CONSTANTA scores first win ever in Europe’s most elitist competition
With this defeat the former queens from Italy are still ranked at the bottom of the standings in Pool D with only 1 point.
Additional flavor was contributed tonight by a native of Constanta, Iuliana Nucu, who is currently playing for Italy’s national champions after she started her volleyball career with 2004 Tomis. Once again the sports hall was packed with 2’000 fans in attendance like for the previous home match with Azerrail BAKU.
The home players started well (9:5) but BERGAMO fought back to level at 9 via their young opposite Valentina Diouf and superstar Francesca Piccinini. However, Tsvetelina Zarkova played the drums for the home side and she eventually finished it off at 25-19 for CONSTANTA. After Tomis had set the pace by the first mandatory stop (8:6), the Italians got back on track and sped up after the second technical time-out of set 2 to go for the provisional 1:1 (18-25).
BERGAMO maintained that good tempo also in set 3 (0:6, 3:8) and eventually went for the 1:2 (17-25). The guests were apparently not to stop also in set 4 (5:8, 12:16) but the hosts eventually fought back to draw level by the end of the set before they sealed it at 26-24. CONSTANTA opened strongly also in the tie-break (8:4) and via Jovana Vesovic and Katsiaryna Zakreuskaya sailed rapidly to the final 15-11 and to the first win in history in this competition.
Home coach Darko Zakoc was evidently delighted with the result while Davide Mazzanti said his players could not profit of their advantage after they had claimed set 2 and 3 pretty comfortably.
