Montana continues the tradition of strengthening its team with Russian volleyball players. Thanks to long-standing ties with Lokomotiv Novosibirsk, a player from the Russian club will once again feature in the Bulgarian championship in the new season, volleyweek.bg learned.
This is outside hitter Timofey Benkovich, who comes from Lokomotiv-SSHOR Novosibirsk and is among the most promising young players in the Russian academy.
Just 18 years old, Benkovich impresses not only with his on-court skills but also with his impressive physical attributes. The Russian stands 204 cm tall, weighs 92 kg, and was born on August 26, 2007. It was precisely the combination of height, technique, and potential that earned him a place among the best players in the Russian Youth League last season.
Benkovich arrives in Montana as one of the leaders of the championship-winning Lokomotiv-SSHOR Novosibirsk, coached by Bulgarian specialist Georgi Petrov. The coach, who is an assistant to Daniel Peev in the Bulgarian men's U22 national team, led the Novosibirsk team to another golden double, as the team won both the Russian title and the Youth League Cup. This marks the second consecutive season in which Petrov's squad has dominated the Russian youth championship.
The young "railwaymen" recorded another impressive season, becoming eight-time winners of the Youth League Cup and six-time champions of Russia. Additionally, they also won the "First Height" award for the best performance in the preliminary stage, which they concluded with 28 wins in 30 matches.
Individual accolades also did not bypass Montana's future signing. After the final tournament for the Youth League Cup, Benkovich was named the best outside hitter of the competition and earned a spot in the ideal team of the tournament, which Lokomotiv-SSHOR won. This performance is one of the reasons why the Russian talent is considered one of the most interesting young names at his position in Russia. The award confirms the potential of the young volleyball player, who will have the opportunity to take the next step in his development in the Bulgarian Super Volley league.
A Long-Standing Connection Between Montana and Lokomotiv Novosibirsk
We recall that Montana began attracting volleyball players from Lokomotiv Novosibirsk as early as the 2017/2018 season, when setter Konstantin Abaev joined the team coached by Dani Peev.
A year later, Sergey Andrievskiy joined the team, and in the 2020/2021 season, Montana simultaneously signed Maxim Sapozhkov and Maxim Kreskin.
This was followed by three seasons without Russian players on the team, until the 2024/2025 season, when Vasily Molotkov joined the squad.
After a one-year break, the tradition will be renewed again, and in the new season, a Russian volleyball player from the Lokomotiv Novosibirsk academy will wear Montana's jersey. This time it is the talented outside hitter Timofey Benkovich, who arrives in Bulgaria after one of the most successful seasons in the history of the Novosibirsk youth formation.
For Montana's management, this is another move that demonstrates good relations with one of the leading Russian clubs. Over the years, several promising players arrived at the Bulgarian club through this connection, and some of them subsequently established themselves at the highest international level. Now, hopes are that Timofey Benkovich will be the next successful name in this unique volleyball connection between Montana and Novosibirsk.
Photo: lokovolley.com
