The volleyball players of Beroe 2016 (Stara Zagora) finished the first half of the Super Volley season in an excellent manner, achieving a clean 3:0 victory as guests against Slavia (25:17, 25:23, 25:23). The match was from the 11th round of the championship and was played in the capital's "Panayot Pondalov" hall.
Standings after Round 11
With this success, Miroslav Zhivkov's team occupies fifth place in the interim standings with 18 points (6 wins, 4 losses). "The Whites" (Slavia) remain in the last, 11th position with 2 points (1 win, 9 losses).
Match Development
First Set \u2013 25:17
Beroe started concentrated and quickly set their pace
3:0 and 5:2 early on. Stara Zagora's team dominated in all elements until the middle of the set, and despite individual flashes of block from the hosts, the guests' class was decisive.
Second Set
25:23
Here, Slavia put up more serious resistance, and until the middle, both teams went point for point. After that, Beroe gradually imposed their superiority and led 24:21, but "the Whites" (Slavia) managed to bring back the intrigue before Stara Zagora's team finally closed the set at 25:23.
Third Set
25:23
The most fluctuating part of the match saw several turnarounds. Beroe led at 12:10 and 16:13, but in the final minutes, Slavia gained a 22:20 advantage. In the crucial rallies, the guests showed stronger composure, and a block by Mahdi Bentaher put an end to the contest.
Individual Statistics
For Slavia, the top scorers were:
David Barutov 11 points
Boris Kitov 10 points
For Beroe, the standout players were:
Velizar Chernokozhev 16 points
Mahdi Bentaher 13 points
Martin Mechkarov 12 points
Statistical Advantage for Beroe
Stara Zagora's main advantage came from higher attack efficiency 50% against 38% for Slavia. Beroe also had an advantage in blocks 9 against 6 in their favor, which proved crucial in decisive moments.
What's next
Beroe 2016 will next participate in the Bulgarian Cup tournament, which will be held from January 16 to 18. The opponent of the 'green-whites' in the quarterfinals is yet to be determined.
