Step forward

"Gazprom-Ugra" (Yugra): Kirillov – S.Kostadinov, Demakov - Andreev, A. Kostadinov – Panov, Moiseev/Nagaets

Yenisei (Krasnoyarsk): Osipov – Fetsov, Busel – Maksimov, Kitchen - Schenkel, Yanutov/Golubev

The guests fielded a couple of reserve players for the game, and the hosts were forced to play according to an already tested scheme with two setters on the court. Let's say right away, that the Yugra people’s idea worked better. The start of the game was better for them - 5:1 with a slurred play, Fettsova provokes an early out-out of “Yenisey”. Did not help: defense gives extra play, Panov and Alexander Kostadinov bring the breaks, 8:2.

Andreev finds Schenkel's glider, ace, 12:6. Ace snaps at Kitchen, but overall the threads of the game are in the hands of Gazprom-Yugra: Slavi rocks the pipe with Panov, successfully passes to the back of Demakov’s head, Ivan, to celebrate, also terrorizes Schenkel with his glider, 17:11. The block is closed by Fetzova, Schenkel continues to suffer in reception, this time from Kirillov, 20:12. In the end, the guests perked up - Osipov and Kukhno scored points from the serve, Fetsov scores the end of the game, but the train has left, 25:20.

The hosts made seven service errors during the set versus just one for the guests., but due to the demolished reception we didn’t even notice the difference.

When, after an equal start to the second game, Slavi Kostadinov gave two insidious aces - with a shortened serve and a powerful one through the rope - it seemed, that now the hosts will go ahead, 12:9. In fact it turned out the other way around: first, Fetzov gave out a series of power knockouts with an ace: Surgut residents didn’t really understand, what to do with knocked out balls and flying away 12:15. Then the situation, also with ace, aggravated Kuhno, 13:18. Well, I finished off with Busel gliders, 15:22. Against the background of the collapsed game on the court, instead of the Kostadinov brothers, young people appeared in the person of Golovanov and Gusamov, but without visible effect. The last ball of the set became its quintessence: Surgut residents once again failed to cope with the reception, Kuhno hit the passing ball with all his heart, hit the cable, but the ball fell from Gazprom-Ugra, 17:25.

Slavi returned to the court at the end of the second game, and Gusamov remained in action until the end of the match. It was him – with varying degrees of success – that Yenisei’s pitchers looked for over and over again.. Slavi scored another ace at the beginning of the third game, but the real benefit was given by Kirillov, realized six out of six attacks in the diagonal position. Colleagues supported on the grid: reliable in attack Panov, Demakov, Slavi looks good too, Gusamov blocks Fettsov one-on-one. With newfound stability, Osipov’s activity in the center of the net remains unnoticed, and then Schenkel once again fails to cope with Andreev’s glider, 13:6. Panov waylaid Osipov's discount, 21:14.

The scenario of what is happening is reminiscent of the first set: once again the serious superiority of Gazprom-Yugra and again Yenisei decides to start in an almost hopeless ending. Fettsov’s emotions served as a catalyst – Vitaly scored through Demakov’s touch, but the referees initially gave the ball to the hosts. Demakov admitted, but Fetsov managed to boil over and earn the mustard plaster. The accumulated emotions resulted in two killer serves from the diagonal Krasnoyarsk, but there was not enough stability for the third, 25:20.

The fourth set was the most intense and most important: the fifth set promised good prospects for Enisey for the return game at home, the Surgutians needed to get a three-point victory here and now. “Enisey” began to make serial mistakes on serve, and Osipov also passed Busel. Nervousness was visible in the actions of the owners: Panov caught Busel's glider flying out of range, 5:7. However, Sergei immediately corrected himself, having decided two additional games on Gusamov’s knockout serves. But I couldn’t cope with the third one, 8:8 and again the game went on balance.

The hosts take important breaks on Tkachev’s serves, who played the set instead of Andreev. Fetsov feels uncomfortable in the fourth zone - first he comes into the hands of Demakov, then kicks out, 18:15. "Yenisey" is trying to come back, Kuhno solves a protracted rally with excellent defensive play from both sides (20:18), and then seems to score another important goal. But viewing the hosts sets, that the ball in attack did not hit the block, and a view of the guests immediately taken records, that Nikita didn’t get into the field either, 21:18.

Immediately Slavi Kostadinov drags Fettsov’s powerful blow in defense, and Kirillov throws it into the cauldron. Kitchen in another desperate attack drives a shell under the skin of the block, but Tkachev elegantly withdraws in the next draw, and the best, perhaps, match player Maxim Kirillov extinguishes the last hopes of the guests with two aces, 25:19.

Comments after the game:

Yuri Marinin, senior coach of VC "Enisey": At first, we didn't have very many people. But, basically, the same can be said about Surgut. They played poorly, what can I say. Everything will still be decided on the sum of two games. We'll play in three days, we will see, what will happen there. I'm eating terrible food today, reception... At first they seemed to hold, then they failed on simple serves. We didn't have any particular difficulties, the only thing is two passers, who passed each other the whole game and all scored. It happens, when passers throw to each other. I remember this happened quite often in the past., many teams played four-two.

Coach of VC Gazprom-Yugra Alexander Chefranov: Nothing much has changed for us, composition plus or minus combat. We play themes, who can. The opponent has his own tasks, some of your own, may be, internal difficulties. In any case, we sorted out the opponent, We also prepared for the main players, and to those, who received less playing practice. Next we go to Krasnoyarsk for victory. We want to show ourselves as much as possible.

Libero VC Gazprom-Yugra Alexander Moiseev: I think, today we had a game. Yes, made mistakes, but not much, as a rival. In general, all elements, that we prepared - we implemented it all. Protection, block, attack - everything worked, everything, what do you need, we did. We're going to Krasnoyarsk and we'll have a look, How will our game turn out?. There's every chance, to go further.

Gazprom-Yugra (KhMAO-Yugra) 3: 1 Yenisei (Krasnoyarsk)

match stats

Details

Date	Time	Championship
09.04.2026	19:00	KR 2026

Results

Team	1	2	3	4	GENERAL.
Gazprom-Yugra (KhMAO-Yugra)	25	17	25	25	3
Yenisei (Krasnoyarsk)	20	25	20	19	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

Yenisei (Krasnoyarsk)

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