Gretell Moreno
Havana, May 8 (JIT) - Cuban Gretell Moreno won the Czech Volleyball League 2023 title with her team Kralovo Pole Brno. Thus they overcame the second place achieved in the previous season.
Kralovo defeated Volejbal Brno in three sets, after two hard-fought first sets. The fifth match of the final ended with a slate of 27-25, 32-30 and 25-18.
"We are super happy, fighting for this triumph since last season. After obtaining a runner-up finish in 2022 it is logical that we only aspired to victory," the lanky player from Granma province told JIT.
"Personally I am also very happy, I think I grew a lot more in my second season in the Czech Republic," said the setter, who also left a very good impression in the Peruvian league, where she made her international debut.
The 25 year old bayamesa added that "now we are waiting for the commitments with our national team for the most important tournaments in 2023, in which we will still give our best to achieve the best possible results".
Kralovo started the series for the gold medal with a 3-2 win; they lost the next match, also in five sets, but managed to gain the advantage in the other match, which was also defined in tie-break. Although in the fourth match they lost 0-3, their hopes were never lost.
PIACENZA ACHIEVED A PODIUM FINISH AND A PLACE IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
The Piacenza team only needed three matches to secure the third place in the Italian Volleyball Superleague 2023. Once again they swept Milano, this time with scores of 25-19, 28-26 and 25-21.
In this way, the members of the Cuban luxury team, Robertlandy Simón and Roamy Alonso -who could not play the last part of the season- advanced to the Volleyball Champions League 2023-2024, the most important European league for clubs.
The central giant scored nine points, while Romanó (16), Leal (15) and Santos De Souza (14) scored double digits, according to the tournament's website.
For the rival squad, which could not win a single set in this final part of the tournament, Cuban attacker-receiver Osniel Mergarejo scored seven points.
Milano, thanks to its fourth place finish, will play in the European Confederation Cup (CEV), the second highest-ranked continental tournament, according to the Italian volleyball portal.
TRENTINO OVERTAKES CIVITANOVA
Monarch Trentino scored an important victory over Civitanova (25-17, 25-20, 25-16) and is 2-1 ahead in the play-off for the place of honor of the Italian Volleyball Superleague 2023.
The official website reports that Civitanova lost Ivan Zaytsev in the first set due to a shoulder problem and could not sustain the balance that had characterized them in the last duels.