For the second season in a row, VSC "Law Academy" from the city of Kharkiv and Zhytomyr volleyball club "Zhytychi-Polissia" are fighting for the bronze awards of the championship of Ukraine "Super League-Dmart".
In the history of domestic volleyball, these teams meet at this stage for the third time (200/21 and 2022/23). Kharkiv volleyball players won in both cases.
Super League-Dmart 2023-2024. Men Matches for "bronze". First game:
April 4, Thursday
VSC "Law Academy" - VC "Zhytychi-Polissia" – 0:3 (18:25, 23:25, 21:25)
Рахунок у серії: 0-1.
Starting line-up of VSC "Law Academy": Tatarenko (scored 10 points), Sukhinin (7), Stebletskyi (7), Stepovyi (4), Fedosieiev (2), Antonenko (8), Perekhodniuk (l), Borysov (l). Substitutes: Kovalov (1), Arbuzov (1), Plotnik (1).
Head coach: Serhii Kovalenko.
Starting line-up of VC "Zhytychi-Polissia": Shapoval (scored 17 points), Orobko (3), Vilimanovic (3), Rudnytskyi (5), Luban (8), Didovic (20), Khvasta (l), Yablonskyi (l). Substitutes: Kuranov (0).
Head coach: Serhii Tereykovskyi.
This year, the favorites of the "bronze" final were the Zhytomyr team.
They immediately demonstrated this in the opening part of the game (6:3 – 13:11). Their rates of attacking were significantly different from the opponent's (62% vs. 33%). "Zhytychi" scored the start of the match without any problems, pleasing their fans who came to Chernivtsi to support the team - 25:18.
In the second set, Kharkiv residents felt the strength to fight. And it is not easy to fight, but to defeat the opponent at the start of the game (5:0). A number of blocks and successful attacks were the result of the confident leadership of the "lawyers" (16:10). Everything was going according to their script (23:18) until the opposite Victor Shapoval, who, by the way, is an ex-player of "Law Academy" came to serve. Two of his aces, two precise attacks by outside hitter Mykyta Luban and Zhytomyr came close to the opponent (22:23). Then there was a pipe from Alen Didovic and another ace from Shapoval, and, in the end, seven rallies in a row. 25:23 in favor of "Zhytychi-Polissia".
The Kharkiv volleyball players were so upset by the defeat in the second set that after a 10-minute break, they could not oppose their opponent. Instead, "Zhytychi", with the support of the fans, confidently went to their "easy" victory in the first match of the "bronze" series - 25:21 and 3-0.
The most effective player of the meeting was the Bosnian legionnaire of Zhytomyr Alen Didovic (20 points).
The MVP award went to Viktor Shapoval, the opposite of VC "Zhytichi-Polissya".
So, "Zhytychi-Polissia" took the lead in the series with a score of 1-0. The next second match will be held on April 6 at 14:00.
We would like to remind you that matches for "bronze" will last until three victories of one of the teams.
Watch online broadcasts of Super League-Dmart matches on the DIVISPORT channel on YouTube or Megogo and Sweet.TV platforms.