National championship title for Maribor

OK Merkur Maribor : ACH Volley Ljubljana 3:2 (-29, 19, 16, -24, 12)

OK Merkur Maribor: Cafuta 4, Herman, Šket 25, Mulec, Detela, Možič 27, Ikhbayri, Donik, Uremovič 7, Adžović A., Planinšič 1, Kisiliuk 13, Košenina, Kovačič 1.

ACH Volley Ljubljana: Toman, Ropret 2, Pernuš, Toukhteh 10, Dagostino, Pavlović, Bošnjak 1, Okroglič 8, Rutar, Pokeršnik 17, Videčnik 10, Kök 9, Vučićević 11.

In the decisive fifth final match, the Ljubljana dragons played an away game at Tabor, where they came with the desire to lift the national championship trophy for the 18th time. Unfortunately, they failed to do so, as the Maribor players broke their resistance in five sets and won on home soil.

The opening set started evenly between the two teams, but after an ace by Kisiliuk, the Dragons' strategist Matija Pleško already took action (11:9). With an unstoppable opening shot by Skete, the Maribor team escaped with a three-point lead (14:11), and their biggest advantage was already five points (17:12) after a missed shot by Vučićević. Pleshko sent Črt Bošnjak on the court to replace Vučićević, who scored a point to cut the deficit to 18:15. The Dragons got even closer (18:17) after a Pokersnik's attack, but an ace by Kisiliuk pulled the hosts back within striking distance (22:19). In an exciting endgame, the Štajerska team got the first final ball after a point by Možič (24:23), but they did not take advantage of it. The game dragged on until 29:31, when the visitors finally took a 1:0 lead in the set.

In the second set, the home team took things into their own hands right from the start (8:4) and kept the pace until the end. The guests came close to a point behind (12:11), but they were back in the set again and after an unstoppable serve by Kisiliuk, they were already leading 20:15. This time, they did not let the guests get any closer in the playoffs, and with an ace by Možič, they tied the match at 1:1 (25:19).

In the third set, the home team took the initiative and with a block by Šket led 10:5. The Ljubljana players could not find a solution for the determined Šket, Možič and the rest of the team, who gained a 7-point margin (20:13). The set was thus quickly ended at 25:16 in favour of the hosts.

Maribor started better again (5:3), but this time the Dragons soon caught them and took the lead (5:7). The game was stopped by the home team's coach Sebastijan Škorc with a half-minute break. The Ljubljana team showed a better performance and was already leading by 5 points (7:12) with a Pokeršnik layup, when Škorc called his players back to the bench. The visitors controlled the game and kept the advantage (17:21) on the wings of Pokeršnik. On the other side, Možič finished the playoffs (20:22), while Šket's ace brought the team to within a point (21:22). The teams were tied at 24, but then two mistakes on Maribor's side and the Dragons tied the game at 2:2 (24:26).

Although the Dragons took an early 2:5 advantage, the home players found a way to tie the match at 5:5. The hosts' charge was broken by Pleško with a half-minute break. The Štajerska led 10:8 with Cafuta's finish, and after a block by Uremovič they were already ahead 13:10. The advantage was enough to win the third national championship title in the club's history (15:12).