Ljubljanaers without a real answer against Berlin

Berlin Recycling Volleys : ACH Volley Ljubljana 3:0 (19, 20, 13)

ACH Volley Ljubljana: Toman, Ropret 2, Pernuš, Toukhteh 1, Dagostino, Pavlović, Bošnjak, Okroglič 2, Rutar, Pokeršnik 12, Videčnik 2, Kök 3, Djurić 12, Vučićević 4.

Berlin Recycling Volleys: Kowalski, Le-Roux, Moraes, Michelucci 11, Grankin 4, Baghdady, Brehme 11, Carle 10, Zenger, Kessel, Tuia, Patch 10, Carbonera 12, Pujol.

After two months, ACH Volley Ljubljana volleyball players competed again in the Champions League against a tough Berlin Recycling Volleys team. Once again, the Slovenian champions could not find the right answer to the Germans' game, who won 3:0 (19, 20, 13).

The German champions started the match strongly and with an ace by outside-spiker Tuia and two consecutive blocks they led 6:2, but in the next action Carle added his share for a five-point difference (7:2). A mistake by Djurić on the opening shot put the Dragons already seven behind (11:4). The beginning of the set was thus completely in the hands of the rivals, who built up a hard-to-catch advantage. The fighting Slovenians halved it (14:10) with two attacks by Pokeršnik and a block by Djurić, but the Germans did not let up. Soon, Berlin's Carle's point brought them back to +7 (20:13) and they took the first set with confidence (25:19).

The Ljubljana team started the second set better and kept contact with their rivals until the middle of the set (12:11), when the German champions slowly started to pick up the pace (15:12). With an ace by Ropret, the Dragons were still in a good position (17:15), but the Germans entered the playoffs with a four-point advantage (20:16), which they converted into a 2:0 lead in the set. Brehme's block capped the set at 25:20.

In the third set, the story of the first set repeated itself. The relaxed Germans were unstoppable right from the start and scored their eighth point with an ace from Tuija, while the Dragons only had two. The Berliners continued their rhythm (15:8), but on the other hand Ljubljana players could not find a solution to the German game (25:13). The Ljubljana team's strategist tried different combinations and sent Vučićević to replace Djurić as the set opposite before the end of the second set, but a change at the outside-spiker came quite quickly when Okroglič replaced Kök for a set and a half. At the very end of the match, Djurić also played as a middle blocker. With today's defeat, the chances of advancing to the quarter-finals are completely closed.

Matija Pleško, coach of ACH Volley Ljubljana: ''Almost everything went wrong today. I'm really not satisfied at the moment. We didn't put enough pressure on our opponents with the opening kick, we planned to move the Berliners away from the net, but we didn't manage to do that. But they managed to do it to us. We had one player who was in the mood, Jan Pokeršnik, but the rest was pretty weak. We didn't do any damage to our opponents with our block defence, we only had two blocks and a few touches. But the Germans stopped us nine times with the block and had eight aces. It is difficult to play against Berlin because their game and tactics do not suit us, but I expected more and I am really disappointed.''