Poland-vs-Spain
Poland (No.1 in Pool D) are not one of four co-hosts of the 2019 EuroVolley but their players feel like playing at home. Stands in Rotterdam and Amsterdam (the Netherlands) were filled with Polish fans in the pool stage, the same was in the eighth-final clash against Spain (No.4 in Pool D) in Apeldoorn.
The players coached by Vital Heynen were supported by 6,500 spectators at Omnisport hall and, driven by their chanting, they swept rivals by a 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-16). Spain were worthy opponents only in the opening set when they made as much as 5 kill blocks. But it was annulled with 5 aces of Wilfredo León!
Poland lost only one set so far in the tournament but did not concede more than 19 points in 16 consecutive sets! León finished the match with 7 aces and game-high 19 points. The Cuban-born made an impressive 77% reception (13 digs, 31% excellent) Piotr Nowakowski set up 4 kill blocks.
Slovenia-vs-Bulgaria
Slovenia beat Bulgaria for the first time in an official match and the timing could not have been better – in the eighth-finals of European Championship: 3-1 (25-27, 25-17, 25-16, 25-17).
Slovenia (No.2 in Pool C) were eager to show more than 8,000 own fans at Dvorana Center Stozice Ljubljana that they were worthy of their support. The team coached by Italian expert Alberto Giuliani missed an opportunity to even beat Bulgaria in straight sets. Their rivals came back from 17-21 in the first set. But, Slovenia’s players did not allow this to disturb them in the continuation of the match. The nervousness of Bulgaria’s players was visible as the encounter was slipping out of their hands which resulted in a red card for their libero Teodor Salparov.
Klemen Čebulj was Slovenia’s most prolific player with 17 points. Jani Kovačič made 80% reception (15 digs, 33% excellent). Martin Atanasov and Tsvetan Sokolov scored 12 apiece for Bulgaria.
Ukraine
Ukraine wrote another page in the country’s volleyball chronicle. After achieving a historical promotion to the knockout stage of EuroVolley as No. 3 in Pool D, they have qualified to their first-ever quarter-finals of the continental championship! Ukraine won a thrilling five-setter against co-hosts Belgium (No.2 in Pool B), in Antwerp.
Dmytro Viietskyi took charge of Ukraine’s attack due to the fact that their major star Oleh Plotnytskyi underperformed tonight (8 points, 22% attack, 5/23). Viietskyi scored 23 points. Yurii Semeniuk set up 5 kill blocks, Ian Iereshchenko served 4 aces, while Horden Brova made 79% reception (19 digs, 37% excellent). As for Belgium, Bram van den Dries scored 19 points, Arno van de Velde set up 4 kill blocks (77% attack, 10/13), while Lowie Stuer made 71% reception (24 digs, 54% excellent).
2019 CEV European Men’s Volleyball Championship – 1/8 finals:
Netherlands – Germany 1-3 (17-25, 22-25, 32-30, 23-25)
Russia – Greece 3-0 (25-16, 25-15, 25-16)
Serbia – Czech Republic 3-0 (31-29, 25-21, 25-18)
France – Finland 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-21)
Poland – Spain 3-0 (25-18, 25-13, 25-16)
Belgium – Ukraine 2-3 (22-25, 25-21, 25-14, 18-25, 10-15)
Slovenia – Bulgaria 3-1 (25-27, 25-17, 25-16, 25-17)
Italy – Turkey (17:00 CET) September 22
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