Playing with the champion
Already at the end of the fourth game day of the second round of the "final six" it was clear, that gold will go to Siberia, to Novosibirsk. For the people of Surgut, everything was still undecided, and in case of a victory over the railroad workers, "Star of Yugra" could hope for bronze, but something happened, what's happened. Lokomotiv remained on the winning rails.
First set, equal score in the opening - 5:5, "Star" goes away – 8:5, but not for long, Siberians in the middle of the set – already ahead. Two aces by Roman Murashko – and Loko goes into the lead by six points, score 16:22. Surgutyans – Slobodyanyuk breaks through the defense of the Siberians, Vakhmyanin conducts an attack, but later in the game – Block of Novosibirsk is impenetrable, 18:23. And Kirill Vlasov completes the set, double ace.
The Siberians start the second game with an effective serve, our Maxim Kirillov also answers with an ace and an equal score at the beginning of the set - 7:7. Maxim twice more with his serves brings test points to the Zvezda piggy bank, score – 12:9. The triple unit of our team works, good attack by Pavlo Vakhmyanin, score 21:12, "Star of Ugra" – ahead. On our set – more for the railroad workers, the serve flies out of bounds and the second game with a score 25:19 won by Surgut.
In the third set at Zvezda Yugra, the captain of the team Pavel Stradomsky successfully attacks, Slobodyanuk is reliable in attack, while Lokomotiv has a block and the score on the scoreboard is equal - 11:11. But at the end of the set there was a slight advantage in favor of the Siberians, score – 20:23. Submission Surgut flies out, guys take risks, Loko also has marriage on the pitch. But, excitement and again serving out of the "Star", 21:25. Third set for Lokomotiv-SShOR. 2-1.
And in the fourth set there was hope for the Surgut to cling to the victory. The game is on par, Ace draws Kirillov, and Lokomotiv again has a reliable block and an equal score - 11:11. "Star of Yugra" does not allow the opponent to come off in a row, but she herself cannot achieve a breakaway and by the end of the set the teams come with an equal score - 21:21. Siberians serve two aces, and on the match ball, the Lokomotiv block closes our attack. Novosibirsk won, but the fourth place for the players of our team is not offensive. Zvezda Yugra performed well in the games of the season 2020-2021.