Bogdanka Lublin took a decisive step towards defending their title after playing an exceptionally focused match away at Zawiercie, winning 3:0 (25:20, 25:22, 25:20). The visitors controlled one of the key elements of the game
– blocking, which proved to be their main weapon. Bogdanka finished with 9 blocks against only 1 for the hosts, which significantly tipped the balance in favor of the champions.
Zawiercie will have to seek to level the series in their away game in Lublin on Wednesday, May 6, if they want to take the battle to a decisive fifth match.
The captain of the Bulgarian national team, Alex Grozdanov, made an important contribution to the success. The middle blocker finished with 5 points, a +5 efficiency rating, 2 aces, including an ace to close the second set, 1 block, and 67% success rate in attack with 66% efficiency.
The match started evenly, but a key moment in the first set proved to be Alex Grozdanov's serving run and the solid blocking of the visitors, which created an 18:14 lead and they controlled the proceedings until the end. In the second set, the champions from Lublin raised their level in serving and net play, and that's where the breakthrough came, despite Russell's strong performance for the hosts. The third set confirmed the trend
– after a brief surge by Zawiercie, Bogdanka once again dictated their tempo with blocking and greater efficiency in the decisive rallies.
Wilfredo León was outstanding for the winners with 13 points. Malinowski and Young each added 11 points, with Young being impressive in blocking with 4 successful plays.
For the hosts, Russell was the top scorer with 19 points, and Bolac added 14, but this was not enough for Zawiercie to avoid defeat.
Mateusz Malinowski became the MVP.
Team statistics:
| Indicator | Zawiercie | Bogdanka |
|---|---|---|
| Aces | 4 | 4 |
| Positive reception | 43% | 28% |
| Attack points | 40 | 32 |
| Blocks | 1 | 9 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 17 | 30 |
The two key elements that decided the match are clearly visible
– blocking and points from opponent's errors. Bogdanka decisively dominated at the net (9 blocks to 1), which directly limited Zawiercie's attack efficiency. At the same time, the visitors made the most of the hosts' fluctuations, scoring a total of 30 points from errors
– almost double. This compensated for their weaker reception percentage and lower attack efficiency, explaining their clean victory.
