Metalurg (Pernik) recorded their first victory of the season in efbet Super Volley, after decisively defeating Dunav (Ruse) with a score of 3:0 (25:20, 25:15, 25:22) in a match from the third round of the championship. The hosts' success in the "Boris Gyuderov" hall is somewhat surprising given the excellent start of the Ruse team, who in their first match of the championship defeated the tough team of Beroe (Stara Zagora) with 3:1.
However, the team led by Mario Dimitrov showed significantly better game organization and superiority in blocking, which proved decisive for the final result.
The beginning of the match did not foreshadow such a decisive success for the hosts. Dunav took an 8:6 lead in the first set, but Metalurg gradually took the initiative and turned the score to 16:13. The Pernik team maintained their lead and closed the set at 25:20.
The second set passed entirely under the dictation of the hosts. Metalurg took an 8:2 lead, increased the difference to 16:5, and left no chances for the opponent - 25:15.
The third set proved to be the most contested, in which the Ruse team tried to get back into the match. Dunav had a 16:14 lead, but the hosts again demonstrated greater stability in decisive moments. Metalurg turned the score to 21:20 and finished the match at 25:22 after 76 minutes of play.
Marian Nakov was the top scorer for the winners with 19 points, of which 15 were from attack, 3 aces, and 1 block. He finished with 50% success rate in attack and an impressive +15 coefficient.
Hristiyan Velikov added 8 points, and Konstantin Manolev finished with 7. The contribution of Kristof Toth, who made 3 blocks, was particularly valuable.
For Dunav, the top scorer was the Polish opposite Kacper Wnuk with 12 points, followed by Carlos Larrea with 8 and Georgi Antov with 5.
The statistics reveal the most significant difference between the two teams - blocking. Metalurg won 10 direct points from this element against only 2 for Dunav. The hosts also had an advantage in attack - 47% success rate against 41%, while both teams finished with 4 aces each.
The Pernik team scored 22 points from their own serve against only 10 for the Ruse team - an indicator of their significantly more effective play in individual rotations.
For Metalurg, the victory is an important psychological boost after the unsuccessful start of the season, while for Dunav, the defeat comes as an unpleasant setback after the promising start against Beroe.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov
