The Romanians beat the Finnish in the second game of Group A
The host team from Zagreb lost the first match of Group A to the Technical University of Munich 2:3. Zagreb got off to a bad start and will have to wait until tomorrow, when they play against the University of Jyvaskla, for the next opportunity to secure their first points at the tournament.
The University of Jyvaskyla in Finland and Vasile Alecsandri University in Romania met in the second match of the group. After an almost three- hour long match between two opponents of equal strength, the Romanians managed to notch a 3:2 win.
With their quick play, point by point, the Romanians and the Finnish played five tense sets with a difference of only two points in each set. The equality of the teams prolonged the entire match, and the lead often changed hands. The Finnish were faster, but consequently made many technical mistakes which cost them points.
The teams were precise in their serves, so the balls did not fly outside the court. With no pressure in serving, but with a great block from both sides, the reception was fine, but each point made a difference. The main Romanian player, G. Cherbeleata, stated that there had been no difference between the teams and that it had been the nuances which determined the outcome in the end.
‘We didn’t expect to spend so much time on the court amusing the Finnish, but it was their technical mistakes that brought us the victory. It was a good game.’
The fifth set decided the winner of the match between the university of Groningen and Gazi University
The University of Groningen and Gazi University met in the first round of Group B at XV Gymnasium Sports Hall. The match was tight and even from the beginning, as illustrated by the end of the first set: the team from the Netherlands had luck on their side, winning the last two points to secure the set 25:23. In the second set, the Dutch players left their opponents at only 16 points. As the game went by, the Turkish players improved their play and showed the Dutch that they would not give up.
The third set ended up in favour of the Turkish, who continued to play well in the fourth set as well, eventually winning it (23:25).
In a match where both teams had their ups and downs, it was somewhat expected the winner would be decided in the fifth set. The final, deciding set was played serve by serve. However, the players of the University of Groningen proved to be stronger and more focused, claiming their first win at the tournament with 3:2 (16:14 in the final set).
The University of Groningen will be playing against the University of Almeria tomorrow at 9:30, and Gazi University will face the University of Würzburg at 12:00.
Split defeated by the team from Niš
Group C kicked off with the match between the University of Valencia and Northumbria University; the British produced their first win by winning three and losing only one set.
The second match of the group was played at Trnsko Sports Hall between the University of Split and the University of Niš. Thanks to their dominant play, the Serbians went into the lead immediately, keeping it till the very end. The boys from Split did not give up and tried to catch up with the Serbians, but Niš took the first set 25:22.
In the second and the third set (14:25 and 15:25), the point difference increased even more, mostly due to strong serves by Niš. They made use of the empty space in the Croatian line-up, directing their smashes there, but the Split players tried to catch and save every ball. Not even the frequent touching of the net and failings in the back part of the court helped them. The Serbian team seemed much better-coordinated and harmonic. Niš coach Vladimir Grgić confirmed this:
‘We actually had not prepared much for this game, we are still tired from the trip, but I think the essential is that a few of them have known each other for a long time, since they play in the same club, and this is what makes up the framework of the team.’
The Split players weren’t disappointed, because, according to their own words, they have just come together, so they actually played well.
‘This team has just been gathered, the boys have known each other for a very short time, they still do not know how each of them plays, so this game was actually a warm-up for the future games,’ said Split coach Miroslav Đekić.
The teams from the Spanish University of Valencia and the British University of Northumbria played the second game of Group C, and the British won 3:1 (8:25, 17:25, 25:23, 21;25).
Although the Spanish were the favourites before the game, the British had the game in their hands from the first minute, having an 11-1 lead at one point in the first set.
Northumbria dominated the court with their quick, sharp and short balls and scored points with ease. The first set was won by the British with a large margin of 25:8. Their strong serves went through Valencia’s fingers. It was only at the end of the second set that the Spanish players made some progress in their play. However, their good block was still not a good enough solution to seriously threaten the British in the second set, so they finished with an eight-point deficit – 17:25.
The Spanish took the lead in the third set. With a bit of luck on their side, they managed to snatch the set with 25:23. In the fourth set, which proved to be final, the British got themselves ahead and stayed there till the very end – winning 21:25.
The players from Northumbria are satisfied with their 3:1 victory, but they have also stated that they wanted to win all other games as well.
‘We believe that we have shocked a few people here with our 11-0 lead in the beginning. No one had expected that from us since we are British, but you can see that our team is fully fit and completely ready. We have not come here to party, but to play volleyball, and tomorrow we will win against Split too,’ stated one of the players from the winning team.
The Portuguese proved better than the Israeli
The University of Porto team won against Ben-Gurion University 3:1 in a match held at XV Gymnasium Sports Hall. The Porto players were dominant as soon as in the first set, setting up a lead they kept to the end of the set, taking it 25:17.
At the beginning of the second set, Ben-Gurion University woke up, but the University of Porto did not falter and won the second set with a seven-point advantage – 25:18.
However, the players from Ben-Gurion University did not give up, they gave their best despite the two sets they had lost and managed to overpower the Portuguese 25:12 in the third, keeping the hope for final victory alive.
Both teams entered the fourth set firmly, but despite the convincingly won third set, the Israeli team did not have enough strength to turn the game around, so the Portuguese won 25:15.
The University of Porto will play their next game against Sophia Antipolis University from Nice.
