Ukraine makes it two wins from two as Bulgaria edge Lithuania in Druskininkai

Ukraine remains undefeated in the #EuroVolleyU16W qualifier being played in Druskininkai, Lithuania, where the hosts suffered on Saturday their first defeat to Bulgaria. 

In the first match of the day, Team Ukraine secured their second victory in style against Georgia as they powered to a comprehensive 3-0 win (25-10, 25-12, 25-13). The resilient Ukrainians did not let the control over the game slip away from their hands and did not give any chance to the Georgian team. Right from the very beginning of the match, Ukraine demonstrated that they are much superior to their opponents. The coaches of the Ukrainian national team allowed all the players to take to the court, but this did not prevent them from confidently winning all three sets and getting even closer to securing a spot in the Final Round of the European Championship.
The most valuable players were Olena Domashivets from Ukraine, who scored 14 points, and Ketevani Mtchedlishvili – with a tally of eight for the Georgian team.

In the second match, hosts Lithuania lost in four sets to Bulgaria (19-25, 19-25, 25-22, 22-25). Bulgaria, famous for its rich history in women’s Volleyball, after suffering a defeat against Ukraine the day before, this time demonstrated its status as a real contender for a spot in the Final Round. As the first set got underway, the Bulgarians broke through and did not let go of the initiative.
At the beginning of the second set, the Bulgarians started with a 5-0 lead. Later, the difference increased to seven points (10-3). Soon though the game evened out and the Lithuanians closed some good rallies. However, the home team failed to keep up with their opponents and the Bulgarians took another step towards victory.
In the third set, the Lithuanian national team demonstrated its capability to play with opponents of this level. They took a lead several times, and as the set progressed, they marched ahead to 16-13. Afterwards, Bulgaria scored five points in a row and regained the advantage. Nevertheless, the Lithuanians, passionately supported by their fans, simply played flawlessly in the decisive moments and eventually won the set 25-22.
In the fourth set, the locals led for most of the time and were determined to push the match to a decisive set. However, at the end of the set, the Bulgarians took advantage of the Lithuanians’ mistakes and took the lead, while the hosts were unable to come back again. 
The most valuable players were Gustė Preikšaitytė, who scored 14 points for the Lithuanian team, while Bulgaria’s top scorer was Darina Ivanova (15 points).