Challenger Cup-2023. Match for third place

July 30, Sunday

Chile - Ukraine - 0:3 (21:25, 19:25, 18:25)

The starting line-up of the national team of Ukraine: Tupchii (scored 12 points), Synytsia (1), Semeniuk (10), Teromenko (10), Kovalov (6), Plotnytskyi (4), Kanaiev (l), Boiko (l). Substitutes: Poluian (7).

This match for third place was important from the point of view of psychology: everyone wanted to end the tournament on a positive note. And from the point of view of the collection of rating points, which are very important in the race for a ticket to the Olympic Games 2024.

The starting set was fully and completely controlled by the Ukrainians: they dominated the opponent in attack, and most importantly, they made fewer mistakes than the Chileans. And mistakes in volleyball can sometimes "decide the whole game". In the end, at 25:21 and the first set remains for the "blue-yellow".

In the second set, Uģis Krastiņš decided to make a substitution and Tymofii Poluian appeared on the court. He spent part of the last season in the Chinese championship on the same team as Yurii Synytsia. This duet is well played and our mentor and the guys themselves understand it. Synytsia immediately connected with Poluian to the attack and it gave the results: 25:19 and the second won set for Ukraine.

In the third set, the Chileans kept close all the time. They tried with all their might to win this set - their last chance for salvation in this duel. However, the "blue and yellows" withstood the pressure and in the second half of the set seized the initiative and made maximum efforts to win - 25:18 and 3-0 in the end.

The most productive member of the national team of Ukraine was opposite Vasyl Tupchii - 12 points.

So, for the first time in its history, the men's national team of Ukraine played at the Challenger Cup. The team of Uģis Krastiņš won the "bronze" of the tournament. Congratulations!

We would like to remind you that Turkey and Qatar will meet in the Challenger Cup finale.