26/01/2016 22:14
VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN cause sensation with big win over Dinamo MOSCOW
2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Men
Friedrichshafen, Germany, January 26, 2016. On Tuesday night Germany’s champions VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN and Russia’s standout Dinamo MOSCOW played their last match in Pool B of the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Men. The Germans had lost in three sets to the Russian heavyweight some weeks ago as these teams had crossed their ways in the Russian capital but on Tuesday the guys from the Lake of Constance caused a sensation with their 3-0 home win (25-22, 25-22, 25-13) to finish their European campaign in style. This is an incredible blow for Dinamo MOSCOW who as a result of their heavy loss miss out on a spot in the Playoffs of Europe’s elite competition.
VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN started very determined right from the early stages of the match but without outside spiker Baptiste Geiler, who had to miss the match being ill, this was not going to be an easy task to stand the Russian storm. However, the Germans were off to a solid start and claimed an early lead after scoring a few attacks (8-7). As they put a lot of pressure at blocking and Luis Joventino Venceslau joined forces with Alexey Nalobin to pace the German attack, VfB forced Dinamo MOSCOW to ask for a time-out (12-10). After the break, the Germans were able to hold on to their lead (16-13) and with an ace by their setter Simon Tischer they widened their margin to four points. However, Dinamo MOSCOW showed their class and fought back (21-20, 22-22). VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN edged ahead again with a point scored by their Czech spiker Michal Finger, and the hosts eventually cashed the opening set by 25-22 after Russian star Alexander Markin spiked out of bounds.
Dinamo MOSCOW seemed to have suffered a big blow and with an ace by Joventino VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN claimed a four-point lead at the first technical time-out of the second set (8-4). And the hosts were able to keep the rhythm high also later on (10-6, 12-9, 16-12) before Dinamo MOSCOW attempted a comeback and closed in at 17-16. At this stage home mentor Stelian Moculescu called a time-out in an effort to provide his players with a moment to regroup. VfB continued to lead the way but Dinamo MOSCOW closed in again after an ace by their superstar Ivan Zaytsev (21-20). It was another close race until the hosts got their first set point with the help of Romanian rising star Adrian Aciobanitei (24-22). Dinamo MOSCOW stopped the game once more but could not prevent Joventino from sealing the final 25-22 with an ace.
The sensation seemed about to materialise: only one set separated VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN from winning the match. And the hosts continued to deliver a stellar performance also in set 3 (9-5, 16-11). The home guys almost had only to wait for Dinamo’s mistakes which kept on side-lining the performance of the Russian giant. With the help of another two blocks by Nalobin, the Häfler got closer to causing a sensation (19-11). Dinamo MOSCOW looked shocked and paralysed and the triumph was eventually there for the home guys who won the third set at a canter (25-13).
“I’m very happy for the guys,” Stelian Moculescu said after the last European match of the season for VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN. “I knew we are a good team and today we played just great.”
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