A Perfect Volleyball Spectacle Missing the Final Touch

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ACH Volley Ljubljana

In their second home match of this season’s Champions League, ACH Volley Ljubljana faced Belgium’s Greenyard Maaseik before a crowd of several thousand at Hala Tivoli. Despite a thrilling game full of twists, the guests emerged victorious, leaving the Slovenian champions searching for their first win, which they will pursue in Poland.

Ljubljana – Hala Tivoli, attendance: 3,248, referees: Bruno Muha (CRO), Aleksandar Vinalev (BOL).

ACH Volley Ljubljana : Greenyard MAASEIK  2 : 3  (-21, 22, 19, -25, -9)

ACH Volley Ljubljana: Golzadeh 25, Kržič Jošt, Šket, Najdič, Esko, Marovt, Šen 3, Kržič  Janž Janez 7, Kovačič (L), Štalekar 10, Pokeršnik 12, Videčnik 1, Kök 12, Kumer (L).   Coach: Matjaž Hafner

Greenyard MAASEIK: Fafchamps, Vanker 3, Kessel 16, Iribarne 9, Sirjakovs, Cox 24, Currie (L), Pawlun, Bus, Fornes 12, Saaremaa 11, Perin 6.   Coach: Gortzen Guido.

The opening set belonged to the Belgian team, who troubled the home side with strong blocks and resilient defense. Cox’s powerful serves, including an ace to make it 15-9, prompted Coach Hafner to call a timeout, but it did little to change the dynamic. Cox's momentum continued, earning two more aces (9-17). Though the Slovenian team found some rhythm late in the set, closing the gap to 18-21 with Kök’s serves, they couldn’t recover, losing the first set 21-25.

The second set saw a more balanced start. Thanks to strong serves from Iranian Golzadeh, ACH Volley built a 7-4 lead. Despite a Belgian comeback (7-7), the home side regained control, with Kök’s ace stretching the lead to 15-10. The visitors closed the gap to 18-16, but with strong support from the crowd, the Slovenian champions secured the set, 25-22, tying the match at 1-1.

In the third set, the visitors had a stronger start, with Saaremaa’s block giving his team a four-point lead (1-5), prompting Hafner to call a timeout. After returning to the court at Hala Tivoli, the home team improved, narrowing the gap to two points (5-7) and leveling the score at nine. In the second half of the set, Kök stood out with his serves, and the team significantly improved their blocking and defense. Esko skillfully energized his teammates, who, with effective attacks, built a four-point lead (21-17). Maaseik committed numerous errors, which Ljubljana capitalized on, and after a spectacular point and a decisive finish by Štalekar through the middle, they secured the third set (25-19).

In the fourth set, the visitors from Belgium once again had a stronger start, taking an early three-point lead (1-4). The Dragons closed the gap with some spectacular points, narrowing the score to 7-8 and eventually tying it at 9. What followed were tense moments of evenly matched play (17-17), with neither team able to pull away. Finally, Cox’s ace gave the Belgians a 19-17 lead, prompting Hafner to call a timeout. Upon returning to the court, Amir stepped up, first scoring with an attack and then with an ace to level the score at 20. In a dramatic finish, both teams had their chances, but the visitors capitalized on their third set point to tie the match at 2-2 (25-27).

The decisive fifth set did not start well for the home team, as Maaseik quickly gained a four-point lead (1-5) and extended it to six (3-9). The visitors remained composed and continued their dominant play until the end of the set. The Dragons managed to save the first match point, but Kessel capitalized on the second opportunity, closing the set at 9 points.

Coach Matjaž Hafner’s Statement:

“A tough and painful loss for us. The match didn’t go as we hoped. We weren’t fully relaxed throughout, starting every set poorly except for the second, which we won fairly easily. The unfortunate ace at the end of the fourth set paralyzed us in the fifth, and the opponent capitalized. The Belgians played well, while we weren’t at the level we wanted to be today.”