Cuneo Women earned a hard-fought 3-1 home win over Firenze Women in Serie A1 Women, responding to a second-set setback with a composed and powerful finish. The home side’s block and serving pressure proved decisive in the latter stages, while Firenze Women competed well but could not sustain their challenge across four sets.

Match overview

Cuneo started strongly, using their serve to keep Firenze’s reception under pressure and creating good opportunities for their middle attackers. Firenze responded well in the second set, raising their attacking tempo and finding ways through the Cuneo block, but the home side reasserted control after the interval.

• Set 1: Cuneo Women 25-21 Firenze Women
• Set 2: Cuneo Women 22-25 Firenze Women
• Set 3: Cuneo Women 25-19 Firenze Women
• Set 4: Cuneo Women 25-23 Firenze Women

The first set set the tone for Cuneo’s performance: aggressive serving, disciplined block positioning and a balanced attack. Firenze improved in the second set, extending rallies and converting important transition points, but Cuneo’s response in the third and fourth sets showed their quality and depth.

Key moments

The third set was the turning point. After losing the second, Cuneo came out with renewed focus and quickly built a lead through a series of strong serves and blocks. Firenze tried to stay in touch, but Cuneo’s middle blockers began to dominate the net, forcing the visitors into more difficult attacking choices.

The fourth set was the most tense. Firenze fought back from an early deficit and kept the score close deep into the set. With the match on the line, Cuneo’s opposite hitter delivered two crucial kills, and a well-timed block gave the home side the cushion they needed to close out the victory.

Tactical story

Cuneo’s serving strategy targeted Firenze’s reception line effectively, limiting the visitors’ ability to run their middle attack. That allowed Cuneo’s block to focus on the wings and produce important stops in the decisive sets. Cuneo also managed the long rallies well, showing patience and converting their transition chances.

Firenze Women had their best spell in the second set, when their serve improved and their outside hitters found space against the Cuneo block. However, they struggled to maintain that level, and their error count increased in the third and fourth sets. Cuneo’s ability to reset after losing the second set was a key factor in the result.

Standout players

Cuneo’s opposite hitter Sofia Rinaldi produced a match-high 26 points, leading the attack with power and consistency. Outside hitter Chiara Bellone added 17 points and contributed in defence, while middle blocker Martina Ferrero recorded five blocks and gave Firenze problems at the net.

For Firenze Women, Giulia Moretti top-scored with 20 points and was a constant threat from the left side. Setter Elena Bassi tried to vary the attack and keep Cuneo guessing, but Firenze’s reception became less reliable as the match wore on.

Standings and season impact

The home victory gives Cuneo Women an important boost in the Serie A1 Women standings and reinforces their ability to close out tight matches. Firenze Women leave with positives from their second-set performance but will need greater consistency in reception and error control. In a competitive Serie A1 Women season, Cuneo’s ability to win after dropping a set could prove valuable.