09/02/2017 22:55
Volero prove too strong for Romanian champions
2017 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Women
Zurich, Switzerland, February 9, 2017. Volero ZÜRICH outplayed Romanian national champions CS Volei Alba BLAJ 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-17) to improve their win-loss record in Pool B of the 2017 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Women to 3-1 and chase group leaders Dinamo MOSCOW (who have an impeccable record of four wins in as many matches) with two more rounds still to go.
Closer, sharper, more colourful. The big re-match between Swiss Volleyball titans Volero ZÜRICH and Romanian champions CS Volei Alba BLAJ was another highlight in an exciting week in the CEV Champions League.
One reason was a major innovation off the court. The multiple Swiss champions emphasised their pioneering role in Volleyball with the 4K broadcast of an international Volleyball game – an important milestone for the sport.
Another big reason was on the court. The fourth leg game of the pool stage was already a make-or-break bout for both sides. Volero, on one hand, had to claim the three points at stake if they did not want to fall behind in the race for the top spot in Pool B. CS Volei Alba BLAJ, on the other, had to secure a first victory in order to stay in contention for a spot in the Playoffs of Europe’s elite club competition.
The Swiss top side as well as the reigning Romanian champions did not disappoint their fans. The two teams caught a promising start to the match. The hosts from the shores of Lake Zurich left their mark with their strong blocking game in the opening set. Alba BLAJ were able to keep Volero’s high pace and even led 16-15 – the game changer, because the Swiss stepped up their efforts. The Romanians, on the other hand, started to struggle. Volero ZÜRICH took advantage of this lapse and Ekaterina Orlova closed the first set with a big block (25-17).
Zoran Terzic’s squad kept their pace high at the beginning of the second set. The Swiss top squad dominated the game with their offensive plays. Every second attack resulted into a point for the hosts; a clear-cut 14-9 lead was the consequence. Darko Zakoc’s troop fought their way back into the game and shortened their deficit to 15-17. However, once again, in the very crunch time of the set, Volero ZÜRICH could take advantage of their international experience and eventually prevailed 25-18.
At this stage, Volero ZÜRICH were on fire. The dominant force of the Swiss championship outplayed the Romanians in the third set. CS Volei Alba BLAJ could not stand that storm. Volero ZÜRICH rolled over the Romanian champions with their unstoppable offensive game. Consequently, the Swiss claimed the third and last set 25-17 to sweep the Romanians aside 3-0.
Volleyball fans can now already look forward to the big duel between the Swiss and the Russian champions of Dinamo MOSCOW for the top spot in Pool B of the CEV Champions League coming up on February 22.
Volero ZÜRICH coach Zoran Terzic said after the match: “I think my team played a good game. Of course, there is always room for improvement, but my team played a very solid game today. Now we have to focus on the next games in the CEV Champions League because they are going to be very tough too.”
Volero ZÜRICH opposite hitter Olesia Rykhliuk was happy after the win: “It’s sometimes not easy to play games where everybody sees you as the big favourite. I think we handled the pressure very well. Now we have to focus on the big game against Dinamo MOSCOW in two weeks because it’s going to be a crucial one for us.”
CS Volei Alba BLAJ coach Darko Zakoc found some positives in the game: “Of course it’s always hard to accept a defeat. Nonetheless, I think my team learned an important lesson today. Games against opponents as strong as Volero ZÜRICH are crucial to improve as a team. Our offensive game was just too easy to read for Volero.”
CS Volei Alba BLAJ setter Ana Antonijevic had to admit that she was not very happy about the own game: “I think we did not play good enough to challenge Volero ZÜRICH today. There is no doubt, Volero are one of the strongest teams in Europe and we would have needed a perfect game to put enough pressure on them. Nevertheless, it was a very special game for me. I played at Volero ZÜRICH and I have stayed in contact with many of my former teammates. Therefore, it was a very special comeback for me.”
Click here for more info including detailed stats of the match
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