Tenerife Libby’s LA LAGUNA off to winning start in #CEVChallengeCupW

On Tuesday, Tenerife Libby’s LA LAGUNA defeated Maccabi XT HAIFA 3-1 in the first leg of the Round of 32 at the Pablos Abril Sports Hall. The tie will be decided this Thursday, once again in Taco (6:00 p.m.). Before the start of the match, a moving minute’s silence was observed in memory of Jesús de Miguel, a CD Tenerife player.

It was an outstanding return to European competition for LA LAGUNA, accompanied by the unwavering support of their fans. Tenerife Libby’s made their mark on Tuesday afternoon, defeating Maccabi XT HAIFA 3-1. The Israeli side made the brighter start, opening up the first lead on the scoreboard (4-1). However, that early advantage proved to be short-lived, as Tenerife Libby’s soon found their rhythm, levelled the playing field and began to assert their authority at the Taco venue. After an exchange of points (8-8), Tenerife Libby’s shifted up a gear and became an unstoppable force at the Pablos Abril. Ricardo Lemos’ players found solutions both in attack and at the net. Neea-Maria Joki and Antonela Fortuna caused problems from the wings, while Yeisy Soto and Carla Jimenez Ruiz stood firm at the net. The hosts took control of the opening set with an impressive 11-0 run (22-11). A powerful service winner from Sullie Sundara sealed the first set (25-12).

The second set began with the momentum swinging from side to side. LA LAGUNA scored the first two points (2-0), only for Maccabi to respond immediately (2-4). From then on, Tenerife Libby’s LA LAGUNA regained control of the match, operating like a well-oiled machine in both defence and attack and putting together an 8-0 run (10-4). The Blue-and-White side showed no weaknesses against a Maccabi XT team unable to contain the Tenerife players’ attacking versatility. Sundara and Joki took turns shouldering the responsibility, before Fortuna wrapped up the set from position two (25-17), bringing victory another step closer.

Tenerife Libby’s had to fight against the tide in the third set, as the team coached by Ivan Petkov took the initiative from the outset. Ricardo Lemos was even forced to call a timeout to halt their momentum (9-16). The break allowed the La Laguna side to reorganise their system and rediscover their best form just in time, with Sundara’s and Jiménez’s effectiveness at the net leading the comeback (17-16). Maccabi XT suddenly saw a set they had looked set to win slipping away and, under pressure, began making unforced errors. The home side’s Canadian outside hitter – Sundara – kept doing what she does best, finishing off attack after attack. Tenerife Libby’s side even had a match point, but Maccabi held firm and eventually claimed a fiercely contested set (26-24), with Yunieska Robles Batista and Madeleine Whittington their main attacking threats.

Determined to avoid taking the match into a tie-break, Tenerife Libby’s did everything they could to wrap up the contest in the fourth set. Once again, however, Maccabi XT capitalised on their positive momentum to establish an early lead (6-2), forcing Lemos to call a timeout. The home side kept their composure and were rewarded. Once again, Sundara stepped up to put the Israeli defence under pressure, while Joki and Fortuna made their mark as they turned the score around (12-11). At that point, Ivan Petkov called a timeout to reorganise his team, but Tenerife Libby’s proved unstoppable from then on, taking the lead in the tie with a 25-17 set win. 

This is a positive starting point that gives the Spanish team a valuable cushion ahead of the return leg, which will take place in two days. There is no time to catch their breath: the CEV Challenge Cup returns to the Pablos Abril this Thursday (6:00 p.m.), when the winner of the tie will be decided.