After we already announced that Simeon Nikolov won the fan vote for setters, the final ranking of supporters for the remaining positions in the symbolic team of the first round of the Russian Super League also became clear. The overall picture from the voting outlines a clearly expressed leader ",Lokomotiv" Novosibirsk, which dominated the public vote and produced the most representatives in the ideal squad. It was precisely the team's stable performance in the first half of the season that resonated most strongly among fans, who, through their votes, ranked the best in each position.
The All-Russian Volleyball Federation announced the results of the fan voting in the official Telegram channel of the Super League for the symbolic team of the first round of the Russian Championship. The vote was the first stage of the procedure, with coaches of Super League teams having the final say in the second stage, through a closed vote. In case of a tie, the decisive vote will belong to the head coach of the Russian national team, Konstantin Bryanskiy.
The candidates for the fan vote were selected by an expert group consisting of:
Ivan Pukh (coach-analyst for ",Belogorie"),
Masha Fedosova (commentator),
Olga Bychenkova (editor-in-chief of the official VFV website),
Elena Kovalenko (journalist),
Alexander Volkov (Olympic champion).
Setters
| Rank | Player | Team | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simeon Nikolov | Lokomotiv | 55% |
| 2 | Konstantin Abaev | Zenit-Kazan | 23% |
| 3 | Roman Poroshin | Belogorie | 10% |
The huge difference between Nikolov and the others clearly shows how strong an impression the Bulgarian has made. Second and third places are significantly behind, with no real contention for the top position.
Diagonals
| Rank | Player | Team | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iliya Kazachenkov | Lokomotiv | 31% |
| 2 | Vladislav Babkevich | Zenit St. Petersburg | 25% |
| 3 | Maxim Mikhailov | Zenit-Kazan | 23% |
Here, the fan vote is the most contested. The differences between the top three are minimal, which speaks to a strong season for the league's leading scorers.
Middle blockers
| Rank | Player | Team | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dmitry Lyzik | Lokomotiv | 54% |
| 2 | Ivan Yakovlev | Belogorie | 26% |
| 3 | Alexey Kononov | Zenit-Kazan | 23% |
Lizik decisively dominates among blockers too. More than half of the votes are indicative of his superiority at the net during the first round.
Receivers
| Rank | Player | Team | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dmitry Volkov | Zenit-Kazan | 46% |
| 2 | Omar Kurbanov | Lokomotiv | 35% |
| 3 | Pavel Tetyukhin | Belogorie | 24% |
Volkov is the undisputed leader among receivers, but Kurbanov also receives strong support. Both combine stable reception and high efficiency in attack.
Libero
| Rank | Player | Team | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jenia Grebennikov | Zenit St. Petersburg | 36% |
| 2 | Santiago Danani | Zenit-Kazan | 35% |
| 3 | Evgeny Baranov | Dinamo | 8% |
The minimal difference between the top two highlights the class of both Grebennikov and Danani. Details proved decisive – more saved balls in defense and stability in key moments.
The fans' ideal team clearly shows the dominance of"Lokomotiv", who have the most representatives, as well as the strong presence of the leading Russian powerhouses. The second stage will feature the coaches' vote, which may introduce corrections, but the public's choice has already outlined the stars of the first half of the Superleague season.
photos:lokovolley.comandvczenit.ru
