Paola Egonu takes Vero Volley MILANO to new victory against her former club
Recap
In the heart of the VakifBank Istanbul’s Arena, anticipation and excitement reached a fever pitch as two volleyball powerhouses, VakifBank Istanbul and Vero Volley Milano, clashed in a highly anticipated match that promised to be a spectacle of skill, strategy, and pure athleticism.
The reigning back-to-back champions VakifBank Istanbul, hailing from the volleyball hotbed of Turkey, brought a legacy of success and a roster adorned with world-class talent. On the opposite side of the net stood Vero Volley Milano, a formidable Italian squad with its own storied past and a reputation for tenacity. It was a promised tough game, but Paola Egonu didn’t let that happen.
Egonu, who last year played with VakifBank and lifted the trophy, today led her new team, Vero Volley, to 0-3 victory (17-25, 17-25, 16-25). With 20 points she was the MVP of the match and once again showed to everyone what a high-class player she truly is.
VakifBank encountered a bit of a rough start as they entered the match, facing some initial difficulties in finding their rhythm on the court. This displayed on all of the three sets in which Vero Volley took that as their advantage and had already solved each set in the middle of them.
In the end, it was an “easy” 0-3 win for Vero Volley and the Italian team is now first in Pool A with nine points, while VakifBank is in second place with six points.
Giovanni Guidetti"I would like to apologize to our fans who came here tonight and supported us despite the bad weather in Istanbul. This was not the performance they deserved to see. We feel terrible that we had our worst Champions League performance in our history."
Head coach of VakifBank Istanbul
Marko Gaspari"The game was very good for us. We tried to be very aggressive from the beginning because if you play against VakıfBank it is impossible to win if you are not aggressive in serves, blocks, and defense. We remember that from last year’s quarter-final game in here. If you don’t push them, you are dead. Today VakıfBank made mistakes more than normal but for us the important thing was our attitude on the court. I am proud of the girls but this is just the first step."
Head Coach of Allianz Vero Volley Milano
Dana Rettke"I think it was a fantastic game for us. We were great at the first contact and passing. Everything was flowing for us. Our attackers found good spaces and we were consistent. Overall this game was great for us."
Player of Allianz Vero Volley Milano