Zellik, Belgium, March 28, 2015. Dinamo MOSCOW made its way to the final of the 2015 CEV Volleyball Cup - Men after a 3:0 (25-19, 27-25, 32-30) victory over Volley behappy2 ASSE-LENNIK in the return semifinal clash between the two teams. The Belgian hosts played a good game and put the heat on the Russians, but the pre-favourites finally managed to secure a straight-set win and a spot in the ultimate battle for the trophy.
The home team could not count on their Dutch opposite Robin Overbeeke, who was sick. He was replaced by Poland’s Janusz Gorski. Nevetheless, they kept pace with Dinamo and took the first technical at 8-7. After a yellow card for protesting a decision of the referee, leading to 11-8, Dinamo needed a time-out to break the good rhythm of the home team. The Russians managed to equalize at 12-12, but the set stayed well-balanced. Denis Biryukov handed his team a 1-point lead at the second technical time-out. Dinamo could sneak away from Volley behappy2 and Biryukov finished the set at 25-19.
The second set also showed two teams deserving each other. Dinamo managed to gather a 16-12 lead and kept the pace going to 23-17, but Volley behappy2 found its breath again and made the equalizer at 24-24. Ivan Zaytsev and Biryukov pulled the plug and delivered their team the set at 27-25, making sure it was Dinamo MOSCOW that would go on to the final.
In a superfluous third set, both teams kept going strong and showed off some nice volleyball. The set started with a red card for Dinamo for unconducted behaviour at the changing of the sides. Neither of the teams could open a gap, which led to 8-7 and 15-16 at the technical time-outs. At 21-24 the match seemed to be over, but the home side resurrected and went on to a 25-24 lead. In an exciting ending of the match, both teams saved some set points, but it was Alexander Markin who ended the match at 32-30.
Dinamo’s Denis Biryukov and Volley behappy2’s Seppe Baetens topped the scorers’ charts of the match with 13 points each.
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