Veteran Bulgarian volleyball player Matey Kaziyski played another great high-level match, but his efforts proved insufficient for Halkbank Ankara, who dramatically lost to Spor Toto 2:3 (23:25, 25:20, 29:27, 21:25, 12:15) in the first clash for the bronze medals in the Turkish league.
The match offered a clash of experience and class at the outside hitter position, with Serbian star Marko Ivovic shining on the other side against Kaziyski. The two led their teams in key moments, turning the encounter into a true spectacle.
Despite his demanding season and age, Matey Kaziyski showed why he remains a factor in European volleyball. The Bulgarian scored 28 points, 25 in attack and 3 from blocks. Even more impressive were his reception statistics – 72% positive and 44% perfect, which is an exceptional level for a five-set battle.
Halkbank literally relied on his stability, especially in difficult moments when the team made strings of its own errors.
The hosts started the first set excellently, leading 12:6 and 19:15, but an inexplicable slump and numerous errors allowed Spor Toto to turn the tide. This also proved to be a psychological blow from which Halkbank struggled to recover.
Although they managed to equalize and even snatch the third set after a hard-fought game with small margins, the Turkish powerhouse lacked consistency. In the decisive tie-break, the visitors took the initiative after the change of courts and controlled the events until the end.
Support for the Bulgarian came too late. Czech opposite hitter Marek Sotola only joined from the third set but demonstrated high efficiency – 55% attack success rate. In contrast, Tsvetan Sokolov failed to find his rhythm and finished with just 6 points.
Aleksandar Sliwka added 15 points but had serious difficulties in reception – only 34% positive and 22% perfect, which further burdened Kaziyski in this phase.
On the other side, Cuban Jesus Herrera was unstoppable with 33 points, including 4 blocks and an ace. Marko Ivovic also played a key role with 16 points and impressive attack efficiency (67%).
The bronze medal series is played to two wins, which puts Halkbank in a no-room-for-error situation. The return match is scheduled for April 25, and if the Ankara team wants to keep its chances alive, it will need to find more significant support for its leader Matey Kaziyski.