Lokomotiv Novosibirsk won the bronze medals in the Russian Super League, after defeating Zenit Saint Petersburg away with a 3:0 (25:22, 25:20, 25:23) victory in the decisive fifth match of the third-place series.
For Bulgarian fans, the satisfaction remains that an entire colony of compatriots in the Novosibirsk staff were adorned with medals – Plamen Konstantinov, Andrey Zekov, Milen Bogdanov, Venislav Naumov, Simeon Nikolov, and Evgeni Mitkov. Last but not least is the presence of Sam Deroo's girlfriend – former Bulgarian national player Dobriana Rabadzhieva, who is expecting a child with the Belgian soon.
Bulgarian setter Simeon Nikolov played an important role in the success, finishing with 6 points, +1, and 3 aces. It was his ace that turned the tide in the second set at 15:14, and another ace by the Bulgarian closed out the set for 25:20.
The third set was the most dramatic. Lokomotiv led until 18:16, but the hosts responded with blocks and an ace to turn it around to 20:19. At 21:21, opposite Vladislav Babkevich stepped on the line during an attack from zone 1, making it 22:21 for the visitors, after which Nikolov hammered another ace for 23:21. A good defensive play by the Bulgarian followed, completed with a block by Dmitry Lyzik for 24:21. Zenit saved two match points, but Maxim Kosmin's serve into the net sent the bronze to Novosibirsk.

Team Statistics:

Lokomotiv had a slight advantage in attack, but the big difference came from serving – 8 aces against 4. It was the serve that turned the second set and decided important moments in the third. The visitors' better reception also provided a more stable foundation for game organization.
The most productive players for Lokomotiv were Fyodor Voronkov and Nikolay Kazachenkov with 10 points each, while Yuri Brazhnyuk added 9. For Zenit, Marlon Yant finished with 15 points, and Babkevich scored 12.
Lokomotiv won the series with a 3:2 victory and returned to the podium for the first time since 2023.

photos: screenshot and lokovolley.com