18/02/2015 23:09
Italian ‘Butterflies’ fly on to Playoffs 6 after taking two sets in re-match with Azeryol
2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Busto Arsizio, Italy, February 18, 2015. On a night to remember for Italy’s Volleyball family, Unendo Yamamay BUSTO ARSIZIO claimed their pass to the Playoffs 6 of the 2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women after winning two sets from their return match with Azeryol BAKU. As they had seized the night last week in Azerbaijan’s capital, that was everything the ‘Butterflies’ had to do in order to accomplish their mission and get their spot among Europe’s Volleyball elite, waiting to play in the next round Dinamo MOSCOW or their compatriots of Nordmeccanica PIACENZA. The match ended in a 3:2 away victory for Azeryol (25-14, 24-26, 25-20, 18-25, 15-10) but after Unendo Yamamay had won the fourth set, the eventual fate of this double header was already determined.
Azeryol BAKU showed their intention to bounce back from last week’s home loss by displaying a classy performance in the opening set. Strashimira Filipova was just outstanding from the service line recording three aces whilst Unendo Yamamay made a way too many mistakes. The set ended in a massive 25-14 for the visitors (now coached by Jeremy Estes) who recorded four blocks along the way.
The second set was very tight and decided only in a close final rush. Home heroine Valentina Diouf showed nerves of steel making no mistakes at all and a block by Polish setter Joanna Wolosz (pictured, #14) sealed the final 26-24 for BUSTO ARSIZIO. Diouf recorded seven points all alone in this set whilst Helena Havelkova successfully concluded 100% of her attempts in attack; on the other side of the net, Serbian veteran Jelena Nikolic contributed five points for Azeryol.
Havelkova and Ekaterina Lyubushkina helped Unendo Yamamay claim an 18:16 lead in the third set, but Azeryol clawed back vigorously and with seven points scored by their superstar Jovana Brakocevic Canzian made it straight to the final 25-20, helped also by four kill blocks by Kseniya Poznyak.
The start of the fourth set was not that good for Unendo Yamamay that had to chase their opponents but kept on improving the level and quality of their performance. Diouf stood out in attack while the team was well orchestrated by Wolosz who once again finished the set with a block and this way secured for her team a ticket to the Playoffs 6. The tie-breaker that followed was meaningless as Unendo Yamamay was no more focused and Azeryol could claim a 15-10 set win that could not prevent their elimination from the competition.
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