set and contributing 4 points in the second set.
- Matteo Battocchio, the coach of La Ma Acqua S.Bernardo Cuneo, will be ready to lead his team in the semifinals, aiming to repeat their triumph over Consoli Sferc Brescia in the playoff final.
- In the clash at the Cuneo sports palace, the smart systems of both teams were tested, with each team demonstrating their strategic prowess in the intense battle.
- In preparation for the finals, players from both teams, including Palaprata from Fano and Malavasi from Cuneo, will be analyzing their performance statistics, focusing on areas for improvement before the big match.
