GEN-I Volley earns confident 3-0 victory over VK Pirane BRUSNO

On Wednesday night, GEN-I Volley NOVA GORICA delivered a strong all-round performance on home court, defeating VK Pirane BRUSNO 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-22) in a dynamic and emotionally charged CEV Challenge Cup encounter. The match offered long rallies, big momentum swings and standout individual efforts that kept the atmosphere electric from start to finish. With this result and following their 3-0 away victory in Slovakia last week, NOVA GORICA has progressed to the 8th Finals to play there Romania’s C.S.M. LUGOJ. 

First Set – A tight battle decided in the final moments 

The opening set began with both teams trading points evenly at 4-4 before Pirane found the first break at 8-10, thus prompting a quick timeout from the home side. Despite the visitors’ confident play and their 12-15 advantage, the home side responded well, pulling the score back to 16-16. A late push saw the hosts take control at 20-18, only for BRUSNO to answer with a 20-21 lead. The set remained balanced until 23-23, when GEN-I Volley showed much composure under pressure, securing two decisive points to claim the opener 25-23.

Second Set – A comeback marked by serving brilliance 

VK Pirane BRUSNO opened the second set aggressively, establishing a 1-5 lead. The hosts struggled to find rhythm early on, but slowly closed the gap to 6-8 and eventually levelled the score at 10-10. The visitors responded again, moving ahead 10-13 and later 11-15, thus forcing another timeout from the home bench. From there, GEN-I Volley shifted gears. A powerful spike brought them back into the game, and then two consecutive aces by Kaja Gimpelj turned the momentum completely, giving the hosts the lead at 16-15. With renewed confidence, the home team surged ahead, reaching 22-18 and closing the set cleanly 25-18 without committing any more errors in the final stretch.

Third Set – Strong start and confident finish 

GEN-I opened the third set with an ace, setting the tone for what looked like a dominant finish. A 7-2 lead forced an early timeout from BRUSNO, but the visitors responded well, equalising at 8-8 and even taking the lead at 8-9. The set remained tight deep into the game with NOVA GORICA edging ahead 15-14 before VK Pirane called timeout. A crucial block from Sonia Galazzo put the hosts up 20-18; this was followed by a composed run that kept the visitors from closing the gap. An ace from Hana Podbršček secured the 22nd point, and Annelise Samson added another key point on the way to the finish. GEN-I Volley sealed the match 25-22 and completed a confident 3-0 victory.

Closing summary

With strong serving runs, effective blocking and a composed response during critical moments, GEN-I Volley showcased maturity and determination throughout the match. Key contributions from Gimpelj, Podbršček, Galazzo and the entire squad helped secure an important CEV Challenge Cup win and build momentum for the challenges ahead.