GOOD GAME

"Gazprom-Ugra" (Surgut) besides, ASK plays a little more hard away (New Urengoy) 2:3 (25:22; 21:25; 22:25; 25:15; 8:15)

Surgutians came out with a newcomer of the team, Cuban Yordan Bisset in diagonals, and at Torch, nominally the second setter Evgeny Rukavishnikov was sent to pass. An equal game in the opening set went to the mark 13:13, после чего серия из трех отличных подач удалась Щадилову – принимающие гостей забрасывали мяч на трос, где урожай собирали хозяева, 16:13. This reserve allowed Gazprom-Yugra to comfortably enter the end and organize four set points for themselves at once, 24:20 after Udris' attack into touch. Volkov hit back on the fingers of the blockers, and then Kolenkovsky came out to serve and created big problems for the hosts with his glider - fortunately, Bisset, who entered the game perfectly, managed to get back from the block in a difficult situation, 25:22.

Во втором сете картина повторилась – с той лишь разницей, что со счета 12:12 в отрыв ушел «Факел», 13:17. Началось все с неочевидного касания сетки у Крсмановича, and continued with effective finishes by Volkov and Klyuka on the downed reception of the Surgut team. Makarov comes out to pass at Gazprom-Yugra, Ursov gets the break point with an ace (16:18), Klyuka continues to bomb with punches, discounts and two-handed throws from a great height... In the end, Bisset puts the low ball into the “cauldron” with a beautiful roll-up, 21:23, but this was the last productive episode performed by the Surgut residents.

In the third set, the Surgut team initially stayed in the guests’ wake due to the Novy Urengoy team’s abundant serving errors. (when counting 8:7 The opponent gave the hosts five points), and then they themselves enter into an equal fight, responding to the attacks of Volkov and Klyuka, who played out with a good reception, with effective actions of Bisset and Ursov. Moreover, by the middle of the set the hosts are ahead by three points, but pretty soon the advantage disappears. 18:18, 20:20, 22:22 – and it becomes clear, that the denouement awaits us at the end of the set. It's coming fast: Ivanov, who came out to serve, sends the ball into the net, Volkov scores after Bisset's raised discount, another awkward pass to Jordan - and the Cuban was stopped by a “Torch” block, 22:25.

In the fourth game, Rafael Khabibullin started a tactical change - Bisset went to the final game, Makarov came out to pass, and the place in the diagonal was taken by Glivenko. This came as a complete surprise to the opponent, Camillo Plachi is even forced to take a time-out when the score is reached 2:1, to explain to the players, how to act in new circumstances. Didn't help - Surgut residents, having accomplished a couple of feats in defense, with apparent ease they break away - 10:5. Then they slow down in an awkward formation with Glivenko in the fourth zone, 10:8 – and accelerate again on Bisset’s serves – 15:8! Lament changes one base player after another, essentially admitting defeat and preparing for a tiebreaker.

The fifth game is often called the volleyball lottery - and that’s exactly what it is. After Udris's ace (2:3) his next serve seemed to go out of bounds, what the judges recorded. But the video review showed, that the ball caught the line from the outside by a couple of centimeters - and the workers 3:3 Dovgan scores a challenge ball 2:4, and then into almost hopeless 2:7. The Belarusian diagonal had an excellent series of serves, Surgut residents were left without rent, and Volkov and Yakovlev used their extra games for their intended purpose. The hosts still tried to fight, but here, as they say, found a scythe on a stone - an ace performed by Rukavishnikov was added to his own unrealized chances, and Yegor Klyuka put an end to it, 8:15.

It remains to be stated, that Volkov and Klyuka, even with an uneven game, again achieved results, Udris was good and - especially! – in reception and defense Eric Shoji. And the owners clearly liked Yordan Bisset, adding power, and variability, including in tactics. Makarov is gradually taking shape, and the whole team looks like a united, combat-ready team, which is about to break through to long-awaited victories.

Head coach of VK "Fakel" (New Urengoy) Camillo laments:

The game consists of two parts. The first two games were very good, nice to watch, it was volleyball. We failed the fourth match, played very poorly, and in the fifth Surgut played also poorly, as we are in the fourth, Everything turned out well for us. Surgut changed many players during the match, changed the arrangement, trying to surprise us - and they succeeded, there were certain difficulties. Surgut is a team, which I like, they always fight, there are good technical players here.

Captain VK Fakel (New Urengoy) Igor Kolodinsky:

That year, too, after four rounds we were far from at the top of the standings., so, I find, It’s better not to look at the table at all until the end of the first round. The game was equal, We always play like this with Surgut - gas and northern derby after all. Glad, of course, what did you win, although we hoped, that the game will turn out differently. Good, that in the fifth batch they were able to complete all the settings

Senior coach of VC "Gazprom-Ugra" (Surgut) Yuri Melnichenko:

The third game was key in the match, in which we were leading by three points, but could not maintain the advantage. In the fourth game they showed that volleyball, which we are capable of today. На тай-брейке же сразу провалились в приеме. Партия короткая, не смогли достать, наверстать упущенное. Есть куда прибавлять, уже видны проблески хорошей игры. Приезд Биссета – это, certainly, усиление игры, although he has only been on the team for three days and not all relationships have been properly established yet. Victory is somewhere nearby, but we can't win yet.