23/10/2013 19:04
Atomic girls claim away win in Romania
2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Bucuresti, Romania, October 23, 2013. Poland’s champions Atom Trefl SOPOT won on Wednesday their first game in the prelims of the 2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women as they edged Romania’s Dinamo Romprest BUCURESTI 3:1 (20-25, 25-17, 25-17, and 25-23).
Atom Trefl was able to come back strong after losing the opening set to the hosts of Dinamo Romprest with Anna Podolec top scoring in the end with a massive tally of 24 points, including 5 blocks. Two more players of Atom Trefl finished the game in double digits – namely Zuzanna Efimienko with 14 and Charlotte Leys with 11. Dinamo Romprest most prolific player was Mariya Karakasheva who chipped in with 14 while Diana-Dora Carbuneanu registered 12.
The match was also a duel of coaches as 25 years ago they had played each other, with Marian Constantin representing Steaua BUCURESTI and Teun Buijs playing for Martinus AMSTELVEEN.
The first set was a very close affair until 12 all with both teams showing very good Volleyball in all fundamentals. Dinamo Romprest took a little advantage at second technical time-out (16:14) and also after that stop the hosts played more constantly. Diana Nenova showed good command of the game and put Mirela Corjeutanu, Ioana Baciu and Mariya Karakasheva in the right condition to score thereby paving the way for the final 25-20.
However, Atom Trefl did not surrender that easily and after a good start took the lead and dominated the scene in the second set (5-8) with some great play in block and defense. The Romanian coach had used all of his time-outs already halfway through the set, and as Charlotte Leys was pressuring Dinamo defense line with her serve, Atom Trefl claimed a margin of six points (10:16). Dinamo tried to fight back but was not rewarded for their efforts; 17-25 was the final score in the second set.
With the provisional 1:1 on the scoreboard, the teams practically re-started the match in set 3 and the game was really close and tight, 7:8 for Atom Trefl SOPOT at the first technical time-out. After that SOPOT improved their block and hit from various positions – side, diagonal as well as via their middle blockers, and the score was 13:16. The head coach of Dinamo, Marian Constantin, made a change to his usual starting six giving some playing time to his second setter Daniela Minca but the Polish blocks looked like a kind of wall and Atom Trefl won the third set (17-25).
The fourth set was quite balanced at the beginning up to 12 all; after SOPOT drew level at 14, the Romanian coach asked for a time-out but the hosts could no longer find a way through the Polish block. SOPOT moved the score up to 18-22 before pocketing the final rush of the game at 23-25 after Dinamo saved 3 match points.
Marian Stefan, manager of Dinamo said: “We started good but unfortunately they played better and better and we didn’t find the right answer for that.”
Teun Buijs, head coach of SOPOT, added: “I am really satisfied with my team’s performance, also Dinamo is a strong team and I believe they can win some matches in our group.”
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