Slepsk Malow Suwalki, with Asparuh Asparuhov, continues to offer true volleyball marathons in the Polish PlusLiga. The team played its fourth five-set match in just five rounds, but once again ended up on the losing side. This time, Slepsk lost at home to Energa Trefl Gdansk with a score of 2:3 (24:26, 27:25, 25:23, 19:25, 12:15).
In front of 1670 spectators at "Suwalki Arena", the hosts managed to turn the tide of the match after losing the first set and took a 2:1 lead, but couldn't find the strength to close out the game. The visitors won the fourth set 25:19, and prevailed 15:12 in the tie-break. The match lasted a full 160 minutes.
Asparuh Asparuhov started as a starter in the first two sets, but was subsequently substituted. The Bulgarian international also appeared as a substitute in the third and fifth sets, finishing with 6 points - 5 from attack and one successful block.
The outside hitter scored 5 out of 13 attacks for 38% success rate and 15% efficiency. In reception, he handled 19 balls, registering 37% positive and 21% excellent reception, without making a direct error. In defense, Asparuhov also recorded 3 saved balls.
For Slepsk, this was their fourth loss in five matches, with all defeats coming after a tie-break. The team's only victory so far is 3:1 against Norwid Czestochowa. Thus, the team now has 7 points, despite having won only one match.
Bartosz Filipiak once again put on a real show for the hosts. The Polish opposite scored an impressive 32 points - 26 from attack, 5 aces, and one successful block. Interestingly, he finished with the exact same point total for the second consecutive match, having scored 32 points in the 2:3 loss to Projekt Warsaw on November 5.
Filipiak also received the Red Bull Super Ace award for the most powerful ace in the match. His serve reached a speed of 108 km/h, with the four fastest serves recorded in the match's ranking being his own - 108, 104, 104, and 103 km/h.
For the hosts, Ignacio Luengas added 10 points, and Marcel Hendzelewski finished with 9.
In the winning team, the top scorer was Michal Giezot with 26 points, of which 24 were from attack and 2 from block. He also received the award for the most valuable player (MVP) of the match.
Damian Schulz added 23 points, while Patryk Niemiec and Mustafa M'Baye finished with 10 each.
Statistics show that Slepsk had an advantage in serving with 7 aces against 5 for the visitors. Trefl, however, outperformed their opponent in attack with 70 points scored against 65, as well as in blocking with 9 against 8 successful blocks.
The difference in reception was particularly significant - 55% positive for Gdansk against only 40% for the hosts. The visitors also showed higher efficiency in attack - 42% against 33%.
The victory was Energa Trefl Gdansk's first of the season, after the team started the championship with four consecutive defeats.
For Slepsk, the bitterness of another missed opportunity remains. Piotr Graban's team has shown that they can be equal to their opponents, but the four lost tie-breaks in the first five rounds are already becoming a worrying trend.