Let's go up

"Gazprom-Ugra": S. Kostadinov - Litvinov, Shevlyakov - Andreev, A. Kostadinov – Rodichev, Moiseev/Nagaets

"Orenburg": Rukavishnikov – Khlyakin, Alexandrov – Tkachenko, Yutsevich – Ubiparip, Maksimenko/Davletshin

In the first set, the opponents were noticeably nervous and made many mistakes - which is not surprising, given the importance of the game for both teams. In the opening, the center of the net was better used by Slavi Kostadinov, and after Khlyakin’s shot into touch on the line, the hosts earned their first serious advantage, 8:4. And then he was lost in simple, it would seem that, Tkachenko gliders: Rodichev mismatched the pace of the pass, Moiseev missed the serve to the baseline, Litvinov – out, 8:8.

The time-out shook Gazprom-Yugra: Litvinov starred, and Slavi shipped two blocks to Yutsevich, 11:8. And the marriage started again: Moiseev fails to cope with Rukavishnikov's serve, Khlyakin is good at finishing the game, Litvinov misses the line on one block, an extra-long rally ends with our side touching the net, 15:15. Another long rally - the rebound from the block returns to Litvinov, the visitors take the lead for the first time, 15:16.

On the site - Nikiforov, and we have Rodichev blocking on a high ball, Ubiparip organizes a freeball with his serve and finishes the game himself through the pipe, 16:18. Nikiforov in the block, 17:20. In the end, the situation is corrected by Slavi’s serve - after a successful attack from his brother and a time-out from Orenburg, the setter makes an ace, 21:22. Then organizes a freeball, 22:22. The Surgut team is the first to reach set points after Rukavishnikov’s game on the opposing side (24:23), but then Khlyakin’s solo follows - he scores and hits an ace, 24:25. Opponents take risks and make mistakes on serve (although what risk could there be in Shevlyakov’s serve??), and on the next set point neither Rodichev, neither Nikiforov could beat the block, and Alexandrov was able.

In the second game, Kuklinski came out instead of Rodichev., joined the team the day before. His first point in the Super League put the Surgut team ahead, 6:5. Rukavishnikov reveals the theme of the pipe, а у «Газпром-Югры» проснулся Никифоров. Нагаец срывает прием планера Рукавишникова, но Хлякин не справляется с доигровкой, 9:9. Затем исправляется, а Юцевич эйсом вновь выводит гостей вперед, 9:11. However, the swing immediately turns in the other direction: this time Andreev’s glider creates problems for the hosts, 13:11. Nikiforov earns another break, passed the net ball, 17:14, Anton Volvich makes a double substitution - Kupryashkin and Rakhmatullin appear.

Khlyakin in the block, Yutsevich looks for fingers on the withdrawn ball, but the hands of the blockers were removed in time, 19:15. Anton Volvich takes two timeouts almost in a row, calling to “play volleyball”, but this set is missed: Shevlyakov closes Ubiparipa, he gives way to Kudryashov, This is not the first time that Slavi decides an episode himself, Nikiforov fights back from the block, 25:19.

The teams played the third set in an equally tense fight. In the opening, Alexandrov gave way to Nekipelov, Slavi once again scored himself, Nikiforov issued ace, 7:5. Moiseev and Maksimenko are good in defense, Orenburg is doing especially well down there: there they catch Alexander Kostadinov over and over again, previously pounded into the floor with a crunch, 10:12. Shevlyakov closes Tkachenko one-on-one, 12:12.

After 16:16 Kirillov changes Slavi at his request - apparently, some kind of damage or just need to take a breath. 19:17 and Pavlov comes on instead of Yutsevich. In the meantime, balance has been restored, 21:21, 22:22... Pavlov, searching for his hands, shoots the deflected ball far into touch, an exchange in the center leads to a set point in favor of the home team, 24:23. Orenburg time-out follows, Yutsevich returns to the site. The Surgut team pulls out the first tempo on their serve and Kuklinsky puts an end to it, 25:23.

For good health, Pavel started the fourth set, immediately scoring an ace with a classic bounce of the ball vertically downwards from the rope. Kupryashkin started for Orenburg, Kudryashov, Nekipelov – half of the starting lineup replaced. Kupryashkin looks for a pass, and the account is already 3:0 after Khlyakin's attack into touch. A new breakthrough on Andreev's gliders: 7:1! The guests lack centimeters of interaction between the setter and the attack, and that solves it. Wolwich takes a timeout, returns Ubiparipa, changes Khlyakina to Rakhmatullina, but Rukavishnikov never appeared until the end of the game.

Nevertheless, the guests got into the game, started taking risks, and fortune turned to face them a couple of times. So, eg, another unsuccessful pass from Kupryashkin barely managed to catch Yutsevich from the back line and the ball fell in an intricate arc into an uninsurable corner under the net, 9:4. Immediately the guests put the finishing touches on a protracted rally, 9:5. Two more guest breaks: Yutsevich after Andreev’s raised attack and block to Kuklinsky, and on the scoreboard already 10:8.

Nikiforov flies into the game - he takes off and places an ace in the corner of the fifth zone. Kupryashkin answers Ace to Moiseev, another clean shot from behind the front, this time from Yutsevich - 13:12. Kostadinov is removed, Shevlyakov stops Nekipelov on the net ball, 15:12. Key draw at the mark 15:13 – Rodichev disrupts the reception of the glider from above, guests have freeball, but Kostadinov and Shevlyakov stop Rakhmatullin. And then Slavi Ace again increases the distance, 17:13.

After Nikiforov's effective discount (20:15) thought, that the ending could be easy for the hosts, but that was not the case. At first, true, Yutsevich confirms this theory with a kick into touch, but then the visitors take three points in a row: Andreev hits out of bounds from the rope, Slavi passes with a marriage - and Nikiforov is blocked by a block, 21:18. Instead of Andreev, the no less experienced Tkachev appears for the first time in the match and immediately scores, 22:18. Further exchange leads to nervous numbers 23:21. The hosts are disrupting the reception, Slavi returns the ball from the opponent's side, frivolity, but Rakhmatullin runs into a single block by Alexander Kostadinov, 24:21. Tkachev sends the first match point with a serve into touch near the end line, and then Slavi Kostadinov takes over the game and once again decides everything himself with his left hand, 25:22.

"Gazprom-Ugra" fought as best he could:

Head coach of VC "Orenburg" Anton Volvich: It is always very difficult to play in Surgut. All our matches run like a blade, same today. Two teams fought, our car skidded in the second game. The attack decided everything, we lost it, lost due to mistakes, which is very sad. Plus Surgut won a little by blocking us. Rest, basically, plus or minus is the same. I said, that the car started to spin in the second game, but it was not from the Surgut onslaught, but from some of your little nuances. We couldn't accelerate further.

Captain of the VC "Orenburg" Ilnur Rakhmatullin: Playing with a direct competitor, very important. Unfortunately, failed to cope with the pre-game balls, at first glance. We'll do some analysis and try to come back.. In the first game they took away the ending, took such a hard game. But couldn't keep the pressure, somewhere on the block, in attack, in pre-game balls, as I already said.

Senior trainer of VC Gazprom-Yugra Alexander Chefranov: We started well too, but with a fairly even game in the first game they missed it. Our interchangeability of players helped today. Player, who came out onto the site, gave certain emotions, helped, where I could. Today we played thanks to the overall team play. There is no ideal cleanliness yet, but there is progress. Everyone understood, that the opponent, what is called, the teeth, and there's nowhere to retreat. It was a border game, she showed, where are we. Either we go up, or we'll stagnate somewhere below. Respectively, we'll climb up.

Pavel Kuklinsky is our new player, It’s still hard to draw any conclusions about the game. It was hard for him too, he has no established interaction, conducted one training session with us. But I can tell, that he, like mature, accomplished player, brought a certain balance, added confidence, improved the emotional component. Can, he was not so bright in attack, but at the expense of some useful actions, rough work, he made a significant contribution.

Finisher of VC Gazprom-Yugra Pavel Kuklinsky: The match was very nervous, we're glad, that won, thanks to my team. I've only been here recently, but I was well received here, we managed to unite. I'll try to show good, quality volleyball.

In some places we carried out the installations well, sometimes it didn't work, but overall mentality and concentration remained at a high level throughout most of the match. There is still something to add, but thanks to the team, that they held out and brought the game to victory.

First batch, in fact, passed on equal terms, check 26:28 talks about this. We just got it, that we need to improve our concentration a little, continue with the installation, and everything will go. As for me personally, that is, of course, nuances in the game pause, therein, that the block here is completely different, not like that, like in Europe, but on game day no one looks at it. I'm here and very happy to appear in the Russian Super League. I'll practice and see, What will happen. I arrived on Friday evening, I was already at training on Saturday, and today I'm here. I want to help the team win, enjoy the game, please the fans and yourself!

Gazprom-Yugra (KhMAO-Yugra) 3: 1 Orenburg region (Orenburg)

match stats

Details

Date	Time	Championship
17.11.2025	19:00	CR 2025-2026

Results

Team	1	2	3	4	GENERAL.
Gazprom-Yugra (KhMAO-Yugra)	26	25	25	25	3
Orenburg region (Orenburg)	28	19	23	22	1

Venue

g. Surgut / SC "Premier Arena"

Gazprom-Yugra (KhMAO-Yugra)

1	2	3	4	5	S	K	E	FACING	B	PTS
0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Orenburg region (Orenburg)

1	2	3	4	5	S	K	E	FACING	B	PTS
0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0