21/02/2012 21:08
Belgian vice-champions score away win in Wroclaw
2012 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup - Women
Wroclaw, Poland, February 21, 2012. Belgium’s VDK GENT Dames claimed the first game scheduled for the 1/4 finals of the 2012 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup after edging the home side of Impel Gwardia WROCLAW at the end of five long and close sets (25-18, 18-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12).
Impel joined the match leaving out of the starting six three key players, Katarzyna Mroczkowska, Zuzanna Efimienko and Katarzyna Jaszewska while the guests from Belgium opened strong going up 8:7 and 16:12 with some quick play provided by Elies Goos contributing quite a few points. Impel reacted by cutting the gap from 21:14 to 21:17 well supported by Bogumila Pyziolek but Els Vandesteene and Maud Catry wrapped it up for GENT (25-18).
Impel stormed out to a massive 10:5 in set 2 helped by some Belgian errors and did not slow down up to the second mandatory stop (16:12). After some excellent play of Lise De Valkeneer had brought VDK GENT to -1 (17:16), Monika Czypiruk and Pyziolek got the home side back on track and that section of the game was finished by a yellow card assigned by the first referee to Belgian Els Vandesteene.
The score stood very tight in set 3 with a minimum advantage for the guests at the second technical time-out; after Vandesteene moved the score up to 20:18 for GENT, an ace of Milena Rosner restored the balance and Impel Gwardia was finally joined on the court by Mroczkowska and Efimienko. After a mistake of the Belgian setter and a block on De Valkeneer, the home side could seal the final 25-18 for the provisional 2:1.
After setting the pace in the opening of set 4, Impel slowed down gradually and the Belgians could call for the tie-break also via the aces scored by Adeline Lemey. There Impel Gwardia went up 8:5 before the guests clawed back to 8 all, their last addition Lore Gillis moved the score up to 11:9 and an attack of De Valkeneer closed it out at 15-12 for the final 3:2. Els Vandesteene paced VDK GENT Dames tonight with 22 points.
“It was a very interesting and intense match” comments Impel Gwardia mentor Rafal Blaszczyk. “Both sides fought tremendously for the win and in the end we lacked some luck, but we will go to Belgium next week to take our revenge and make it to the semifinals”.
Dominika Sobolska, a Belgian player of Polish descent who currently plays for WROCLAW, adds: “After a poor start we gradually got used to the fast play of our opponent. It is a pity that we lost the fourth set because we could have sealed the deal there. We could have brought it home also at the tie-break with a bit more of luck but we are already eyeing our revenge next week in Gent”.
|