12/02/2014 21:44
DRESDNER SC writes history making CEV Cup semis after golden set drama
2014 CEV Volleyball Cup - Women
Dresden, Germany, February 12, 2014. Germany’s DRESDNER SC added on Wednesday night another chapter to their success story as they qualified to the semis of the 2014 CEV Volleyball Cup – Women for the first time in their history. Germany’s vice champions first lost the return match with Ukraine’s Khimik YUZHNY (1:3; 21-25, 25-21, 18-25, and 23-25) but they found back their best game to win a dramatic golden set (18-16) that the 2,238 fans in attendance followed standing on their feet. In the semis DRESDNER SC will play one of the most decorated Volleyball teams of all times, Russia’s Uralochka-NTMK EKATERINBURG.
The hosts started the game pretty strong (3:1) but soon were confronted with many problems in reception. Khimik, on the other hand, performed really well especially behind the service line thereby putting a lot of pressure on the German receivers. DRESDNER SC fought their way back from 15:19 to 19:20 but in the end Belarusian-born Anastasiya Harelik cashed the third opportunity for Khimik to go for the 1:0 (25-21).
The second set was very close up to 14 all before DRESDNER SC finally found a way to stop the attacks killed by Ukrainian star Nadiia Kodola, bringing it home at 25-21.
However, the young players of Khimik stormed back strong in the third set where they easily found a way through the German block; struggling in reception, DRESDNER SC could not display their best play also in attack and even though head coach Alexander Waibl almost changed the whole starting six by the end of the set, this strategy could not prevent Khimik from moving up 2:1 (25-18).
The fourth set was a real drama; everything seemed to work just fine for the home side (19:16) but Khimik clawed back flipping the charts around at 21-19. Once more it was Harelik who had the last word and that 3:1 victory for Khimik called for the golden set since DRESDNER SC had claimed the previous game with the same score.
The so-called golden set had to determine the side making the semis. Khimik continued to lead the way as they had done in the final section of the fourth set (11:8, 13:10) but DRESDNER SC showed an amazing fighting spirit, storming back to survive to a match ball for their opponents before Katharina Schwabe cashed the third chance to book a ticket to the semis, a feat that was enthusiastically celebrated by the players as well as by the local crowd.
Click here for more info including detailed stats of the match
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