11/02/2016 19:39
Dinamo KAZAN extend positive run claiming Russian derby with Uralochka
2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Ekaterinburg, Russia, February 11, 2016. On Thursday Uralochka-NTMK EKATERINBURG hosted a derby with five-time Russian champions Dinamo KAZAN for the first round of the Playoffs 12 in the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women. The performance of Dinamo KAZAN was outstanding and despite Uralochka-NTMK EKATERINBURG’s attempts to put up a fight against the mighty opponent from Tatarstan, the ladies of Dinamo KAZAN took three points from this first matchup following their 3-1 win (25-21, 25-18, 20-25, 25-10).
By taking first place in Pool A at the end of the group stage Dinamo KAZAN had proved they are one of the most serious contenders for Europe’s most coveted trophy and the team from Tatarstan showed it again on Thursday with an outstanding performance at the net. Ekaterina Gamova scored as many as 22 points while Elitsa Vasileva and Daria Isaeva accounted for 13 points apiece.
The first two sets followed a similar plot that was written by the visiting team. Dinamo KAZAN took the initiative from the beginning and was not planning to give any free points, playing with full concentration till set one and two were over.
The ladies of the home team were however driven to perform well and finally took the chance to catch their rhythm in the third set, with an incredible performance by middle blockers Irina Zaryazhko and Sinead Jack who scored time and again with their first tempo attacks. On top of this, a well-oiled block and full concentration resulted in the eventual set win for the home team at 25-20.
However, the Russian champions were not willing to let this match slip out of their hands and made the first step towards their qualification for the Playoffs 6. The last set started off with powerful jump serves by Daria Isaeva, who gave Dinamo KAZAN a great advantage and gave a tough time to the opponent’s receivers. The successful serving series was continued on by Ekaterina Gamova, and Dinamo KAZAN was simply unreachable for Uralochka-NTMK EKATERINBURG, cruising to a massive 25-10 to seal their 3-1 win.
Rishat Gilyazutdinov, head coach of Dinamo KAZAN: “This was a good game for our team. It was a day marked by offensive Volleyball, as defensive actions did not play a decisive role. In the third set our concentration went down, but we did our job and took three points home. I want to congratulate the team, but in Kazan it will be difficult, as Uralochka remain a serious opponent.”
Irina Zaryazhko, the top scoring – with 18 points – middle blocker of Uralochka-NTMK EKATERINBURG, said: “In this match we did not show enough stability from a psychological standpoint. The excitement prevented us from performing at our best and we made too many mistakes. Fortunately, we have two weeks to analyse the game and prepare for the return match. We hope to give a good fight in Kazan.”
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