Novara with one foot in the #SuperFinalsTurin

Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA survived a real Volleyball thriller this evening, outplaying their opponents of Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL at 3-2 in the first semi-final match between the two teams in this year's edition of #CLVolleyW. The rematch is scheduled for April 12 in Türkiye.

In what was the second ever encounter between the two teams (in the only previous match involving the two teams, in 2019 Club World Championship, Eczacibasi won 3-2 after 15-13 in the tie-break), the fans could enjoy many turnarounds and nail-biting moments.

As expected by many, Novara and Eczacibasi - two of the best teams in Europe, didn’t disappoint. To the delight of the Volleyball supporters across Europe, they delivered a real Volleyball show, playing five thrilling sets in front of sold-out Pala Igor Gorgonzola (4000 spectators; Stefania Sansonna, former libero of the Novara team and 2019 Champions League winner among others).

The host team of Novara congratulated themselves with the victory (3-2), but only after showing mental strength and resilience. The Italians were leading at 2-0, when the guests from Istanbul pushed harder and got back on their feet, tying the score at 2-2. In the crucial moment of the game, Novara came back from 2-6 in the tie-break thanks to a serving-break scored by Ebrar Karakurt (5-0), taking the lead 7-6.

Statistically, the game was a very balanced one, but letting more errors on their side of the net, affected Eczacibasi’s score (32, while Novara had 26 own errors). The Turkish players delivered a better performance on attack (59 to 53) and on blocking (13 to 10). Novara, on the other hand, finished with one more ace - five to four. 

Tijana Boskovic from Eczacibasi and Ebrar Karakurt from Igor Novara had “a battle” for the top scorer award, both finishing with 27 points (however, the Turkish international had a higher excellence rate: 49% to 47%) . The player of Igor was chosen as well for MVP of the game.