Luxembourg, March 20, 2018. Ziraat Bankasi ANKARA and Belogorie BELGOROD are bound to meet in the Final of the 2018 CEV Volleyball Cup. Despite a loss in the tie-breaker, ANKARA reached the final after achieving more points than their Italian opponent Calzedonia VERONA, while BELGOROD secured their second win without a set loss against Poland’s Asseco Resovia RZESZOW.


Asseco Resovia RZESZOW (POL) vs. Belogorie BELGOROD (RUS) 0-3 (24-26, 22-25, 21-25)

• Thibault Rossard and Dmitriy Muserskiy recorded one ace apiece in the first set. As the set was developing, both teams managed to dissipate their lead. At the end of the set, BELGOROD were better by winning 26-24.
• From the beginning of the second set, Belogorie BELGOROD players were better and systematically built their advantage (16-13). Despite the fight on the side of the RZESZOW team, the Russians won the set, thus securing their place in the final.
• Belogorie BELGOROD coach Gennady Shipulin made substitutions in his team, but this did not reduce the quality of the visitors' game (14-11). The good game of the Russians gave them a 3-0 victory.
• The best scorer was Dmitriy Muserskiy with 16 points. As for Asseco Resovia RZESZOW, their best player was Aleksander Sliwka with 13 points.
• Belogorie BELGOROD had 11 blocks and four aces.

Lucio Oro, assistant coach of Asseco Resovia RZESZOW: “To make some good analysis about the match you have to check the statistics, but my first thought was that if we had won the first set, for sure it would have been a different match. We started the match from a 0-3 loss from the previous leg, so after losing the first set where we fought and gave everything, we had to start  another one with 200% of our skills. The second set we were still fighting and were behind most of the time by 1-2 points. The loss in the second set determined the fate of both teams, but I think we can be proud of how we played in the first and second set. We approached it without any fear, we played with courage. Belogorie BELGOROD are a very good and strong team. We did our best but it was not enough.”
 
Alexandr Bogomolov, assistant coach of Belogorie BELGOROD: “The first thing I would like to say is that RZESZOW have a great group of fans. We really liked how they cheer and how the whole hall give their players a good energy. I think that the first set was decisive in this match, because Asseco Resovia RZESZOW put us in a very difficult position. The breakthrough moment at 22-22 gave us the eventual victory and after that, it was easier for us to approach the second set. Confidence and breakthrough in the first set gave us the victory and progression to the final.”

Ziraat Bankasi ANKARA (TUR) vs. Calzedonia VERONA (ITA) 2-3 (20-25, 20-25, 25-20, 26-24, 11-15)

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