Lokomotiv Novosibirsk, led by Plamen Konstantinov, qualified for the semifinals of the Final Six of the Russian Cup. The team from Novosibirsk advances from Group B, after Zenit Kazan recorded their second emphatic victory today and definitively shaped the standings in this group.
The championship's silver medalists, Kazan, defeated Dinamo-LO with a score of 3:0 (25:20, 25:21, 25:23) and finished the group stage with a perfect record of 6 points and no lost sets. Thus, Lokomotiv remained in second place in the group and also found a place among the top four in the tournament.
Plamen Konstantinov's team started their participation with a 3:1 victory over Dinamo-LO (25:17, 25:23, 23:25, 25:19). In their second match, Lokomotiv suffered a heavy defeat against favorite Zenit Kazan with a score of 0:3 (12:25, 17:25, 19:25), but the victory in the first match proved sufficient for qualifying for the semifinals.
Final standings in Group B
| Team | Matches | Wins | Points | Sets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zenit Kazan | 2 | 2 | 6 | 6:0 |
| Lokomotiv Novosibirsk | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3:4 |
| Dinamo-LO | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1:6 |
Zenit Kazan went through the group without any problems, while Lokomotiv did the main work already in their first match against Dinamo-LO. Despite the heavy loss to the Kazan team, the Novosibirsk side managed to achieve their main goal - qualifying for the eliminations.
The semifinals are now scheduled for May 16. Dinamo Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg advance from Group A, and Lokomotiv's opponent will become clear after the last match between the two teams tonight.
photo: lokovolley.com
