In the opening match of the Champions League’s 1st round in Italy, Kazan Dinamo-Ak Bars lost in three sets to the home team Igor Gorgonzola.

 

At last! We’ve returned to the Champions League after a one-year break. Although, frankly, it is not easy to start the tournament meeting with the strongest of the three competitors in Group E. Moreover, in the Russian championship there are almost no opponents with the same level and style of play as the Italian Igor Gorgonzola. At the same time, Dinamo-Ak Bars, due to the long absence of a setter at the beginning of the season, is still far from the shape that allowed it to win over Italian teams with confidence last year. Still, coach Gilazutdinov was not afraid to put in the game against such a difficult opponent a 16-year-old Arina Fedorovtseva, one of the youngest competitors in the current Champions League.

 

However, the spirit and pressure of the hosts’ team at the beginning of the match were so strong that Kazan ladies could hardly resist it. The stable reception allowed the Italians to play quickly, and in this mode, it was impossible to stop the attacks by Herbots, a player from Belgium. With an equal start of 7:7, the score with one or two break point difference was gradually growing in favor of Igor Gorgonzola, and the first set was eventually won by the opponent. 

 

Yet, already in the second set, the Italian pressure weakened noticeably, which gave chances to the Russian team. Olga Biryukova also made a successful replacement, and Dinamo-AK Bars went far ahead on her serve – 7:11. However, the Italians were quick to catch up, with an equal struggle lasting up until the end, when the hosts made two sudden attacks from the quick spike and successfully blocked two counter-attacks by Kazan. 

 

Although only two sets had been played, both teams were very tired of such an intense struggle. However, the hosts had a good serve at the beginning of the third set, and the best Igor Gorgonzola’s server, Micha Hancock, came out to perform this element. Dinamo’s reception fell – 7:0... Of course, soon, on Samantha Bricio's serve, Kazan ladies managed to make up ground – 8:6. Yet, they clearly spent their last energy on this breakthrough, and the triumphant Italian team confidently rushed to victory in the match.

Champions League. 4th round. Group E. 1st tour.

Igor Gorgonzola – Dinamo Ak-Bars - 3:0 (25:19, 25:22, 25:13)

24 November. Italy. Novara. Pala Igor Gorgonzola.

Referee: Ivanov I. (Bulgaria). Match time: 1.24 (25+33+26).

Igor: Herbots (16), Bosetty (13), Hancock (5), Bonifacio (6), Washington (9), Smarzek (8) – starting line-up, Sansonna (libero), Populini, Battistoni, Daalderop (1).

Dinamo: Koroleva (7), Fabris (9), Bricio (11), Statrseva – С (1), Fedorovtseva (5), Konovalova (1) – starting line-up, Podkopaeva (libero), Biryukova (6), Maryukhnich (2), Kotikova, Popova.

Points – 75:54, serve – 6:0, spike – 45(39%):34(36%), block – 7:8, reception – 49%:39%, errors – 9:20.

(Statistics by “Dinamo Kazan” coach-statistics M.Kuzovenin)