Levski took the lead in the semifinal series against CSKA and is just one step away from the final, after winning 3:1 (20:25, 25:21, 25:18, 25:23).
The match started better for the "reds", who dictated the pace in the first set and reached 25:20 through stable attack and good blocking. After that, however, Levski gradually imposed their rhythm – they improved their reception and increased their effectiveness in attack.
The "blues" equalized after a strong second set, and in the third, they already dominated, taking advantage of the opponent's wavering play. In the fourth set, CSKA took the lead early on, but Levski reacted and, after the middle of the set, took control to close out the match.
The top scorer for Levski was Julian Weizig with 16 points (2 aces), followed by Gordan Lyutskanov with 15 points (2 aces), Lazar Buchkov with 14 points (6 blocks), and Todor Skrimov with 13 points (1 ace, 3 blocks).
For CSKA, Mohammad Reza Beik scored 15 points (1 ace), Stoyko Nenchev added 13 (1 block), Spas Bayrev finished with 12 (4 blocks), and Nikolay Penchev also had 12 points (2 blocks).
Team statistics:
| Indicator | Levski | CSKA |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 11 | 12 |
| Attack (%) | 57% | 51% |
| Points from attack | 58 | 51 |
| Positive reception | 64% | 48% |
| Aces | 6 | 1 |
| Service errors | 15 | 12 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 20 | 23 |
Levski won the match mainly through better organization in attack and significantly higher quality reception. The difference in aces also had a serious impact, while CSKA partially compensated with more points from blocks and opponent's errors, but this was not enough.
The next match in the series is on April 14th in "Hristo Botev" Hall.
Photo: Nikolay Varadinov
