Even the support of a crowd of more than 4,000 was not enough for a surprise in Tivoli

In the first home game of the orange dragons in this season's Champions League, Ljubljana faced the favored team Asseco Resovia. In the spectacle where more than 4000 heads created an exceptional atmosphere, the Slovenian champions showed good resistance but ultimately had to acknowledge the opponent's superiority, marking their second defeat in the Champions League.

Ljubljana – Tivoli Sports Hall, spectators: 4154, referees: Simic (SRB), Mezoffy (HUN)

ACH Volley Ljubljana: Kržič, Satler, Šket, Najdič, Marovt 4, Šen 3, Koncilja 8, Kovačič (L), Gjorgiev 5, Sešek 7, Pokeršnik 11, Videčnik 6. Coach: Radovan Gačič

Asseco Resovia: Kedzierski 2, Rejno, Bucki, Klos 10, Kochanowski 7, Staszewski, Boyer, Drzyga, Louati, Čebulj 11, Defalco 17. Coach: Giampaolo Medei

The start of the game featured an excellent opening by the Polish team, which took advantage of the initial nervousness of the orange dragons and led 6:2. The Ljubljana volleyball players, fueled by the exceptional support of more than 4000 people, found their rhythm and began an evenly matched battle on the Tivoli arena floor. After a break requested by Gačič at the score of 16:12, the Ljubljana team reduced the deficit to just one point (15:16). The Slovenian champions were constantly chasing the favored Resovia players, who entered the final stretch with a four-point lead (16:20) but were not concrete enough in the set's conclusion. The set ended after a mistake by the home team's volleyball players at the 21st point (21:25).

In the second set, we witnessed a promising start by the orange dragons, who steadfastly resisted the excellent Resovia team. The out-of-form captain Gjorgiev was replaced by the young Sešek, who immediately made an impact by stopping Čebulj with an excellent block to reduce the deficit to 14:16. In the second half of the set, we saw attractive moves on both sides and a fighting game for every point. Despite the disadvantage of 23:20, the Slovenian champions managed to get closer but eventually gave in a bit. The set ended with a net touch by the home team's volleyball players (23:25).

The third set started similarly to the first two. An excellent Polish block stopped Sešek, and Resovia's volleyball players pulled away by four points (2:6). Then came the minutes of Koncilja, who first equalized at the sixth point with a powerful attack over the first tempo, and then with two aces. Similar to the second set, the dragons faltered in the continuation, which the experienced opponents took advantage of, leading 16:11. A timeout requested by Gačič bore fruit for a while, and the Ljubljana team narrowed the gap to 17:15. Then the Polish serve and block started grinding again, and it quickly became clear that Asseco Resovia would also triumph in the third set after a successful attack over the first tempo (21:25).

Statement by ACH Volley Ljubljana coach Radovan Gačič: "It was exceptional to play today in front of a packed Tivoli arena. The atmosphere was phenomenal, although we somehow failed to replicate the performance from Trentino. Still, congratulations to my guys for their fight. We started a bit nervously, but as the game progressed, we loosened up and played better. Especially in the second set, we had a chance to surprise the favored opponent. I'm pleased that Marovt and Sešek made good use of the opportunity offered. Now we need to earn points in the next game in front of our home fans when the French champion Tours visits."

Statement by ACH Volley Ljubljana's Jan Pokeršnik: "It's a pity we didn't get more today, as this fantastic crowd deserved it. In the attack, we weren't concrete enough at times, and in certain situations of the sets, we had the opportunity to take the initiative. Today, we didn't capitalize on that; too many errors crept into our game, which, against an exceptionally strong opponent like Resovia, you can't afford if you want to win."