04/11/2014 21:59
Hungary’s teenager Krisztian Padar anchors Noliko’s come-from-behind victory
2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Men
Maaseik, Belgium, November 4, 2014. Belgium’s Noliko MAASEIK upset France’s champions TOURS VB in the opening round of the 2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Men with a come-from-behind victory to open their campaign in Pool G. Noliko stormed back after trailing 0:2 to claim their first win in the competition after a dramatic tie-break (22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-17, 16-14). The real match winner was the still 17-year old Krisztian Padar who recorded 27 points in what was his debut at this level.
Noliko provided their fans with something to cheer about with a sensation comeback victory over TOURS VB rallying back from two sets down and afterwards also from a 4:8 deficit in the tie-break.
The teams used the first half of the opening set to study each other, with TOURS VB calling for the first technical time-out by the score of 7:8. A block by Krisztian Padar and a fast attack through the middle by Matias Raymaekers levelled the score once more at 9 all before Kevin Klinkenberg and Nicholas Hoag restored TOURS VB’s lead (9:13). The guests from France could keep control of the match up to 15:19 and even though Noliko reduced their gap to only two points (19:21, 21:23), Daniel McDonnell finished the first set at 22-25 for France’s champions.
TOURS VB continued to dictate the pace of the game also in the second set moving the score up to 6:8 at the first technical time-out. Noliko cut their gap to one point at 14:15 with the contribution of their team captain Jelte Maan and Bulgaria’s substitute Branimir Grozdanov. Still Klinkenberg, a player who had started his career in Maaseik, took his side by the hand and TOURS VB widened their lead to three points (15:18). An ace by Björn Höhne brought MAASEIK back on track (20:21) but Klinkenberg called for two set balls for the guests and the first one was cashed on a mistake by Noliko’s youngster and rising star Krisztian Padar (22-25).
Noliko had a mountain to climb at this stage being down by two sets but caught a flying start in the third set (8:5); with another ace Höhne propelled a 15:11 lead for the home side and that same player called for the second technical time-out (16:12). Padar scored for the 18:15, a great save by François Lecat and two kills by Raymaekers stretched Noliko’s lead to four points, before Lecat finished it off at 25-20.
Padar, who will turn 18 in ten days, already got something to celebrate even before his birthday as he propelled a 6:2 lead for Noliko in the fourth set. Nicholas Hoag closed the gap for TOURS VB (9:8) but three stellar actions by the Swedish-born setter of Noliko, Dardan Lushtak, contributed a 16:10 lead at the second technical time-out for MAASEIK. Raymaekers closed the next rally with a block and again Lecat finished the set at 25-17.
TOURS VB started out very aggressive in the tie-break leading by 5:2 and then by 8:4 as teams switched sides of the court. Yannick Bazin smashed for the 10:7 but then McDonnell missed his next serve. Padar was on fire (11:12) and Höhne eventually levelled the count at 12 all. TOURS VB offered the hosts two match balls but Noliko failed to seal the deal; Raymaekers got another chance at 15:14 and this time Hoag attacked off the bounds to finish the game at 16-14 for the home heroes.
“After losing the first and second set we improved our service and we took our chance,” commented Noliko assistant coach Kris Vanrusselt. “Our substitute François Lecat in particular did an excellent job tonight.”
“We lost this match after making a way too many mistakes towards the end,” TOURS VB Kevin Klinkenberg said. “We did not find a solution to stand the pressure that Noliko put on us after losing the first and second sets. It is really difficult for us to accept losing this way after leading by two sets to none.”
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