Lokomotiv Novosibirsk's volleyball players took an important step towards the final in the Russian championship after winning as guests against Zenit Kazan 3:2 (21:25, 25:20, 25:22, 22:25, 15:13) in the first match of the semi-final series.
Thus, Plamen Konstantinov's team took a 1:0 lead in victories against the reigning champion, and the second match is on April 5th in Kazan.
The hosts started stronger and took the first set, despite being behind in attack. In key moments, Zenit compensated with better serves and blocks. Konstantin Abaev blocked Fedor Voronkov's attack for 22:20, and Mikhail Labinsky scored two consecutive aces against Sergey Melkozyorov and substitute Sam Deroo for the final 25:21.
In the second set, Lokomotiv found a solution at 12:12 when Rajab Shakhbanmirzaev entered the game instead of Ilya Kazachenkov. The guests increased their efficiency, and receivers Omar Kurbanov and Fedor Voronkov also performed strongly. Zenit collapsed in attack, and after errors by Dmitry Volkov and Roman Romanovsky, fell decisively behind, which allowed the Novosibirsk team to equalize after 25:20.
The third set also went to Lokomotiv. Kazan accumulated a total of 11 unforced errors and squandered a 22:20 lead. Labinsky sent the ball out and was then blocked by Simeon Nikolov, Dmitry Lysik blocked Volkov at the net, and Shakhbanmirzaev finished a counter-attack after excellent defensive play by Nikolov.
The fourth set turned into a duel between the opposite hitters. Maxim Mikhailov finished with 7 points and very high attacking efficiency, and Rajab responded with the same confidence for Lokomotiv. At the end, Volkov executed an important attack and immediately followed with an ace for 23:20, securing a tie-break for Zenit after 25:22.
The drama in the tie-break
The decisive fifth set started better for the hosts, who took a 4:1 lead after a block against Rajab Shakhbanmirzaev. However, at 5:3 for Zenit, Simeon Nikolov executed a counter-attack after a good serve by Fedor Voronkov for 5:4, and a little later, an ace by Ilyas Kurkaev restored equality at 6:6.
Zenit was the first to reach the eighth point at 8:7, but after 8:8, an extremely tense moment followed. The hosts made four consecutive attacks, and the situations were confirmed after a double video challenge, but Lokomotiv survived the rally and went ahead 9:8.
At 11:11, Simeon Nikolov showed composure and skillfully tipped the first ball for 12:11 in favor of the guests. Immediately after that, Fedor Voronkov recorded an extremely important ace for 13:11. Zenit reduced the deficit to 12:13, and Plamen Konstantinov called a timeout to disrupt Maxim Mikhailov's serving rhythm.
After play resumed, Kurkaev finished a middle attack against a double block for 14:12 and Lokomotiv's first match point. Another timeout followed from Konstantinov, and in the next rally, Omar Kurbanov hit the ball off the block with two hands, ending the dispute. There was also a video challenge for a net touch, but it did not change the outcome – Lokomotiv won the tie-break 15:13 and took the lead in the series.
Top Scorers
Zenit Kazan:
Mikhail Labinsky 22, Dmitry Volkov 18, Maxim Mikhailov 18
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk:
Rajab Shakhbanmirzaev 16, Omar Kurbanov 12, Dmitry Lysik 11
Simeon Nikolov finished with 5 points, with an efficiency rating of -3, attacked 6 times, scoring 4 points and adding 1 block.
Team Statistics
| Category | Zenit Kazan | Lokomotiv Novosibirsk |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks (points) | 10 | 6 |
| Attack (%) | 49% | 55% |
| Attack points | 53 | 58 |
| Positive reception | 32% | 46% |
| Aces | 9 | 7 |
| Service errors | 26 | 26 |
| Points from opponent errors | 33 | 37 |
| Total points | 105 | 108 |
The statistics outline an extremely even match, in which Lokomotiv wins thanks to better efficiency in key elements.
Zenit has a slight advantage in blocks – 10 against 6, as well as more direct points from service (9 aces against 7), but this does not prove decisive. The reason is that Lokomotiv compensates with higher quality in the fundamentals of the game – reception and attack.
The visitors have significantly better positive reception – 46% against 32%, which allows them to organize a more varied and effective attack. This is also clearly visible in the success rate percentage – 55% for Lokomotiv against 49% for Zenit, as well as in the points scored from attack – 58 against 53.
With an equal number of service errors (26:26) and similar indicators in the other components, the points won after opponent errors also prove to be a key factor – 37 for Lokomotiv against 33 for Zenit.
Ultimately, the difference comes from Lokomotiv's better efficiency in rallies and more stable play after reception, which brings them a minimal, but decisive advantage in the total number of points – 108 against 105.
