Fifth success in the championship for Stefano Lavarini’s Igor Volley, which overcomes Cuneo in four sets and maintains the second position in the standings, with 14 points to its credit in six days. Well-deserved MVP award of the match for Haleigh Washington, top scorer with 18 points (on a par with Gicquel from Cuneo) including the decisive ones in the fourth set.

Igor on the field with Karakurt opposite Hancock, Chirichella and Washington in the center, Herbots and Bosetti in the band and Fersino free; Cuneo with Signorile in the direction and Gicquel diagonally, Squarcini and Stufi central, Kuznetsova and Jasper spikers and Spirito libero.

A diagonal by Karakurt breaks the initial head-to-head (5-3) with two points in a row by Washington (fast and winning serve) that are worth 8-5 for the Azzurre, good at keeping their distance and then extending with two points by Karakurt who first realizes a great defense by Fersino and then signs the ace of 14-9. Cuneo does not give up and returns, first taking it to 17-15 with Squarcini’s ace and then even tied at 22-22 with a lob by Kuznetsova and an out attack by Washington. An Italian error is worth the set ball for Cuneo (23-24) but after Lavarini’s timeout there are two blocks to give the set to Novara: first Karakurt “stops” Jasper, then Daalderop, who has just entered, makes 26-24 on Gicquel.

Novara raises the pace and makes it 3-0 with Hancock’s ace, with Washington imitating it shortly after, extending the “gap” up to 10-6. It is again the American center to make the gap in fast, first at 15-9 and then at 19-11 while Cuneo struggles to react, under the serving shots of Herbots, who finds two aces for 22-11. The inertia does not change: a block by Karakurt closes the set at 25-14.

The Azzurre pick up where they left off (5-1) but after Pistola’s timeout Cuneo returns, shortening 7-6 before the new break signed by Chirichella, on 11-8. Karakurt concretizes a good defense by Fersino (13-9), then the blue “blackout”, with Lavarini who stops the game at 13-12 and the guests who impact on 16-16 and then take off on Kuznetsova’s serving turn. After the ace of the Russian (18-19) comes the first time of Squarcini (18-20) to which Bosetti replies (20-20) before a new guest break that is worth 20-22. The lunge this time is decisive: Cuneo does not stop anymore and extends the match to 22-25 with Gicquel.

Cuneo starts strong (2-6, Stufi), this time it is Novara who sews up little by little, first with Herbots’ pipe (4-6) and then with Karakurt’s parallel after an endless exchange (8-9). Cuneo escapes again (9-12), Lavarini inserts Rosamaria but it is two blocks by Washington (12-13) and an ace by Herbots (13-13) to reopen the set and force Pistola to timeout; the empty pass of the guests (17-14) proves to be decisive: Cuneo no longer returns, while Washington stops Gicquel (23-18), with the American who also signs the match ball with the maniout of 24-19. Stufi is the last to surrender and signs two heavy points (24-22), then it is Washington again to close the contest, on 25-22.

Ilaria Spirito (libero Bosca San Bernardo Cuneo): “We are happy with the performance, obviously there is regret for not being able to finalize the comeback but at the same time we are aware of the level of Novara. We will continue to work hard, other tough games await us but certainly the positives of today’s performance are a good starting point.”

Britt Herbots (spiker Igor Gorgonzola Novara): “We had two moments of difficulty but I think the most important thing was to come out of it, winning three important points. We knew that Cuneo would defend a lot and push to put us in crisis, but we remained lucid and compact as a group, bringing home another victory”.

Stefano Lavarini (coach Igor Gorgonzola Novara): “We won and this is always important, for the rest we found ourselves facing roughly the game we expected, with an aggressive opponent in defense and also in attacking shots, who managed to put us in difficulty. In the third set we wasted several favorable opportunities, in the fourth instead it was Cuneo who wasted a lot and this helped us in the end to win the three points “.

Igor Gorgonzola Novara – Bosca San Bernardo Cuneo 3-1 (26-24, 25-14, 22-25, 25-22)
Igor Gorgonzola Novara: Imperiali (L) ne, Herbots 14, Montibeller, Battistoni ne, Fersino (L), Bosetti 3, Chirichella 6, Hancock 6, Bonifacio ne, Washington 18, Costantini ne, D’Odorico, Daalderop 1, Karakurt 16. Coach: Lavarini.
Bosca San Bernardo Cuneo: Kuznetsova 14, Battistino ne, Squarcini 6, Spirito (L), Giovannini, Zanette, Basso (L) ne, Agrifoglio, Gicquel 18, Signorile, Montabone ne, Caruso, Jasper 12, Stufi 10. Coach: Pistola.
MVP Haleigh Washington