Lokomotiv Novosibirsk catastrophically lost the third match of the final playoff for the bronze medals in Russia, after conceding at home to Zenit Saint Petersburg with 0:3 (18:25, 18:25, 22:25).
The only good news for the hosts was that the Bulgarian national player Simeon Nikolov played the entire match and showed no signs of discomfort. The setter even scored a point from a dump shot.
In the second set, Moni performed one of his signature moves – he jumped high above the net as if to set, but at the last moment let the ball drop into Zenit's court.
The guests, led by Vladimir Alekno, managed to avenge their loss in the first home match and took a 2:1 lead in the series.
The defeat was also watched by the former coach of Bulgaria and Levski, Hristo Iliev.
The first two sets passed entirely under the dictation of Zenit. Lokomotiv appeared lacking in energy, played sluggishly, and allowed long runs of points in favor of the opponent. At no point did the "railroaders" manage to assert control in the decisive phases. The first set ended with an attack by Babkevich for 18:25.
A similar picture unfolded in the second set. Early on, the visitors took several break points, which allowed them to comfortably play out the set and close it again at 18:25.
Only in the third set did Lokomotiv show character. The hosts took the lead for the first time in the middle of the set at 11:10, and their last lead was at 19:18. After 21:21, however, Zenit once again took the initiative. An ace and a poor reception by Kurbanov brought the score to 21:23, and shortly after, the visitors reached match point. Kazachenkov scored one point back, but then hit the serve into the net, gifting the victory to Zenit.
The top scorer for Lokomotiv was Kazachenkov with 10 points, but the lack of a second stable scorer proved crucial – no other home player reached double-digit points.
For Zenit, the Cuban Marlon Yant stood out with 11 points, providing the necessary efficiency in crucial moments.
| Category | Lokomotiv | Zenit |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 4 | 7 |
| Attack Efficiency | 44% | 52% |
| Points from Attack | 32 | 37 |
| Positive Reception | 35% | 35% |
| Perfect Reception | 20% | 28% |
| Aces | 4 | 5 |
| Service errors | 17 | 13 |
| Points from opponent errors | 18 | 26 |
| Total points | 58 | 75 |
Zenit outperformed their opponent in almost all key elements – especially in attack efficiency (52% vs 44%) and blocking (7 vs 4), which directly affected the final score. The greater number of points won from Lokomotiv's errors (26 vs 18) also had a significant impact, demonstrating higher game discipline from the visitors.
Despite an equal percentage of positive reception, Zenit had better quality in perfect reception, which provided more opportunities for organized attack and higher scoring efficiency.
The fourth match is again in Novosibirsk on April 28. Lokomotiv will have to win at all costs to extend the series to a fifth game, which would potentially be played in Saint Petersburg.
photo: lokovolley.com
