The Serie A playoffs officially commenced with a heartfelt minute of silence in honor of Julia Ituma. The first quarterfinal match saw reigning champions Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano claim a three-set victory over e-work Busto Arsizio, who were without their Rosamaria Montibeller.
The quarterfinals opened with a matchup between Prosecco DOC Imoco Conegliano and e-work Busto Arsizio at Palaverde. Conegliano dominated the first set, taking advantage of Busto’s weakened state to build a solid lead. Busto made a partial comeback, but Conegliano’s Isabelle Haak led her team to a 25-18 win. The Italian champions continued their dominance in the second set, winning comfortably 25-15. The third set was more balanced, but Conegliano secured a 25-19 victory to seal the match.
In post-match interviews, Coach Santarelli expressed satisfaction with the result but acknowledged the need for improvement, particularly in attacking from position four. Coach Musso praised Conegliano’s strength but lamented his team’s poor performance in attack. He also noted that missing Rosamaria should not be an excuse, as Busto had the resources to replace her.
Serie A1 – Playoffs – Quarterfinals
April 15, 2023 – Game 1
Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano vs E-Work Busto Arsizio 3-0 (25-18 25-15 25-19)
Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano: Plummer 8, Fahr 5, Haak 24, Robinson-cook 6, Lubian 8, Wolosz 1, De Gennaro (L), Gennari 1, Squarcini, Samedy, Carraro, Pericati (L), De Kruijf, Gray, Coach: Santarelli
E-Work Busto Arsizio: Degradi 7, Zakchaiou 6, Lloyd 2, Omoruyi 3, Olivotto 7, Stigrot 5, Zannoni (L), Battista 2, Lualdi 1, Monza, Colombo, Bressan, Montibeller (L), Coach: Musso
