Valsa Group Modena made a strong start to the SuperLega Credem Banca fifth-place finals, sweeping Itas Trentino 3-0 on the road to take a 1-0 series lead and edge closer to a Challenge Cup spot.
The opening set was tightly contested, but once Modena edged ahead, the visitors controlled the match. Paul Buchegger led all scorers with 18 points, while Uladzislau Davyskiba added 16 and Luca Porro chipped in with 12.
Trentino, missing several key players, lost momentum after the first set. Gabi Garcia Fernandez was the only home player in double figures with 14 points.
Game 2 will be played May 5 in Modena, where the hosts can close the series, while Trentino looks to extend it to a deciding match.
Result: Itas Trentino – Valsa Group Modena 0-3 (26-28, 17-25, 21-25)
