05/02/2014 18:48
Belogorie crashes TRENTINO in straight sets after real show of strength
2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Men
Belgorod, Russia, February 5, 2014. Russia’s giant Belogorie BELGOROD is only one step away from qualifying to the Final Four Tournament of the 2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Men. After dominating the scene in the Final Six of the Russian Cup last week, the “Lions” – as they are dubbed in Russia – prolonged their terrific winning streak also in the Playoffs 6 where they easily routed Italy’s champions and CL three-time winners Diatec TRENTINO in straight sets (25-20, 25-20, and 25-18).
TRENTINO had travelled to Russia without their Bulgarian-born opposite Tsvetan Sokolov who had suffered an injury last Sunday during a match of the national league that Diatec lost 0:3 to their archrivals of Lube Banca Marche MACERATA. This way the team around head coach Roberto Serniotti did really not stand a chance to stop the Russian machine and Belogorie needs now to take another two sets next week in Italy to book their spot in the Final Four Tournament scheduled for March 22-23 in Ankara, Turkey.
US American setter Donald Suxho tried to use his middle-blockers Emanuele Birarelli and Sebastian Solé to score some points in the early phases of the game but he immediately got to understand that this was not a good option for the blocks by Dmitriy Muserskiy and Alexander Bogomolov were simply too much to stand for TRENTINO. The Italians fought nevertheless with glowing hearts keeping the score close up to 19 all before Maxim Panteleymonenko and Georg Grozer changed gear for Belogorie to cruise to the final 25-20.
Belogorie comfortably controlled the game also in the second set before TRENTINO briefly got the lead in the opening of the third where the Italians set the tempo at 3:5 and 5:7. They still led the way also at the first technical time-out (7:8) but soon Belogorie imposed their power and class (16:11) to claim another straight victory after those from last weekend’s Russian Cup over Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK, Zenit KAZAN and Dinamo MOSCOW.
Georg Grozer top scored in the game with 15 points, including three aces, while Muserskiy (pictured) added another 13 to the count of Belogorie. David Szabo was the leading scorer for TRENTINO with 12.
“We really wanted to seize the night and make a step forward on our way to the Final Four” said Belogorie head coach Gennady Shipulin.
“It is never that easy to play a team like Belogorie but this turns into a mission impossible when they perform as strong as they did tonight” commented TRENTINO head coach Roberto Serniotti.
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