Super League-Budinvest 2022-2023
Final. The fourth game
Chernivtsi Arena "PVLU". April 23, 2023
VC "Prometey" - "Epicenter-Podolyany" - 3:2 (25:12, 13:25, 22:25, 25:22, 20:18)
Score in the series: 3-1.
On April 23, in Chernivtsi, the fourth consecutive match of the final series of the championship of Ukraine among the men's teams of the Super League-Budinvest of the 2022-2023 season took place at the "PVLU" arena.
We would like to remind you that the current champion of the country won the first game (3:1), and in the second and third matches "Prometey" celebrated victory (3:2 and 3:2). According to the regulations of the current season, the final matches are held from five games up to 3 victories of one of the teams.
In the fourth match, "Prometey" started very strongly (3:0 - 6:2 - 16:7). The double advantage was the result of several aces (5), blocks (4), attacks, and overall teamwork of Andrii Levchenko's team - 25:12.
The next set was similar to the previous one with one difference: the leaders were representatives of "Epicenter-Podolyany". They played out in the previous set. They seem to start feeling the pace of the game and began to dictate their own (11:6 - 21:10). Even the final score was almost similar to the previous set, but now it was in favor of the "bisons" - 25:13.
The courage of the team from Horodok continued in the third set. At first, it was an even fight (3:3 – 6:6). But the Podolyany were unstoppable in attack and demonstrated a strong serve, which ended with aces, in most cases (4 in total). (15:11 - 20:15). On the other hand, the Dnipro players seemed to leave all their strength in the opening set: they made a few errors on the serve (8 in total) and did not realize several attacking shots. Although in the end, thanks to the serve of the opposite Dmytro Shapoval, "Prometey" got a little closer to the opponent (19:22). However, again several mistakes by "Prometey" and an attack by Yevhenii Kisiliuk led to the victory of the Podolyany - 25:22 and 2-1 in favor of Mariusz Sordyl's team.
In the fourth set, the audience saw a tense and equal struggle (12:12 - 20:20). The players of the Dnipro club managed to keep their concentration better in the end - 25:22 and 2-2 in sets.
And again the tie-break! Third in this finals series. Unlike the previous match, at first, it was quite even (5:5). Dmytro Shapoval from "Prometey" was amazing in the attack, and from "Epicenter" Yevhenii Kisiliuk showed good results. It was Shapoval who took the lead with his incredible attacks (7:5), and then Kisiliuk tied the score with a powerful ace (7:7). Next, Denys Veletskyi implemented the attack at the first pace, and when the sides changed, the "red and whites" were in the lead (8:7). Then the score was equal again (8:8 – 11:11). Soon after, we saw two aces from the Bulgarian legionnaire of the "Bisons" Nikolay Penchev (14:11). Later, a series of blocks from Dnipro (14:14). And the uncompromised men's fight that VC "Prometey" finished in its favor - 20:18 and 3-2.
VC "Prometey" defeated "Epicenter-Podolyany" in the finals series for the third time in a row and became the champion of Ukraine for the first time!
Dmytro Shapoval and Ivan Reich became the most effective players of the match. They scored 23 points each.
The MVP prize went to the captain of Dnipro - Vitalii Shchytkov.
Starting line-up of VC "Prometey": Shchytkov (scored 4 points), Shapoval (23 points), Kryvobok (12 points), Veletskyi (7 points), Gladenko (10 points), Yereshchenko (14 points), Boiko (l), Patratii (l). Substitutes: Oleksiuk (4 points), Ryabov (0 points), Shteryk (1 point), Yanchuk (1 point).
Head coach: Andrii Levchenko.
Starting line-up of VC "Epicenter-Podolyany": Kisiliuk (scored 19 points), Penchev (13 points), Didenko (2 points), Koval (5 points), Reich (23 points), Drozd (10 points), Brova (l), Fomin (l). Substitutes: Yevstratov (2 points), Nalozhnyi (1 point), Tomyn (0 points), Sydorenko (0 points).
Head coach: Mariusz Sordyl.
