Lokomotiv Novosibirsk visited Zenit-Kazan, the leaders in the tournament standings. The match from the twenty-ninth round of the Russian championship offered a true volleyball spectacle, with the hosts winning in a five-set battle. Thus, Lokomotiv dropped to third place in the standings.
Absence of the captain and a strong start for the guests
Lokomotiv's captain, blocker Ilyas Kurkaev, remained in Novosibirsk, which proved to be a serious blow for the visitors. Nevertheless, Plamen Konstantinov's players started confidently and won the first set 25:22. Novosibirsk took their opponent out of their comfort zone in reception and demonstrated excellent organization in attack, with opposite Ilya Kazachenkov and outside hitter Omar Kurbanov being the main scorers.
Comeback for Zenit-Kazan and a dramatic finish
The second and third sets passed under the dictation of Zenit-Kazan, who raised their level of serve and block. Kazan residents were behind in key moments, but showed character and snatched these sets with 25:21 and 25:23.
The fourth set turned into a true battle of nerves. Lokomotiv was losing in decisive rallies, but managed to catch up. At 24:25, the hosts had a match point, but strong play from Kazachenkov and an effective block allowed Lokomotiv to take the match to a tie-break after 27:25.
Kazan did not miss the victory in the tie-break
Despite the great effort of the guests to reach a fifth set, Zenit-Kazan did not allow another comeback. The hosts took the lead from the very beginning and closed the match with a convincing 15:9, dominating in serve and counter-attack.
Final score:Zenit-Kazan (Kazan) – Lokomotiv (Novosibirsk) – 3:2 (22:25, 25:21, 25:23, 25:27, 15:9).
Individual awards and statistics
The most effective player of the match was outside hitter Omar Kurbanov with an impressive 23 points. For Lokomotiv, opposite Ilya Kazachenkov added 16 points, while Serbian international Marko Ivovic and middle blocker Dmitry Lyzik finished with 12 and 11 points respectively. The two teams together made a total of 14 aces, which underlines the importance of the serve in this match.
Reactions after the match
Plamen Konstantinov, head coach of Lokomotiv:“We were close, but in such moments we need to be even more concentrated. I congratulate the team for their fight, especially in the fourth set. This is an experience that will help us in the future. Unfortunately, in the tie-break Kobzar did not follow my instructions, otherwise things would have been different.
Now is a period of negotiations. We are negotiating with many players. I can't say anything. Yes, there are talks, but for now we can only confirm the players with whom signed contracts exist,” the Bulgarian coach answered a question from a BO Sport correspondent regarding rumors that Sam Deroo is moving to Lokomotiv.
What's next?
In the final, thirtieth round of thePARI Super League 2025, Lokomotiv will face Nova from Novokuibyshevsk on March 7. The match will be played at Novosibirsk's home arena – Lokomotiv Arena. This will be the last test before the playoffs, where Novosibirsk will seek revenge for some of their regular season losses.
Full match statisticshere
