BERGAMO CRASHES IN TIEBREAK

Women's Indesit European Champions' League 2004/05

Luxembourg, January 12, 2005. Whilst Azerrail BAKU from Azerbaijan booked their sixth win in the eighth week of the Women’s Indesit European Champions’ League 2004/05, namely against Besiktas ISTANBUL (TUR), Italian Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA) had to admit their first defeat, still remaining leader of pool D.

Thanks to their 3:2 victory over the favourite Italian team Foppapedretti BERGAMO, who arrived in Poland with only eight players, Polish Stal BIELSKO-BIALA still stands a chance of reaching the payoff stage of the Indesit European Champions’ League. After a series of successful blocks, in particular by Agata Mroz, the Poles took home the first set (25-23). Even though BERGAMO led throughout the second set (13-16) the Polish team came back with Ukraininan Lubow Yagodina and national team player Mroz scoring (21-17, 25-23). With the mistakes accumulating on the host side the Italians took advantage and finally won the third set (20-25). Foppapedretti BERGAMO dominated the fourth set (3-8, 9-16), managing to draw a 2:2 set balance so that the tiebreak had to decide. Catching up from trailing 2-4, the Poles seemed more determined than the Italian team who committed several unforced errors, finally gaining the decisive run with a five-point lead (15-10). “A dream has come true”, stated Agata Mróz, best player of Stal with 19 points. “We were missing a few of our players, such as Angelina Grün, Lioubov Kilic, Jenny Barazza, Katja Luraschi, but still, this is no excuse. The Polish team was better”, said Marco Breviglieri, first coach of the Italian formation. Top scorer of the match was Francesca Piccinini with 25 points.
With a hard fought tiebreak win Azerrail has taken over position two in pool B from defending champion TENERIFE Marichal who has won one match less (5:3) than the Azerbaijan team (6:2). Demonstrating an almost flawless performance in the first set (25-19) the home squad, in particular Eda Erdem, started to take more risks during the second and third set which backfired. As a consequence, the Turks took over a 2:1 lead winning the second and third set with a two-point advantage (24-26, 23-25). Realising the importance of this match in view of the qualification to the playoffs the players coached by Faig Garayev didn’t give up so soon, managing to balance the set score (2:2) so that the tiebreak had to decide. After more than one and a half hours the local favourite were finally able to celebrate victory, booking the tiebreak 15-7. Best scorers of the game were host player Natalya Mammadova (24 points) as well as Eda Erdem for the guests (18 points). “This was a very difficult match for us”, stated Azerrail’s coach Faig Garayev, “The good performance by the Turkish girls took me by surprise. We had to give our best to finally obtain this victory, which was so important to us.” “Before we came here I did not expect my team to play so well”, commented Besiktas head coach Cengiz Göllü after the match, “I’m more than satisfied with the score.”


Women’s Indesit European Champions League 2004/05, Pool rounds, 8^th leg
Tuesday, January 11, 2005

Preliminary Pool A

Stal BIELSKO-BIALA (POL) - Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA)

3:2

25-23, 25-23, 20-25, 12-25, 15-10

103 mins

 

Preliminary Pool B

Azerrail BAKU (AZE) - Besiktas ISTANBUL (TUR)

3:2

25-19, 24-26, 23-25, 25-18, 15-7

101 mins

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Enjoy & Be There:
11-13 January 2005:  Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup Men, 1/4 final Away matches.
11-13 January 2005: Top Teams Cup Women, 1/4 final Away matches.
18-20 January 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Women 9th leg, Men 10th leg.
20 January 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Men Drawing of Lots, Luxembourg.
25 January 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Women 10th leg.
26 January 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Women Drawing of Lots, Luxembourg.
29 January 2005: Youth European Championships 2005, Drawing of Lots, Riga, Latvia.
08-10 February 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Playoffs Women & Men, Home matches.
15-17 February 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Playoffs Women & Men, Away matches.
01-03 March 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Playoffs Men, Home matches.
08-10 March 2005: Indesit European Champions’ League, Playoffs Men, Home matches.