Perugia Prevails Again: Reigning Champions Overcome Guaguas in Five-Set Thriller

Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, the reigning #CLVolleyM titleholders, secured their 11th consecutive win, but it came in a hard-fought contest in the first quarterfinal against Guaguas Las Palmas. Mirroring their group stage encounter in the Canary Islands, they raced to a 2-0 lead before the hosts fought back to level the match 2-2. In the decisive fifth set, Perugia edged out 15-13, taking a crucial step toward the Final Four. Once again, the Spaniards were unable to change the outcome and remain without a victory against an Italian side in the Champions League.

Guaguas LAS PALMAS (ESP) vs. Sir Sicoma Monini PERUGIA (ITA) 2-3 (23-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-23, 13-15)

Guaguas Las Palmas and Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia opened their quarterfinal clash with a tense and closely contested first set, as neither side managed to pull away early on (3-3, 6-6). Perugia gradually edged ahead, capitalising on Guaguas’ struggles in attack despite solid reception, forcing a timeout at 7-10. The Spaniards stayed in touch through strong blocking and a late push on serve, with Osmany Juantorena leading key moments to close the gap. After taking the lead at 24-22 behind Kamil Semeniuk’s serving pressure, Guaguas could not convert, as Oleh Plotnytskyi sealed the set 25-23 for Perugia.

Guaguas Las Palmas were slightly more effective in attack in the first set, registering a 56% success rate compared to 52% for Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, while also edging the block count (3-2). Wassim Ben Tara led Perugia’s scoring with seven points, followed by Kamil Semeniuk with six. For Guaguas, Martí Ramos stood out with an excellent 80% attacking efficiency, contributing five points.

Guaguas Las Palmas struggled to keep pace in the second set as Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia quickly imposed their rhythm. Early pressure from Perugia, including a key block by Roberto Russo on Osmany Juantorena, helped build a solid lead (4-1, 10-5).

With Kamil Semeniuk delivering from the service line and Simone Giannelli orchestrating the offence with precision and variety, Perugia remained in full control. Their consistency in key moments, combined with an effective block and strong attention to detail, allowed them to dictate the tempo throughout the set.

Despite some defensive resilience from Guaguas, the gap widened to 11-19 - the largest margin of the set - before Perugia comfortably closed it out 25-19, taking a 2-0 lead, just as they had done in the group stage encounters. 

Guaguas Las Palmas saw their attacking efficiency drop significantly to 34% in the second set, while Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia also dipped slightly to 47%. Perugia held the edge at the net with four blocks compared to Guaguas’ three, and added two aces to maintain control. Wassim Ben Tara continued to lead all scorers, reaching 13 points and confirming his key role in Perugia’s dominance.

Guaguas Las Palmas bounced back strongly in the third set, taking an early lead behind an ace and powerful serve from Martí Ramos (7-5). Ben Tara responded for Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, keeping the set close, but errors from the reigning champions allowed Guaguas to build a 10-6 advantage, prompting a timeout from coach Angelo Lorenzetti. The set saw a tense, point-for-point battle, with Perugia equalising at 12-12 and briefly taking the lead at 15-13. However, Guaguas regained control with key plays, including Helder Spencer dominating in the middle and a decisive serve from Osmany Juantorena that troubled the Italian receivers. The Spaniards held on to secure the set 25-21, keeping their hopes alive in the quarterfinal tie. 

The team of Las Palmas finished with a better performance in attacking in this set (57% excellence in attacking) compared to 41% by Perugia. The Spanish also recorded three blocks, while the Italians two. 

Guaguas Las Palmas continued their momentum into the fourth set, opening with a strong 4-1 lead. Perugia fought back to briefly take control (11-9), but the Spniards stayed resilient in a tight, point-for-point battle. Osmany Juantorena delivered a series of explosive plays, keeping Guaguas in the lead, while Spencer contributed crucial points in the middle, setting up two setpoints. Guaguas held their nerve to close out the set 25-23, leveling the match and sending it to a decisive fifth set.

The hosts started the fifth and deciding set neck-and-neck with Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, trading points early on (3-3). Perugia then edged ahead, building a small but steady lead (7-4, 8-5, 9-6) as Guaguas struggled to convert attacks. The Spaniards stayed in the fight with strong defensive plays, keeping the margin close (13-14), but Ben Tara scored a key point to put Perugia ahead 15-13, sealing the victory.

Perugia finished the match with a slight edge at the net, recording 13 blocks to Guaguas Las Palmas’ 11, and dominated in aces with a 6-1 advantage. Ben Tara finished as a top scorer with 28 points in decisive plays, Oleh Plotnytskyi added 20, and Kamil Semeniuk was named MVP (13 points). 

For Guaguas, Francisco Wallysson Souza finished with 20.

The away game, which will be a deciding one on who will stamp their ticket  to the Final Four, is scheduled for April 1.