24/03/2015 22:12
Dinamo KRASNODAR win big match with Rabita BAKU to get closer to spot in CEV Cup finals
2015 CEV Volleyball Cup - Women
Krasnodar, Russia, March 24, 2015. Russia’s Dinamo KRASNODAR got one step closer to what would be their second appearance in the final stage of the CEV Volleyball Cup – Women as on Tuesday night they claimed the first round of their semifinal fixture with Rabita BAKU of Azerbaijan by 3:1 (25-20, 18-25, 25-23, 25-22). The re-match will now follow on Saturday in Baku and will determine the side getting the right to challenge Poland’s PGE Atom Trefl SOPOT or Galatasaray Daikin ISTANBUL in the finals.
The score remained very close up to 7 all in the first set before the first technical time-out was called at 7:8 after Foluke Akinradewo scored for Rabita. Dinamo turned the tables around at the second mandatory stop (16:14) this time by exploiting a mistake made by the same middle blocker from USA. The home side played very aggressively both at blocking and serving and this way they widened their lead up to five points (19:14). Rabita closed the gap a bit at 20:18 but Tatiana Kosheleva and Fernanda Garay brought the set to an end at 25-20 for Dinamo.
The home heroines continued to set the pace of the game also in the second set (6:4, 8:6) but thins changed after the first technical time-out with Rabita edging ahead (11:12). The spikes killed by Russian Volleyball icon Liubov Shashkova could not find a way through Rabita’s block and she often sent the ball off the bounds. After the second technical time-out Dinamo tried to solve their problems in defence but Rabita continued to play with high intensity and eventually held on to their lead to close it out at 18-25.
Rabita was off to the better start also in the third set (0:2) but this time Dinamo responded with some powerful actions by Kosheleva to get back on track (6:5). This set was closely contested but Natalia Dianskaya scored a key point later on to move the score up to 22:21 for the home side. Katarzyna Skowronska-Dolata made a mistake for Rabita and this widened Dinamo’s lead to two points before another two errors, this time by the home team, prompted a 23 all on the scoreboard. The mentor of Dinamo, Konstantin Ushakov, took a time-out and his players responded well with two terrific kills by Kosheleva and Garay bringing the set home at 25-23.
Rabita fought bravely also in the fourth set (0:3) but it did not take that long for Dinamo to even the score again (4:4). Rabita showed some great blocking to make things difficult for the home ladies before a time-out asked by Ushakov prompted a reaction by Dinamo and the score was levelled once more at 13 all. Shashkova and Kosheleva played just superbly and even though Rabita tried it hard to keep the score tight, a fantastic spike by Natalia Dianskaya brought the match to an end at 25-22 for the final 3:1.
“Dinamo showed an excellent performance tonight and of course we are not happy with the final result,” commented Rabita’s middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo. “I hope we will play much better on Saturday in Baku.”
“We played a good match tonight but we had problems at serving and receiving,” commented her mentor Zoran Gajic. “The first set was a disaster. We had a chance to win the third set but we did not use it. Dinamo is definitely a strong team and they served incredibly well tonight. I think this was the key to their victory.”
“Our good performance in defence, and especially at blocking, was instrumental to our victory tonight,” said Dinamo’s coach Konstantin Ushakov. “Our serving was not that bad too. We played good and we did never give up.”
“It was a tough game and I am proud of my team,” said the Brazilian home star, Fernanda Garay. “We played together as a team. This victory is very important for us.”
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