Luxembourg, April 4, 2018. The strong team of Dinamo KAZAN won’t take part in the Final Four of the #CLVolleyW this year. The players around head coach Rishat Gilyazutdinov claimed a 3-2 victory, but this wasn’t enough for them as they needed a 3-0 or 3-1 win in order to vie for a Golden Set. On the other hand, the Italian Panthers from Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO secured their spot in the final stage of the 2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Women by taking two sets in the match played on Wednesday. Two weeks ago, in the first leg of the Playoffs 6, CONEGLIANO claimed a straight 3-0 win, which eventually opened the door to the Final Four due to take place in Bucharest on May 5-6, 2018.
Dinamo KAZAN (RUS) vs. Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO (ITA) 3-2 (25-15, 21-25, 20-25, 25-17, 15-13)
• With more powerful serves the home team immediately took the lead in the first set - 7-2. The Russian power of Dinamo KAZAN made it difficult for the Italian Panthers from Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO with a series of mighty attacks. By the end of the set, the difference stood at 10 points and it seemed that the Russian would control the match.
• The visiting team from CONEGLIANO “recovered from the “warm” Kazan’s welcome in the second set and the fight was on. Samanta Fabris was the leader of Imoco Volley in these moments, showing great Volleyball skills and helping this way to win this important part of the match.
• Dinamo KAZAN were leading in the beginning of the third set - 12-9, but again Fabris showed their opponents what a fighting spirit is. Thanks to her powerful attacks and also great performance on serve, Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO turned things in their favour, winning also this set. By winning this part of the match, the Italian Panthers secured their spot in the Final Four of the 2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Women.
• As Dinamo KAZAN lost their chances to qualify for the Finals, the intrigue in the match was no longer there. Both teams finished the game with their respective substitute players.
• However, Dinamo KAZAN claimed the victory after a tiebreak, but this is not enough for the Russian side to take part in the Final Four tournament which will be held in Bucharest, Romania in early May.
Evgeniya Startseva, captain of Dinamo KAZAN: “After the first set we needed to continue to put pressure, but Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO also did not want to lose either. The Italian team warmed up and started pushing in response. We, on the contrary, weakened our serves and played a bit “messy".”
Daniele Santarelli, head coach of Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO: “Dinamo KAZAN is a good team, and it was not easy for us to win. We have had a great experience and achieved an excellent result. Joining the “Final Four” is a very important step for us, and we are very excited.”
Click here for further information.