Salo, Finland, October 25, 2017. It took a Golden Set to split LP SALO and Maritza PLOVDIV after the home side matched their defeat in the first leg. In a game that ended 90 points all in total, there was a bigger split in the number of sets with the Finnish side dominating from the second set onwards through the 112 minutes of the match to take a 3-1 win. However when it came to the the Golden Set it was a different story as the side from Bulgaria won through 15-12 and it will be Maritza PLOVDIV who face Yenisei KRASNOYARSK of Russia in the 3rd Round.
LP SALO (FIN) vs. Maritza PLOVDIV (BUL) 3-1 (14-25, 25-22, 26-24, 25-19) 12-15 in Golden Set
After a tense first match in Plovdiv, the first set started as closely until the match reached double figures when the travelling side started to dominate and pulled away consistently and the set ended with them winning by 11 points.
The second set was also fairly one sided until Ronja Heikkiniemi stepped up to the service line with her team trailing 9-14. What followed was quite remarkable as her team won 10 points in a row, the video below is the 9th point they won of the 10.
From here the Finnish champions visibly grew in confidence and squeezed the 2nd set 25-22. The third was another close affair, with the lead exchanging sides throughout. Despite LP SALO building two reasonable leads, they were pulled back both times by the Bulgarian side who were being pushed on by their coach Ivan Petkov. In the end he was left helpless as his side lost out again, this time 26-24.
Despite losing the two previous sets, and trailing the match 2-1, the goal for Maritza PLOVDIV had not changed as another set for them would have meant 2 in the match and with it qualification to the 3rd Round. In the end it was not to be as the team from Salo dominated the 4th and forced the Golden set.
Top scorer in the actual match was Kremena Kamenova of Maritza PLOVDIV with 20 points.
The golden set was a close, and understandably tense time for both teams. Mistakes from both teams were alternating with moments of great play. A noteable rally was at 11-11 which was finished by Kamenova from backcourt. The same player attacked from the same position in the next rally but the ball went long, although there was a block touch on the way through and it was 14-11.
The golden set ended 15-12 to the Bulgarian side after a service error from LP SALO and their joy at making the 3rd Round was clear to see. Maritza PLOVDIV now will face Russian rookies Yenisei KRASNOYARSK in the 3rd Round with both eyes on a place in the group stage.
Quotes:
Tomi Lemminkäinen, head coach of LP SALO: “I said to my players after the match that of course everybody is now disappointed, but what we did in the match after the halfway of the second set was really great. In the beginning we did not have a chance against Maritza. After Ronja Heikkiniemi’s long service run we created a real fighting spirit which lasted until the golden set. In the golden set both teams attacked well from a good reception, but from a bad reception we could not attack as well as Maritza did."
Ronja Heikkiniemi, outside spiker of LP SALO: “I am disappointed, but also proud of our team. We did really well in this match. It was not so much tactics or techniques, but it was more of emotions and who was able to play tougher on the important balls. I am happy that we could play as well as we did.”
Ivan Petkov, head coach of Maritza PLOVDIV: “I am very happy for our victory. After the second set we played without our heads and so not good Volleyball. LP SALO was a really good team today and played very well. We have a lot of good players and a big bench, so if someone is not playing well we can make changes.”
Ivelina Monova, libero of Maritza PLOVDIV: “I have never played this kind of emotional game in my whole career. In the middle of the second set LP SALO took the advantage from us. We made too many stupid mistakes after that and we played too much with the feeling and not with our heads. Finally we got the golden set and that is of course great.”
Click here for further information