Alexandra Kitipova led Maritsa (Plovdiv) to the third qualifying round of the Champions League, after the Bulgarian champion defeated Herceg Novi 3:2 (28:30, 25:20, 25:18, 23:25, 15:10) in an extremely contested rematch that lasted 144 minutes.
Before 1370 spectators in the 'Kolodruma' hall, the Plovdiv team went through serious challenges, but again found the solution with their strongest weapon - the block. Maritsa finished the match with an impressive 23 points from this element against only 11 for the Montenegrin champion.
Kitipova was chosen as the most valuable player (MVP), after scoring 24 points, including 19 from attack, 3 aces and 2 blocks. She was also at the heart of the decisive rallies, as it was her attack that secured the first match point for Maritsa.
A service error followed, but at the next opportunity, Kaya Nikolova ended the match with a successful attack through the center.
The beginning did not at all foreshadow such an outcome. Herceg Novi showed far more serious resistance compared to the first match in Montenegro, won by Maritsa 3:0. The guests snatched the prolonged first set 30:28 after 36 minutes of play.
Kristiyan Iliev's team reacted convincingly. In the second part, the Bulgarians took an 8:1 and 16:9 lead, before equalizing after 25:20. In the third set, Maritsa again controlled the score's development and reached 25:18, securing their qualification for the next round.
Nevertheless, the match did not end. The Montenegrins found the strength to win the fourth set 25:23 and sent the match to a tie-break.
There, Maritsa's block played a decisive role. The Plovdiv team scored four points from this element in the last part, with successful interventions at the net coming at important moments. Additionally, the five points received after unforced errors by Herceg Novi helped the hosts close the tie-break 15:10.
Statistics show how significant the importance of net play was. Maritsa made 23 successful blocks, with Kaya Nikolova finishing with 6, Ana Peichich with 5, and Tsvetomira Velcheva with 4. The Bulgarian team also had an advantage in attack with 61 successful attacks against 50 for the guests.
Besides Kitipova, Ana Peichich and Elena Becheva made strong contributions to the victory, scoring 22 points each. Kaya Nikolova added 12.
For Herceg Novi, the most effective scorer was the Iranian Reyhane Karimi with 18 points, followed by Oksana Yakushina with 17. The Montenegrin champion's squad also included the Bulgarian receiver Ralitsa Vasileva-Dokovich, who finished with 9 points, including 3 aces. She is a former CSKA player, whose jersey she wore from 2009–2012, before continuing her international career.
After two victories over the Montenegrin champion, Maritsa continues to the third qualifying round of the Champions League. There, the Plovdiv team will meet the winner of the clash between Azerbaijani Turan Tovuz and Croatian Mladost Zagreb. Turan has an advantage after a 3:0 success in the first match, and the rematch is on October 29.
The winner of the next qualifying round will secure a place in the group stage of the most prestigious European club tournament.