Heart to win: Alianza took away San Martín’s undefeated record and has one more game to seek a historic title | CHRONICLE

“He who does not fail is not great, but he who never stops fighting,” says a sign held by two girls in the preferential west tribune of the Villa El Salvador Sports Center. They wear the Alianza Lima shirt and vibrate with every point of the intimate team. And it was not necessary for the Alianza players to have read it – most likely they did – but it is what was noticed in Alianza, another face willing to battle for the title of the National Volleyball League.

Alianza Lima defeated San Martín 3-0 (25-18, 25-22 and 25-22) in the second final of the National Superior Volleyball League, and forced an extra game that will be played on April 28. in which there will be no margin of error for anyone.

The intimate victory, which on Friday had lost 3-2 in an incredible way, is explained from the heart of Esmeralda Sánchez, the tranquility and quality of Marina Scherer, and the power in the dunk of the French Maeva Orlé, chosen as the figure of the match for the organization – for TV it was Esmeralda -. And also, of course, in player number seven: her fans. Because the Sports Center, which was dyed blue and white, was for a moment Matute, the home of the Victorian institution.

Only in this way can we explain how those led by Gaspar Vicuña (he took command of the team after the suspension of coach Rafael Petry for the attempted fight in the final of the first match) overwhelmed the saints in the first set. And then, in the second set, when they were down on the scoreboard, they knew how to come back.

The face of this Alliance is totally different from what it showed in the first final. This is a more forceful Alianza, which knows how to close the matches, unlike in the first duel when they lost the fifth set after winning 14-11.

And it is the team that fights, that is why Esmeralda does not hesitate to throw herself over the ‘wall’, collide with the TV camera but save the ball. Or seeing Marina throw herself, still scraping her knee against the floor because her knee pad came off to save the play. In both cases the point ended up going to San Martín, but the fan celebrated what his players did. It is Alliance and its heart

Because the fan believes and so do the girls. That is why Marina kisses the medal that hangs around her neck after scoring a point and Aixa Vigil commends herself the same before taking a serve. That is why in the stands, the fan closes his eyes when the ball falls on the intimate floor.

Everything is joy in intimacy. Maricarmen Guerrero takes photos with the fans, Esmeralda Sánchez is applauded upon leaving the Sports Center and the intimate fan celebrates and gets excited, dreams. He has reasons, of course. Not only did they beat San Martin and force the extragame, but they will reach the final match after cutting the Saints’ unbeaten streak of 23 games. They are the only ones who beat them this season. And, better yet, they proved to be superior.

And a third game is coming, the final one. And it’s not like it’s a clean slate. If not, it will be the sum of an entire season in which Alianza has shown its heart and San Martín has shown its faith, that of being the best throughout the tournament but in the final they have come up against the blue and white team who are seeking their first title.

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