Kifissia, with Svetoslav Stankov, achieved its first victory of the season in the Greek Novibet Volley League, after defeating Foinikas Syros, with Samuil Valchinov and Lyuboslav Telkiyski, at home with a score of 3:1 (25:19, 25:20, 21:25, 30:28) in a match from the third round.
The match in "Zirinio" hall lasted 125 minutes and ended the two-game winning streak of the guests from Syros island.
Bulgarian setter Svetoslav Stankov was among the key figures in Kifissia's squad. He finished with one point from a block but received high praise for organizing the hosts' game.
For Foinikas, Samuil Valchinov scored 8 points – 6 from attack, one successful block, and one ace. The Bulgarian outside hitter had difficulties in attack, where he converted only 6 out of 26 balls for a 23% success rate. In reception, he recorded 52% positive and 29% excellent reception.
The other Bulgarian in the visiting team – setter Lyuboslav Telkiyski – performed more effectively. He finished with 6 points, of which 2 were from attack, 2 successful blocks, and 2 aces.
The most effective player in the match was Kifissia's Russian opposite Evgeny Banov with 29 points, of which 25 were from attack, 3 aces, and one block. He also received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Molina added 18 points, and Karabali finished with 12.
For Foinikas, Italian opposite Giulio Nelli scored 21 points, while Hakas added 17.
The hosts won the first two sets, but the guests brought back the intrigue after a 25:21 win in the third. The fourth set turned into a real thriller, with Foinikas having opportunities to send the match into a tie-break.
At 28:28, however, Nelli sent the ball out, and Banov scored the last attack for 30:28, securing the victory for Kifissia.
The hosts had an advantage in attack with 56 points scored at a 54% success rate against 51 points and 48% for Foinikas. Kifissia was also better in blocking with 9 successful blocks against 7, while both teams finished with 7 aces each.
Interestingly, this was Kifissia's second victory over Foinikas within ten days, as the team had also defeated the same opponent in the "Nikos Samaras" League Cup tournament.
With this success, Svetoslav Stankov's team accumulated 4 points, while Foinikas remained with 6 after the first three rounds.