In a gripping contest that lasted over two and a half hours, Olympiacos narrowly defeated Panathinaikos 3-2 in the first match of the Greek Volley League Women’s playoff final series. The match, played at the Melina Mercouri Indoor Hall, set the stage for a thrilling championship series.
Yamilya Nizetich starred for Olympiacos, making pivotal plays in the tiebreak, while Milica Kubura and Michaela Mlejnková led the offensive charge, scoring 20 and 23 points respectively.
Panathinaikos’ Sherridan Atkinson was outstanding, scoring 28 points and was the match top scorer. Despite her contributions, a crucial missed counterattack in the tiebreak proved costly, shifting the momentum back to Olympiacos.
Olympiacos took the first set convincingly but Panathinaikos bounced back in the second. The third set saw Olympiacos dominate, only for Panathinaikos to respond in the fourth, setting up a decisive fifth set.
In the final set, despite leading comfortably, Olympiacos needed a clutch ace from Nizetich to seal the victory with a close 18-16 score.
Volley League – PlayOff Finals – Game 1
- Olympiacos vs. Panathinaikos 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 25-9, 21-25, 18-16)
