In the first Champions League's Round of Six away game, Kazan’s Dinamo surrendered to the Italian "panthers" from Conegliano and lost in three sets.

Before this match, both teams had already suffered some losses. During the season, Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO lost Megan Easy, setter Athina Papafotiou and an experienced blocker Robin de Kruijf. In early March, Elitsa Vasileva, a wing-spiker of Dinamo KAZAN, got a trauma. For the Kazan team, however, this loss alone, perhaps, means more than those three for the Italian team. Not least because of a shorter subs bench: in particular, an 18-year-old Anna Kotikova played instead of Vasileva. Another negative factor for the Russian players can be considered the start time of the match: 10:30 p.m. Moscow time is usually a bed time in Kazan.

1st set. However, it is Kotikova's serve that helped Dinamo KAZAN get off to a good start - 3:6. But after the mistake of a young Russian player, the Italian strikers literary rain multiple quick spikes down upon the rivals and take the lead - 8:7. Thanks to the experienced strikers Natalia Mammadova and Irina Voronkova, Dinamo KAZAN keeps up with the Italians - 17:16. In the end, though, an experienced coach Santarelli releases Elisa Cella, the most skillful player of Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO, and her serve determines the outcome of the first set - 24:18.

2nd set. Dinamo KAZAN starts the second set with the ace of Irina Voronkova - 0:2. However, in response, it receives three aces from Joanna Wolosz - 2:5. And after a series of serves by Samantha Bricio, the score is already 10:3. Nevertheless, Russians almost manage to catch up with the Italian team - 11:9. After Santarelli's timeout, however, the"panthers" gain a new momentum - 16:10. The ending abounds with tense and long rallies, but the Italians look much fresher, and their spikes are faster and more efficient if compared to their rivals.

3rd set. The serves of Wolosz and Bricio again help Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO start well - 6:1. However, several strikes by Irina Voronkova help reduce the gap - 8:6. But then failed reception following the serve of Anna Danesi increases the score gap again - 13:7. The Kazan chase is now headed by Natalia Mammadova - 15:13. However, Santarelli again sends Elisa Cella to perform a serve - 18:13. This time, such a score gap in the end of the third set is too much for the Kazan girls, for whom the biological time is approaching midnight.

Kimberly Hill, player of Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO: "We are surprised by our good game and by a very quick victory. We played very well, with concentration and excellent service that always put our opponents in difficulty. After experiencing a difficult period in the last few weeks, we are finding our best game and in this match we showed our strength. Now we must continue like this also in second match in Kazan, our goal is to reach the Final Four."

Champions League. Playoffs 6. 1st match.
Imoco (Conegliano, Italy) – Dinamo (Kazan, Russia)- 3:0 (25:19, 25:18, 25:17)
21th March. Italy. Treviso. PalaVerde.
Referee: Simonovic V. (Serbia). Match time: 1.22 (26+27+29).
Imoco: Bricio (10), Folie (8), Danesi (7), Fabris (18), Wolosz (5), Hill (9) – starting line-up, De Gennaro (libero), Cella (2).
Dinamo: Koroleva (1), Kotikova (2), Voronkova (13), Mammadova (14), Startseva – C (1), Samoilenko (2) – starting line-up, Ulanova (libero), Ezhova, Maryukhnich (1), Filishtinskaia, Malygina (3).
Points – 75:54, serve – 10:3, spike – 41:32, block – 8:2, reception – 55%:33%, errors – 17:23.