ACH Volley Ljubljana secured another victory over guests from Murska Sobota
In the sixth round of the Sportklub Volleyball League, ACH Volley Ljubljana faced Panvita Pomgrad in Ljubljana's Tivoli Hall. Despite the persistent efforts of the Murska Sobota players, all three sets concluded in favor of the Slovenian champions.
ACH Volley Ljubljana: Marković 1, Kržič 1, Šket, Najdič, Marovt, Šen 9, Koncilja 2, Kovačič (L), Gjorgiev 18, Sešek, Pokeršnik 13, Videčnik 7. Coach: Radovan Gačič
Panvita Pomgrad: Rajnar, Doda 13, Šormaz 11, Drvarič 2, Vrabl, Suhadolnik 3, Legen 2, Bedrač, Novak, Mirković 9. Coach: Dejan Fujs
In the opening of the match, the Orange Dragons took the lead with Gjorgiev's block (4:2), and soon after, they increased the lead to five points. The Murska Sobota players reduced the difference to one point after the second break at the request of visiting coach Fujs (11:10). In the middle of the set, Marković's block increased the lead to three points (13:10), and the Dragons successfully expanded it further. At 21:16, Fujs tried to change the course of the game with a substitution, but unsuccessfully. The Dragons gained a six-point advantage by the end of the set, and Videčnik utilized the second set point with a successful attack (25:19).
The second set started very evenly, with both teams sharing points until the score was 6:6. The guests then took the lead with a two-point advantage (6:8), but the Ljubljana players remained close, equalizing the score at the eleventh point with Gjorgiev's attack. This triggered a reaction from the visiting team's bench, which called for a timeout. It was followed by a new series of equalizations, and then Panvita's volleyball players took the lead again with two points (18:16). This time, Gačič reacted and called a timeout. At the end of the set, the Orange Dragons, with determined play and Pokeršnik's ace, gained a four-point lead (24:20), and Gjorgiev closed the set with an effective attack at the 21st point.
The third set was the most evenly matched, with neither team managing to gain a significant advantage throughout the first half. On the eighth point, Gačič tried to unsettle the guests with a substitution, sending Kržič onto the court, but this move did not bring changes, and the equalizations continued until the 13th point. Thanks to mistakes on the part of the guests, the Ljubljana volleyball players pulled away with three points (16:13), but Panvita's players did not give up. At the 21st point, Mirković's successful attack allowed them to equalize the difference. In the final stage of the set, the Dragons once again demonstrated their strength with a partial result of 4:1, and the set ended with a score of 25:23 after the guests made a mistake.
Statement by ACH Volley Ljubljana coach Radovan Gačič: "We are satisfied with three points and the fact that we won the game 3-0 despite the fact that there were still too many fluctuations in the game. Unlike the first set, where we managed to maintain the initial lead, we had segments in the second and third sets that were not okay. We need to achieve consistency in all elements of the game throughout the entire match, regardless of who is on the other side. Regarding today's game, we absolutely need to improve our serving and blocking."