ORANGE DRAGONS GET OFF TO A SOLID START IN THE CUP COMPETITION

ACH Volley Ljubljana

The 1/8 final match of the Slovenian Cup between the home team Korvolley and the 11-time cup winners ACH Volley Ljubljana went as expected by the guests from Ljubljana. The mixed line-up of the Orange Dragons justified the confidence of coach Kašić and qualified for the 1/4 finals of the Cup competition.

Mislinja - Centre for Health and Sport Mislinja, 300 spectators, referees.

Korvolley Mislinja : ACH Volley Ljubljana 0:3 (-15, -17, -14)

Korvolley Mislinja: Martinc 4, Kavnik, Čuk 4, Oder 7, Vetrih 3, Slemenik 1, Tomšič, Koren, Plevnik 2, Jamnikar 3, Miklašič (L). Coach: Urban Oder

ACH Volley Ljubljana: Pernuš 3, Šket, Rutar 5, Mašulović, Todorović, Peruničić 11, Okroglič 10, Kovačič (L), Gjorgiev, Pokeršnik, Videčnik 8, Kök 14. Coach: Mladen Kašić.

Even before the first referee Valentar gave the signal for the start of the match, the volleyball players of ACH Volley Ljubljana delighted the large crowd with gifts that excited the gathered volleyball fans. The opening set was a bit sleepy with a changed starting line-up of the Orange Dragons. The Ljubljana players were a bit slower, but surely increased their advantage throughout the set (10:14; 12:17). The visitors from Ljubljana gained a more significant advantage on the opening shot by the young Montenegrin national player Peruničić, who, like Pernuš, Kök and Okroglič, got his chance from the very beginning of the match. At 12:20, the home coach Oder tried to break the Orange Dragons' onslaught with a one-minute break. This didn't stop the serial national champions, as they won the opening set with a successful attack by Kök on the 15th point (15:25).


After two mistakes by the outside-spiker Peruničić, the home team of Mislinja started the second set better and took a two-point lead (5:3). After two successful attacks by Rutar, the Orange Dragons quickly put things back on track and took the lead (7:8). The home players did not give up and with strong initial shots and successfully completed attacks they went back to a two-point lead (12:10). A disgruntled look from the visiting coach Kašić calmed down the ACH Volley Ljubljana players who, after a successful series of initial shots by Okroglič and finished attacks by Videčnik, caught their opponent and took the lead by a point (14:15). In the second half of the set, Korvolley's volleyball players eased up, which the guests took advantage of and won point by point, winning the second set after an error on the opponent's opening shot (17:25).


In the third set, ACH Volley Ljubljana's volleyball players stepped on the gas even further and dispelled any doubts about the winner right from the start of the set, when they led by an unassailable six points (3:9). The difference in quality was simply too big and the Mislinje volleyball players were unable to keep up with the Orange Dragons, who won the third set (14:25) after a mistake by the home players and thus qualified for 1/4 of the Slovenian Cup.


Statement of ACH Volley Ljubljana assistant coach Rok Satler: "There is no make-up exam in the Cup competition, so even though we were considered to be the big favourites, we had to play with composure and control the match today. We managed to do that. I'm glad that players who haven't played in the previous games of the season got a chance to play."