05/06/2016 00:36
Poland and Slovakia extend winning streak in women’s European League
2016 CEV Volleyball European League - Women
Twardogóra, Poland, June 4, 2016. Actions in Pool A of the 2016 CEV Volleyball European League – Women continued on Saturday in Twardogóra with hosts Poland and Slovakia extending their winning streak from the day before. Poland came back from two sets down to edge Belarus at the tie-break whereas Slovakia put on a solid performance to record a 3-1 victory over rookies Albania. The first round robin in the group will come to a close on Sunday with Poland and Slovakia fighting for first place in the pool while Belarus and Albania will be vying for their first victory in the competition.
Albania vs. Slovakia 1-3 (22-25, 25-19, 17-25, 19-25)
After Friday’s good game against hosts Poland, Albania started the matchup with Slovakia performing well and fighting for every point. The Slovakians however broke away and edged ahead by eight points in the middle stages of the first set and after that they didn’t look back anymore. The course of the game changed in the second set with Albania cruising to a 21-12 lead before finishing the set off 25-19. The third frame was controlled by Slovakia, and they easily cashed a 25-17 win – before the fourth and eventually last set followed pretty much the same plot. Paula Kubova set the pace for the team along the way to recording an impressive tally of 22 points in the match.
“The match was a really great one in my opinion, and this applies to both teams. Still I think that we could have played a little better and finished the match with a better score. We like Poland and the atmosphere here very much,” said Altin Martiri, the head coach of Albania.
“We really wanted to win, but made some mistakes and had not as much energy as yesterday. Our players are young and not as experienced as those from the other teams. We need to focus on our tactics, but it is hard to do so when playing such good opponents. Tomorrow is a new day. I hope we will play more aggressive and make fewer errors,” said Arjola Prenga, the team captain of Albania.
“We are very happy with the two victories, but now we want to focus on the match against Poland. I am quite optimistic about it,” said Marek Rojko, the head coach of Slovakia.
Poland vs. Belarus 3-2 (22-25, 18-25, 27-25, 26-24, 17-15)
The players of the home team looked very nervous at the beginning of the match and ended up trailing by as many as six points at 15-21. Aleksanda Trojan and Kornelia Moskwa stepped up their efforts at blocking, but they could not prevent the Belarussian team from winning the first set. The start of the second set was just disastrous for the home team – Belarus led 8-0 at the first technical time-out and continued to put pressure on the home side. Magdalena Damaske motivated her team and Poland cut their deficit down to four points at 18-22, but the hosts gave away a series of points so that Belarus ended up winning the second set as well. The white-and-red players did not find a way to hold back Belarusian star player Katsiaryna Silantsyeva, but after completing a fantastic comeback they won the third set 27-25. In the following set Poland took control over the game and eventually extended the match to a tie-break, where their positive streak continued through to the final 17-15 that sealed their 3-2 come-from-behind victory.
“It was a good game, and we are getting better with each match. We have more self-confidence with each ball we play. My players did a good job and the only bad thing tonight was the final score,” said Aliaksandr Klimovich, the head coach of Belarus.
“Belarus is more experienced than our team, so I am satisfied with today’s result. My girls played with a lot of passion and that was the key to our success. The match was packed with emotions and turnarounds, so I guess the fans were treated well tonight,” said Waldemar Kawka, the head coach of Poland.
“I am proud of my team. We didn’t give up after losing two sets, were able to handle the pressure and showed a big heart,” added Julia Twardowska, the team captain of Poland.
Click here for more info including detailed stats of the match
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