After the fans unequivocally chose Simeon Nikolov as the best setter in the symbolic team of the first round in the Russian Super League, today the final ranking of the best players was also announced is now a top-class factor in Russia's elite.
And if in the fan vote the intrigue for some positions was greater, for setters there was practically none: Nikolov was far ahead of everyone, and the final decision only reinforced the impression that the Bulgarian is now a top-class factor in Russia's elite.
Official ideal team of the first round (after experts, fans, and coaches)
Setter: Simeon Nikolov ("Lokomotiv" Novosibirsk)
Opposite: Vladislav Babkevich ("Zenit")
Middle Blocker: Dmitry Lyzik ("Lokomotiv")
Middle Blocker: Ivan Yakovlev ("Belogorie")
Outside Hitter: Dmitry Volkov ("Zenit-Kazan")
Outside Hitter: Pavel Tetyukhin ("Belogorie")
Libero: Santiago Danani ("Zenit-Kazan")
The best players from the first round will be awarded during the February Super League matches with special gift sets and exclusive league souvenirs.
Where do fans and coaches overlap (besides Simeon Nikolov)?
Besides Nikolov's undisputed victory among setters, the coaches' final selection also coincides with the fan vote for other key positions, which is a clear sign that the public has correctly assessed the most influential figures in the first half of the season.
Fan Final Ranking Overlap:
Dmitry Lyzik (middle blocker) fans identified him as dominant at the net, and coaches confirmed him in the "seven".
Dmitry Volkov (outside hitter) leader in the fan vote for outside hitters and also part of the official ideal team.
That is: fans not only chose the correct setter #1, but also "hit upon" two more players from the final team.
"Lokomotiv" Novosibirsk leader in both the fan vote and reality
The fan voting highlighted a clear leader "Lokomotiv" Novosibirsk, which dominated the public vote and logically found a place in the final selection.
Simeon Nikolov and Dmitry Lyzik are proof that the team's stable results in the first half of the season were not just a momentary form, but a consistency that is now becoming a standard.
Context: how was the dream team chosen?
The voting went through two phases:
A fan vote, officially published in the Superleague's Telegram channel
A closed vote by the coaches, which had crucial significance in the final ranking
In the event of a tie, the vote of Russia's head coach Konstantin Bryanski would be decisive.
The candidates for the fan vote were selected by an expert group, including a coach-analyst, a commentator, the editor-in-chief of the federation's website, a journalist, and an Olympic champion.
The conclusion: the fan choice now carries weight – and the coaches acknowledged it.
This time, the story is simple and powerful:
the fans chose Nikolov → the coaches confirmed Nikolov.
And when we add the coincidences with Lyzik and Volkov, the picture becomes even clearer: in the first round of the Russian Superleague, the public and the specialists were on the same page.
