Rabita BAKU, Scavolini PESARO and VakifGunes complete draw for Playoffs 6

Luxembourg, February 10, 2011. Scavolini PESARO and VakifGunesTTelekom ISTANBUL scored this afternoon a second consecutive win in the Playoffs 12 of the 2011 CEV Champions League to advance to the next round of the competition and try there to book a spot for the final four coming up next March 19-20 at the “Burhan Felek” Volleyball Hall. Scavolini needed once again five sets to cruise past Dinamo MOSCOW in what was unanimously considered the most exciting and unpredictable clash of the Playoffs 12. In Azerbaijan, Rabita BAKU was able to reverse the outcome of the previous round and a classy performance of Natalya Mammadova sealed a perfect 3:0 as well as the golden set in the clash against VK Modranska PROSTEJOV of the Czech Republic.

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Rabita BAKU (AZE) vs. VK Modranska PROSTEJOV (CZE) 3:0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-19); golden set: 15-11

Azerbaijan’s Rabita BAKU qualified this afternoon to the Playoffs 6 of the 2011 CEV Champions League by reversing the outcome of the first leg played last week in the Czech Republic and defeating VK Modranska PROSTEJOV in straight sets before adding also the golden set to the final count.
The match, played in front of 3,000 spectators, started with great attacks of Mira Golubovic, but PROSTEJOV stayed tuned with the contribution of Slovenian outside hitter Tina Lipicer Samec. Azerbaijani star Natalya Mammadova claimed the final break with her aces and attacks for the provisional 1:0 (25-21). In set nr 2 experienced setter Iryna Zhukova opted very often for her middle blockers and Serbians Krsmanovic and Golubovic helped Mammadova and Starovic claim also the second set (25-23).
Mammadova and Starovic did a great job in the third set to contribute the final 25-19. The golden set started once again with Mammadova shining out in attack and with the killing blocks of Mira Golubovic. On the other hand, Kimberly Glass and Silvija Popovic did a great job in defence and won that set for Rabita.
“We are so happy, our team and especially our fans were great. They did half of our work. I am just proud of my team” noted Rabita’s star Natalya Mammadova. Coach Dejan Brdjovic added: “We did our best and showed that Rabita is really a strong team. I feel satisfied with this result, as our players applied the plan we had prepared”.
Solange Soares commented for PROSTEJOV: “We came here to win and to qualify to the next round, but Rabita was just incredible with its players, especially with an outstanding Mammadova”.
Czech coach Miroslav Cada: “I want to congratulate Rabita on their perfect game, they played strongly. Their captain Natalya Mammadova was attacking from all positions, she was just great”.

Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS) vs. Scavolini PESARO (ITA) 2:3 (17-25, 25-19, 28-26, 12-25, 8-15)

Some 2,000 fans decided to challenge the very cold weather that is ruling in Russia’s capital city to resume to the “Druzhba” sports hall to cheer for the girls of Dinamo in their return game of the Playoffs 12 against Scavolini PESARO of Italy. Dinamo struggled with some nervousness already in the opening set, as the Russians did know very well that they had no alternative than to score a win after losing last week in Italy. With a few aces and the contribution of Simona Gioli, Anna Matienko, Lesya Makhno and Carolina Costagrande – playing against her former team – Dinamo claimed set 2. Costagrande scored the last couple of rallies in a tight and exciting final rush of the third set, but after that Dinamo was no longer that consistent and Scavolini could score a second win to advance to the Playoffs 6 without having to go for the golden set.
Oksana Parkhomenko stated after the game: “I think we lost this game psychologically and mentally, because a team with a roster like ours should never face any technical problems”.

VakifGunesTTelekom ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. Aluprof BIELSKO-BIALA (POL) 3:1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-18)

With about 1,800 spectators in attendance at the “Burhan Felek” Volleyball Hall, VakifGunesTTelekom ISTANBUL scored a second consecutive win over Poland’s Aluprof BIELSKO-BIALA to advance to the Playoffs 6 and play there the compatriots of Eczacibasi VitrA.
The guests from Poland started the match pretty well, with good blocks, and forcing coach Giovanni Guidetti to go for an early time-out. However, BIELSKO-BIALA could maintain full control of the operations and claim the opening set 25-22. Malgorzata Glinka and Maja Poljak set the pace for VakifGunes in the second set (16:11) and with the help of the many errors committed by the Poles, the hosting team could tie the count. VakifGunes was forced to storm back in set nr 3 as BIELSKO-BIALA displayed good momentum there; after trailing down 10:16, VakifGunes drew to 21 all with Glinka and after that scored 4 consecutive rallies to avoid a close ending of the set. The Turks were not to stop in set nr 4 and delighted their supporters with a classy performance for the final 3:1. Maja Poljak was the best scorer of the game with 20 points.
VakifGunes coach Giovanni Guidetti commented: “I think Eczacibasi is the best team on paper, however all matches are to be played on the court. We will play with our discipline, power, emotion and heart like we did today”.
Team captain Gozde Sonsirma added: “Our supporters were perfect tonight, we returned back in the third set with their help. Like we did in the national league, we will beat Eczacibasi VitrA once again also in the 2011 CEV Champions League”.
Polish mentor Grzegorz Wagner stated: “We should have won the third set but we lost it, it was the key point of today’s match. If you compare the budget of the Turkish and Polish clubs, you can see the difference there”.
Captain Katarzyna Skorupa concluded: “We had to play better to resist to VakifGunes. We lost our concentration in the third set and then it was a disaster”.

Rabita advances to the Playoff 6 round of the Champions League

In the return leg of the of the Champions League Playoff 12 round, Rabita Baku defeated Czech champions Modranska Prostejov 3:0 (25:21, 25:23, 25:19) in regulation and then snatched a 15:11 victory in the golden set to earn the ticket to the next round of the Champions League.

The first set started out with neither team able to develop any momentum and take a convincing lead, until a block by Ssuschke put Modranska up by three, 16:13. Coming from a technical timeout, Rabita responded with a 9:1 run, courtesy of Mammadova, Glass and Golubovic, for a 22:17 lead. Two back-to-back kills by Natasa Krsmanovic put Rabita in set-point position, 24:18. Modranska held off three set-points, but eventually Rabita prevailed 25:21.

Set two was much like the first, with neither team taking control early. With the score tied at 13:13, a series of well put blocks put visiting team up by three, 17:14. Two kills by Mammadova cut Modranska's lead to one, 17:16. Moments later, a block by Kim Glass tied the set at 18. American outside hitter will prove to be the decisive factor in the last minutes of the set. Three kills and a block from Glass (who spent last season at Modranska!) down the stretch helped to wrap up the set 25:23.

Czech champions kept the score tight to start the third set, until Sanja Starovic and Natasa Krsmanovic fueled a 5:1 rally to give Rabita a 13:8 advantage. Modranska battled back to narrow the margin to 15:12, but two kills by Starovic pushed Rabita up again by five points, 20:15. A 4:1 Modranska rally narrowed the gap to two late in the set, 21:19 forcing Dejan Brdjovic call a timeout. Following the timeout, Starovic and Golubovic secured a 25:19 third set win and send the game into the "golden set".

With a spot in Playoff 6 on the line, Rabita started the golden set aggressively and took an early 3:1 lead. But relentless Czech team responded with a quick 4:0 run to erase the deficit and put Modranska in front, 5:3. Two kills and an ace from team captain Natalya Mammadova tied the game at six and then a double-block gave the host team the 7:6 lead. The teams exchanged points twice before a solo block from Glass gave Rabita a two point lead, 10:8. A timeout taken by Modranska's head coach couldn't stop Rabita and Azerbaijani champions finished the golden set strong, 15:11, taking the team one step closer to the Final Four.

Rabita will take on Polish Bank BPS Fakro in the next round of the Champions League.

Rabita Baku - Modranska Prostejov 3:0 (25:21, 25:23, 25:19)

Rabita Baku: Doganjic, Krsmanovic 11, Popovic (L), Mammadova 13, Glass 11, Golubovic 10, Starovic 14, Zhukova 3

Modranska Prostejov: Velikiy 9, Kubinova 2, Novakova 2, Chlumska (L), Tomasekova 5, Ssuschke 13, Soares 4, Lipicer 11, Bramborova, Artemenko 11 Notes: Set duration: 24min, 26min, 24min (total: 74min) Service errors: Modranska Prostejov 9, Rabita Baku 0 Aces: Rabita Baku 8, Modranska Prostejov 3

Golden Set 15:11