Sixth medal for Trentino at Club World Champs - four gold and two bronze after the 3-2 win over Bolívar
Betim, Brazil, October 23, 2016 - Being the first five-setter of the competition, the bronze medal match between Italian Trentino and Argentina’s Bolívar provided a fantastic atmosphere in the beginning of the final day in Betim. The European vice-champions finally prevailed 3-2 (25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 29-31, 17-15) for their sixth World Champs medal.
Thomas Edgar emerged as the best scorer of the game with 25 points and teammate Todor Aleksiev added 19 to Bolívar. Trentino had in Tine Urnaut their most bright set, with 17 points including the final one. Gabriele Nelli trailed him with 14, while four other players in the team reached double numbers - Filippo Lanza, Sebastián Solé, Daniele Mazzone and Jan Stokr.
It was that variety of scorers what pushed Trentino through a first set that already showed the rock-solid equivalence between the two teams. Bolívar answered with a quick 4-0 on the next set and held on to it through Edgar, giving way to a third set in which the South American side led by six points but failed and finally Trentino progressed to 2-1.
The two final sets were the most hard-fought of the tournament so far. With Lanza and some firm blocks from Simone Giannelli, Trentino had a match ball, but Bolívar dodged that bullet and move ahead to finish it in their sixth attempt, after some huge digs from libero González. The momentum for them extended in an electrifying tie-break and Bolívar reached a 14-13 score, but this time Trentino saved it and, first with Nelli and later with two points from Urnaut, stepped onto the podium.
FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship Betim 2016 - Teams