20/04/2012 09:46
Zenit completes memorable season by dominating finals of Russian Superleague
News from the clubs
Kazan, Russia, April 20, 2012. After celebrating European glory this past March in Lodz by taking the trophy of the CEV Volleyball Champions League, Zenit KAZAN completed a memorable season by retaining its title in Russia’s Superleague downing there Dinamo MOSCOW 3:0 in a Championship series that was opened by a 3:2 win and continued with a couple of victories claimed by the Tatars in straight sets. This is Zenit fourth consecutive title in Russia’s national championship.
Zenit KAZAN won three trophies throughout the 2011/2012 season opening this past October with Russia’s Supercup before coming back to the top of the standings in Europe – after already doing so in 2008 – by besting TRENTINO PlanetWin365 (3:1) and the hosts of PGE Skra BELCHATOW (3:2) to seize the trophy of this year’s CEV Volleyball Champions League. The season had actually started with a bronze medal claimed by Zenit at the 2011 FIVB Club World Championship in Doha, Qatar, where the top positions of the podium were taken by TRENTINO and Poland’s JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel.
Zenit was absolutely the dominant force in this year’s edition of the Superleague losing only one match – out of 22 – to Lokomotiv-Izumrud EKATERINBURG but the guys from Kazan had traveled there with their reserve players while resting their “guns”. In the Playoffs Zenit swept all of their matches, starting in the 1/4 finals with Gazprom-Ugra SURGUT (3:0, 3:2), before scoring three wins over Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK in the semifinals (3:2, 3:1, 3:2) and doing the same with Dinamo MOSCOW – winner of this year’s CEV Volleyball Cup – in the Championship series, thereby winning an “informal” European Supercup.
“We displayed a great performance in the final four of the Champions League and we did maintain that same attitude also throughout the Playoffs of the Superleague” says Zenit star Maxim Mikhaylov.
“This was just a great season” concludes head coach Vladimir Alekno. “I have a great team and they deserve this collection of gold medals. My gratitude goes to the local authorities in Kazan and the Republic of Tatarstan because they have provided great conditions for the development of this club”.
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