12/02/2014 20:29
Fenerbahce cruises to straight home victory to make Challenge Cup semis
2014 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup - Men
Istanbul, Turkey, February 12, 2014. On Wednesday Fenerbahce Grundig ISTANBUL downed Stroitel MINSK in straight sets (25-23, 25-20, and 25-13) to claim a spot in the semis of the 2014 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup – Men. Last week Turkey’s standout had already scored a 3:2 away victory and this time really showed their class to get the right to continue their European campaign. In the semis Fenerbahce will play the winners of the clash starring France’s NANTES Rezé Métropole and Serbia’s Crvena Zvezda BEOGRAD.
Fenerbahce started the game with the right pace leading the way 8:6 at the first technical time-out. The players mentored by Daniel Castellani had changed their tactics from the previous game and this time could regularly find a way through the tall Belarusian block. Stroitel mentor Aliaksandr Sinhayevskiy stopped the game as his guys were trailing 11:14 but could not find a way to stop home star Ivan Miljkovic. Fenerbahce was able to control the game all the way through the final 25-23 which was cashed on a block out by Siarhei Akulich.
Stroitel did not agree with that negative scenario and stormed out to a 4:2 lead in the second set thereby forcing Daniel Castellani into an early time-out. This break did not change the course of the game with Fenerbahce trailing 6:8 at the first mandatory stop. However, once the game resumed, the home heroes got back on track leveling the score at 10 and this time it was the Belarusian coach who was somehow forced to stop the game. Though Stroitel continued to perform strong especially with their middle-blockers, Leonel Marshall (pictured) stood out for Fenerbahce and the Cuban-born spiker left his mark on the second set which ended at 25-20 for the guys in yellow and black jerseys.
Marshall continued his personal show also in the third set where Fenerbahce moved up 8:5 on a serving turn by Arslan Eksi. The defense of Stroitel literally collapsed making it easy for the home heroes who cruised to the final 25-13 thereby delighting more than 1,100 fans with a straight victory to claim a spot among the top four of this year’s CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup.
Click here for more info including detailed stats of the match
|