Nantes, France, March 12, 2015.  Dinamo KRASNODAR became the last known semifinalist in the 2015 CEV Volleyball Cup - Women after scoring a second Challenge Round straight-set victory over NANTES VB.  The Russian team eliminated its French host with a 3:0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-17) shutout in front of 1,800 supporters at the Mangin Beaulieu competition hall.  The match started with an emotional moment, one minute of applause to the memory of the three French sports stars who died in a helicopter crash in Argentina last Monday: yachtswoman Florence Arthaud, Olympic swimmer Camille Muffat and Olympic boxer Alexis Vastine.

Beaten in Russia by 0:3, NANTES VB was facing a major challenge against Dinamo.  In front of their fans, NANTES needed an exploit to move forward.  The beginning of the match was very tight, but then he Russians powered up, their athletic presence allowing them to take the advantage and win by 25-21.  The second set started in the same rhythm with the home team trying to measure up to the tall opponents, who once again took the lead.  NANTES did not succeed in defending the repeated attacks of Liubov Shashkova and Tatiana Kosheleva.  Despite the support from the stands, lost the set by 17-25 and, thus, all hopes of qualification.  The Russians began the third set without weakening, resting on well-placed attacks.  NANTES tried to react and tied at 10-10, thanks to the good presences of Michaela Dolezalova and Angie Bland in blocking, but fell behind again to lose by another 17-25 and the match.

Tatiana Kosheleva with 22 points for Dinamo and Ariel Turner with 20 points for NANTES were the best scorers of the match.

In the semifinals Dinamo KRASNODAR will meet Azerbaijan’s Rabita BAKU.

Click here for more details including match statistics.