Ljubljana Pulls Off an Epic Comeback to Advance After Golden Set Victory

The Slovenian champions, ACH Volley Ljubljana, produced a spectacular performance in Tivoli Hall, where they hosted Dinamo Bucharest in the second leg of the 2nd qualifying round for a place in the Champions League group stage. In front of a large and passionate crowd, the match delivered everything—momentum swings, a dominant start from the Orange Dragons, and a strong response from the Romanian side in the fourth set. Fueled by incredible atmosphere and fan support, the Slovenian champions secured a crucial victory and continue their pursuit of the Champions League group stage.

Ljubljana – Tivoli Sports Hall, attendance: 3,251, Referees: Burkiewicz (Poland), Ewald (Germany).

ACH Volley Ljubljana vs. Dinamo Bucharest 3 : 1 (13, 18, 22, 20), Golden Set: 15:10.

ACH Volley Ljubljana: Štern 34, Pajenk 18, Jošt Kržič, Šket, Najdič, Marovt 13, Šen 3, Janž Janez Kržič 9, Klobučar, Kovačič (L), Prevorčnik, Ropret 2, Urnaut 5, Verdinek (L).
Head coach: Igor Kolaković.

Dinamo Bucharest: Cukur, Kitzinger (L), Ghionea 3, Peta 15, Mihalcea 10, Druta 2, Diaconescu (L), Premović 17, Burggraf 1, Medenis, Balai, Cardoso 10, Calin 2, Verciuc.
Head coach: Bogdan Tanase.

ACH Volley Ljubljana opened the match in magnificent fashion, dismantling the Romanian champions with a fierce serving run led by the outstanding Tonček Štern (9:1). Dinamo had no answer to Ljubljana’s early momentum, which persisted throughout the first set. Setter Ropret distributed the ball superbly, enabling effective attacking play. Štern closed the set with two consecutive points (25:13).

Although the second set began evenly, momentum gradually shifted. As in the first match in Romania, Dinamo tightened their lines and took control midway through the set. Ljubljana struggled to respond to the aggression of the Romanian serve, resulting in disrupted offensive organization and reduced efficiency. Dinamo closed the set at 19, capitalizing on a rare error by Štern.

The third set saw Ljubljana regain control and dictate the tempo. The Romanians again showed resilience, narrowing the gap to a single point after Peta’s successful attack (17:16). The arrival of Tine Urnaut on the court ignited Tivoli Hall and injected new energy into the team. A brilliant triple block from the Orange Dragons extended the lead to 23:18. With another block from Ropret earning the first set point, Urnaut sealed the set with a clever attack (25:19).

The fourth set started with Dinamo storming ahead to a +5 lead (5:10). However, the roaring home crowd lifted Ljubljana once more, enabling them to erase the deficit and tie the score at 12. Strong defensive sequences and courageous play paved the way for the Slovenian champions to take the fourth set and force the all-deciding Golden Set.

The Golden Set began with a tight battle up to the side switch. After switching sides, the Orange Dragons—driven by tremendous crowd support and an unstoppable Tonček Štern pushed ahead by three points (12:9). A final block by Pajenk and Marovt sealed the victory, sparking wild celebrations in Tivoli Hall (15:10).

Statement from ACH Volley Ljubljana player, Alen Pajenk:
"This was the kind of match every athlete dreams of. The atmosphere was fantastic, and the support from the stands gave us the extra push at the key moments. Despite some dips in our play—especially early in the 4th set—we regrouped and proved we deserved to advance. There’s no time to rest; our focus now shifts to the next opponent, Radnički."

Statement from ACH Volley Ljubljana head coach, Igor Kolaković:
"Congratulations to the team for their fight and performance. It wasn’t perfect, and there is still a lot of room for improvement. But we are very happy about this important victory and our progression to the next round, where a new opponent awaits and from this moment on, all our focus shifts to them."