On Wednesday, OK Calcit KAMNIK celebrated a 3-2 (25-20, 25-13, 22-25, 23-25, 15-9) win at bottom-of-the-table VKP BRATISLAVA in their last regular season’s match of the men’s MEVZA League. Danilo Pavlovi? (21) and Nik Mujanovi? (19) were the top scorers for the Slovenians, as Michal Truba? (15) and Daouda Yacoubou (14) registered the most points for the hosts. Despite the hard-fought victory, KAMNIK failed, at least for now, to secure their Final Four tournament spot.
HAOK Mladost ZAGREB will have the opportunity to overtake head coach Matija Plesko’s team on Saturday, when they will be facing CEV Champions League participants OK MERKUR MARIBOR on home soil. Croatia’s reigning national champions are now three points behind the third place in the current standing. Alongside SK Zadruga AICH/DOB, the unbeaten table leaders ACH Volley LJUBLJANA and MARIBOR have already booked their ticket for this season’s climax, which will take place the weekend after next in Bleiburg.
Matija Plesko, head coach OK Calcit KAMNIK: “We are really disappointed. Unfortunately, we did not achieve what we came here for. Now we have to wait for the result of the match on Saturday in Zagreb. If everything goes as it should, MARIBOR should be able to win, but we will see.”
In the second men’s MEVZA League match played on Wednesday, Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL edged TJ Spartak MYJAVA in the tie-breaker (14-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 16-14). Top scorers: Daulton Sinoski (22) and Audrius Knasas (21) for URW; Patrik Pokopec (16), Erik Watzka and Matus Konc (15 each) for the away side. As a result, the ‘Nordmänner’ finished their campaign in sixth place on 19 points from a 7-9 win-loss record.
In the women’s competition, regular season winners OK Clacit KAMNIK secured another three points for the standing, defeating CEV Cup semi-finalists HAOK Mladost ZAGREB 3-1 (25-20, 25-16, 21-25, 25-22). Thus, Slovenia’s reigning national champions achieved a perfect record of ten wins from ten matches. Top scorers: Lucille Charuk (21) and Fatoumatta Sillah (14) for KAMNIK; Martina Samadan (15) and Mika Grbavica (11) for the Croatians.
Gregor Rozman, head coach OK Calcit KAMNIK: “Beating CEV Cup semi-finalists is no small feat. Charuk, who has been playing at a high level all season, delivered another very good performance today. Her interaction with setter Eva Pavlovic Mori works very well and we can only wish for that to continue.”
Earlier in the evening, Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR emerged victorious from their clash with Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST. The hosts came from one set down twice to secure a 20-25, 27-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-11 win. Top scorers: Lorena Lorber Fijok (27) and Monika Potokar (16) for MARIBOR; Maria Zernovic and Adrienn Vezsenyi (24 each) for the second-placed team from Hungary. Therefore, Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR almost made it to the Final Four tournament, as they only need to win one set in their last match of the regular season against rivals HAOK Mladost ZAGREB.
Besides KAMNIK and BUDAPEST, hosts VB NÖ SOKOL/POST are already qualified for the final event scheduled for February 23 and 24 in Vienna.
Men’s MEVZA League regular season, remaining matches
09.02.: VKP BRATISLAVA (SVK) vs. OK Calcit KAMNIK (SLO) 2-3 (20-25, 13-25, 25-22, 25-23, 9-15)
09.02.: Union Raiffeisen WALDVIERTEL (AUT) vs. TJ Spartak MYJAVA (SVK) 3-2 (14-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-20, 16-14)
12.02., 17:00: HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) vs. OK MERKUR MARIBOR (SLO)
14.02., 19:00: SK Zadruga AICH/DOB (AUT) vs. ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO)
Women’s MEVZA League regular season, remaining matches
09.02.: Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO) vs. Vasas Óbuda BUDAPEST (HUN) 3-2 (20-25, 27-25, 23-25, 25-22, 15-11)
09.02.: OK Calcit KAMNIK (SLO) vs. HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) 3-1 (25-20, 25-16, 21-25, 25-22)
10.02., 17:00: SVS Post SCHWECHAT (AUT) vs. OK Marina KASTELA (CRO)
16.02., 18:30: OK Marina KASTELA (CRO) vs. SVS Post SCHWECHAT (AUT)
tba: HAOK Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) vs. Nova KBM Branik MARIBOR (SLO)
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