TALLINN Technical University first team to book #CEVChallengeCupM 8th Final spot
News
TALLINN Technical University of Estonia are the first team to secure their spot in the 8th Finals of the men’s CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup 2022. They did so after playing back-to-back matches with GENTOFTE Volley in Denmark – where the Baltic team claimed a 3-0 victory before losing the re-match at the tiebreak.
The two clubs had agreed to play both matches in Denmark. The visitors from Estonia delivered a truly impressive performance in the first fixture, cruising to a comprehensive 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-19, 25-20). The Danes served well but lacked power from their spikers as their rivals made only a very few mistakes.
The second game started with an intense first set, where both teams fought hard for each point. In the end, the Danes secured a 32-30 win. The team from Tallinn responded swiftly to take the second set (25-19) with ease, whereas the third set was again a much closer race. GENTOFTE Volley improved their block-defence, providing their Estonian opponents with very little chance to make their own points, with this resulting in a 25-22 win for the home side. GENTOFTE played with much courage in order to force a Golden Set, while the Estonians were eager to win the set in order to secure an overall win. The latter kept cool, and with high pressure from the service line, they managed to take the set 25-19. On paper, there was nothing to play for in the game’s fifth set, yet both teams still fought hard for the final victory, thus delivering another close race to the finish line. In the end, the home team managed to close the set and game in their favour at 17-15.
Elsewhere, PAOK THESSALONIKI hosted Croatia’s MOK Mursa OSIJEK, with the home side pocketing a comprehensive 3-0 victory. In the first set, PAOK was ahead throughout and closed it at 25-20, with the second set following the same development and ending in a 25-18 score for the hosts. In the third set, MOK Mursa OSIJEK mounted a comeback, leading for most of the set. Shortly before the end, however, PAOK took control again, thus celebrating a 3-0 victory (25-20, 25-18, 25-23).
Ioannis Kalmazidis“The game went as we expected and the performance of the opposing team was to the anticipated levels, as we saw in the videos. It is always difficult when you have not seen a team up close to calculate how fast they play or how strong the spikes are. We did our analysis correctly and we understood how the opposing team plays and we adjusted accordingly. Therefore, we managed to get the victory. There was a difference in the level of the two teams and it showed!”
Head coach of PAOK THESSALONIKI
Βrett Walsh, setter of PAOK: “We are extremely happy for the victory and the win’s three points that we took today in the game with the Croatian team. We do believe that we are able to beat them in the second game too and make it among the best 16 of the CEV Challenge Cup.”