One of the most intense finishes of the round marked the restart of the championship for Pirin (Razlog). The team from the Southwest showed character in the riverside city and left with a valuable success after more than two hours of play and a five-set battle that kept the audience on edge until the last ball.
Pirin (Razlog) volleyball players started the spring half-season in efbet Super Volley with a dramatic away victory against Dunav (Ruse) – 3:2 (27:29, 25:23, 25:23, 17:25, 15:11) in a match from the 12th round.
With this success, Blagovest Katrandzhiev's proteges take sixth place in the provisional standings with 17 points (6 wins, 5 losses), while the team from Ruse remains in tenth position with 5 points (1 win, 10 losses). In the next round, Pirin hosts Levski Sofia on January 23, while Dunav will visit Deia Sport (Burgas).
The first set started with a slight advantage for the hosts (4:2), after which the game developed extremely evenly. Dunav managed to build a lead and at 21:18 seemed closer to success in the part, but Pirin brought back the intrigue and equalized at 24:24. In the decisive rallies, the Ruse team showed stronger nerves and closed the set 29:27 after four set points.
In the second and third sets, the team from Razlog significantly increased their tempo and gradually adapted to the hall. Both sets were marked by tension and were decided by a minimal margin, with Pirin's more stable play in key moments bringing a turnaround to 2:1 sets in favor of the guests after two scores of 25:23 each.
With their backs against the wall, the hosts reacted strongly in the fourth set. Dunav established full control in all elements, leaving no doubt about their superiority, and after a decisive 25:17, pushed the match into a tie-break.
The fifth set had significant swings. The Ruse team started better and took a 4:1 lead, but then relaxed, which Pirin capitalized on, turning the score to 8:11. The hosts found the strength to equalize again at 11:11, but in the decisive rallies, the guests were more composed, winning the final points and closing the set 15:11, and with it, the match.
Setter Lyubomir Agontsev was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the match. Mariyan Nakov became the top scorer in the game with 20 points, including 3 blocks, and Zlatko Kyosev added 13 points, including 1 ace.
photos: NVL.bg and Facebook
