From March 21 to 24, 2023, matches of the 1st and 2nd finals of the Men's Super League-Budinvest 2022-2023 will be held in Chernivtsi.
According to the regulations of the current season, the semi-final matches are played from three games to 2 victories.
The top four of this volleyball season included the current winner of the League Cup "Epicenter-Podolany" (Horodok), representatives of the Kharkiv VSC "Law Academy", the team from Dnipro VC "Prometey" and the Zhytomyr VC "Zhytichi-Polissia".
According to the results of the 1/4 finals, we have the following pairs of opponents in the semifinals:
"Epicenter-Podolyany" - VSC "Law Academy"
VC "Prometey" - VC "Zhytichi-Polissya"
So, let's talk about each team separately and about the face-to-face meetings of each pair of rivals.
"Epicenter-Podolyany" (Horodok)
The team from Horodok finished the first stage of the Ukrainian volleyball championship on the first position of the tournament table. It was one of the favorites even before the start of the current season. Podolyany have already won the League Cup 2022. And, it seems, they are not going to stop there.
Finally, all the "bisons" have left the infirmary and are training in full mode.
Mariusz Sordyl's team is well-united and skillfully able to adjust their actions even during the game itself. Although the Podolyany have an unequivocal core of six players, their bench can definitely go on the court at any time and demonstrate equally high-quality volleyball. Let's remember at least the fifth set of the final match of the League Cup when two Oleksandrs - Koval and Nalozhnyi - without exaggeration saved their team!
Composition of the team:
the setters: Vladyslav Didenko №11, Serhii Yevstratov №12;
liberos: Denys Fomin №1, Horden Brova №7;
the opposites: Yurii Tomyn №17, Ivan Raich (Croatia);
middle blockers: Maksym Drozd №2, Volodymyr Ostapenko №3, Oleksandr Koval №8, Andrii Rohozhyn №19;
outside hitters: Yevhenii Kisiliuk №5, Volodymyr Sydorenko №18, Oleksandr Nalozhnyi №20, Nikolai Penchev (Bulgaria);
Head coach: Mariusz Sordyl (Poland).
VSC "Law Academy"
The Kharkiv club is the only one that had to "fight out" a place in the semi-finals. After all, the "lawyers" won their ticket in a three-match confrontation with "MHP-Vinnytsia", and not in a two-match one, like the other three teams.
The "Law Academy's" path to the 1/2 finals seemed thorny: changes in the composition, unexpected defeats by outsiders ("Barkom-National Team of Ukraine U-18" - 0:3, "Security Police" - 1:3 and 1:3), and no less unexpected victories ("Epicenter-Podolyany" - 3:1).
By the way, Kharkiv volleyball players are currently the only ones who were able to beat the favorite - "Epicenter-Podolyany" this season! And this adds great intrigue and interest to the current duel!
As for the composition of the team, the main middle blocker Oleksandr Tereshchuk is among the injured. This is quite a significant loss for the team, but Vladyslav Antonenko showed himself quite well in the last match. Let's see if the young volleyball player will be able to mentally prepare for the semi-finals!
Composition of the team:
the setters: Denys Dehtiar №10, Illia Polishchuk №11;
libero: Viacheslav Perekhodniuk №7,
the opposites: Yevhenii Stepovyi №3, Viktor Shapoval №99;
middle blockers: Pavlo Plotnik №5, Oleksandr Tereshchuk №13, Vladyslav Antonenko №19;
outshide hitters: Ihor Antoniuk №1, Mykyta Arbuzov №15, Artem Troianovskyi №16, Anatolii Baran №18, Vitalii Sukhinin №9;
Head coach: Serhii Kovalenko.
History of meetings in the 2022-2023 season
The first meeting of these teams in the season ended in favor of "Law Academy" (3:1). In the other two, the Podolyany won convincing "easy" victories (3:0 and 3:0).
VC "Prometey" (Dnipro)
Dnipro team is one of the favorites of the Super League Budinvest. Andrii Levchenko's team dreams of the final and, of course, the champions title. After all, they lost the League Cup 2022 in the five-set final in December. They no longer have the right to make a mistake, and therefore they will try to pass the semi-final barrier as soon as possible.
Dmytro Shorkin is still in the team infirmary and, unfortunately, the audience will not see him on the court this season. The attacker Ivan Kryvobok also has certain health problems. So far, his performance in the 1/2 finals is in doubt.
Composition of the team:
the setters: Serhii Riabov №3, Vitalii Shchytkov №15;
liberos: Vadym Patratii №1, Oleksandr Boiko №19;
the opposites: Dmytro Shapoval №4, Taras Oleksiuk №5;
middle blockers: Oleksandr Hladenko №14, Denys Veletskyi №23, Heorhii Klepko №13;
outside hitters: Yan Yereshchenko №18, Dmytro Yanchuk №7, Oleksandr Tomilin №9, Ivan Kryvobok №10, Eduard Shteryk №11.
Head coach: Andrii Levchenko.
VC "Zhytichi-Polissia" (Zhytomyr)
The Zhytomyr team are guys who prepare for every match as if it were their last. They already have the Ukrainian Cup 2020 and the Ukrainian Super Cup 2021 in their arsenal! And they clearly aim to win the dream champions title!
It is interesting that the players of Zhytomyr play with almost the same team all season: setter Mykola Kuranov passes his constant captain Mykola Rudnytskyi, who, by the way, is also the oldest player of the Super League-Budinvest - a middle blocker at 41 years old! Serhii Tereykovskyi does not stop trusting the main attackers - Mykyta Luban, Vitalii Bondar and Denys Hubenko. Libero Anatolii Khvasta is excellent in defense and reception.
Such an unchanged line-up can become both a trump card and an obstacle for "Zhytychi" on the way to the finals. We will soon find out how it will be!
Composition of the team:
the setters: Roman Katatynets №13, Mykola Kuranov №16;
liberos: Dmytro Kuzmenko №12, Volodymyr Yablonskyi №21, Anatolii Khvasta №22;
the opposites: Vitalii Bondar №9, Oleksandr Haidarenko №17;
middle blockers: Mykola Rudnytskyi №11, Andrii Orobko №8;
outside hitters: Bohdan Onipko №1, Denys Hubenko №5, Mykyta Luban №14, Dmytro Shavrak №18;
Head coach: Serhii Tereikovskyi.
History of meetings in the 2022-2023 season
Andrii Levchenko's team won all the face-to-face matches of these teams - 3:0, 3:0, and 3:1.
The schedule of semi-final matches of the Super League-Budinvest 2022-2023:
March 21 (Tuesday)
19:00 "Epicenter-Podolyany" - VSC "Law Academy"
March 23 (Thursday)
19:00 VSC "Law Academy" "Epicenter-Podolyany"
March 25 (Saturday)
13:00 (if necessary)
March 22 (Wednesday)
19:00 VC "Prometey" - VC "Zhytichi-Polissia"
March 24 (Friday)
19:00 VC "Zhytichi-Polissia" - VC "Prometey"
March 26 (Sunday)
13:00 (if necessary)
All matches are played without spectators in the city of Chernivtsi ("PVLU" arena).
Watch online broadcasts of the games on the youtube channel Divisport Volleyball and on the TV channel XSport.
