One more fight, another brilliant spectacle
Last season, seven wins were enough for us, to get into the playoffs. Nowadays everything is much more complicated and interesting.: we, “Ural” and “Nova” have won eight matches each and the whole struggle for the coveted place in the sun lies ahead. Our next opponent is a very difficult one (and others are in the Super League?) – Shakhtar Soligorsk.
Belarusians have won the championship of their country seven times in a row and now they are rocking it in Russia. In their last home matches they beat Lokomotiv and St. Petersburg Zenit. – how do you like this? On the other hand, Shakhtar's home games are much better than away games, while, that the team does not play in Soligorsk, where there is no suitable hall, and in Minsk. From 11 victories 10 won at home and only Kuzbass lost to their fellow miners in Kemerovo.
We lost in the first round 2:3, and in the fifth installment – on the balance sheet, 13:15. The desire to extend the winning streak and take revenge is quite natural, this is the only way to do it, perhaps, more difficult, than in the match with Yenisey (despite, that Enisey demolished Shakhtar two rounds ago in Krasnoyarsk 3:0). The thing is, that Shakhtar are a very organized and tenacious team, who does not forgive a “careful” attitude towards her. Victor Bekshi's team's strong point is playing defense, few in the Super League can offer the same level of organization of play in the back line and in the backup. At the same time, everything is fine for the Belarusians on the grid.
One of the discoveries of this season is the game of low (182 cm!) finisher Andrey Marchenko. Russian by passport, Belarusian by volleyball “registration”, he surprises with his balanced play in all elements, including in attack. His partner in the final game is usually Maxim Bogatko, but Artem Masko is always ready to go out and show himself, But there is also Serbian legionnaire David Mehich in reserve.
Another David, Cuban blocker Fiel, feels great in the center of the net - like in attack, and on the block. His partner is the famous Russian veteran Ivan Kozitsyn, who found a second youth in Belarus. There are also familiar faces in the diagonal: Paul Avdochenko, played for Gazprom-Yugra together with Maciej Muzaj, as well as Russian Alexander Safonov, known for playing for Belogorye. This ensemble is managed by an equal duo of setters Alexey Kurash and Roman Egorov, also played in Surgut. Both love a fast game, Kurash looks a little more inventive, but Egorov has nerves of iron. Well, a couple of highly qualified liberos: Stanislav Zaborovsky and Vladislav Drapchinsky.
Our team is now on the move and, of course, will compete with Shakhtar for victory. We have problems and bottlenecks, but in recent games the guys’ spirit to fight inspires, desire, mutual support and interchangeability. Among the Surgut residents there will always be one, who will take over the game, "will shoot", will lead his partners. Respectively, Rafael Khabibullin always has options for playing the game, have someone to rely on and something to surprise your opponent with. It is impossible not to note that, that the stands of the Premier Arena have recently really become the seventh player of the team, their support inspires heroic deeds and gives a powerful boost of energy to players. All factors, brought together, guarantee fans an excellent spectacle of Big Volleyball - come, support the guys! With Shakhtar it will be not Siberian hot and definitely interesting.
