Serbia-Finland
Serbia’s Mihajlo Stanković topped the scorers’ chart with 16 points, while Tommi Siirilä scored 11 for the Finns.
Serbia started the match furiously going up 7:1. However, Finland managed to recover picking up the pace and closing the gap to 7:10. Serbia reacted right away, and by the second technical time-out extended the lead to 16:11. After the break, the lead of the hosts only got bigger (21:14) and Serbia routinely wrapped it up at 25-18 to take a 1:0 lead in sets.
Serbia got to an early 8:3 lead in the opening stages of the second set. Once again Finland managed to narrow the gap to 3 points of difference at 11:14, but they could not do much more as Serbia went to the second technical break leading 16:11. This part of the match finished yet again with the same result of 25-18, and the hosts doubled up their lead.
In the third set the crowd saw a fairly matched encounter. Finland went to the first technical break leading 8:7, and after the break the Finns extended their lead to 13:9 and then to 16:13. Serbia managed to reach a one point deficit at 16:17 but Finland quickly responded going up 20:16. Once again the hosts narrowed the gap (20:21), but then again the Finnish team knew how to react and got off to a 24:21. Finland managed to cash only their third set point, but the job was done and the Serbian lead was split in half.
In the fourth set Serbia got serious and aggressive. The host quickly went up 8:3 and then 16:5. The discouraged Finnish team could not resist anymore, and the Serbian players stormed to a massive 25-13 for a 3:1 win.
Siniša Reljić, head coach of Serbia: “I had warned my players about Finland. We started to lose focus in the third set and it backfired. However, in the fourth set we demonstrated that we are a much better team and everything went well in the end”.
Mihajlo Stanković, Serbia’s receiver and top scorer: “We were very confident in the first two sets. Then we started to make some unnecessary errors because we got too relaxed. In the end, everything went well and we are happy with another victory”.
Pekka Lahtinen, head coach of Finland: “I am satisfied despite the loss today. Serbia had a lot of aces in this match and it is very difficult to play against such an inspired team. Yesterday I was complaining about my setter, but today he was the best player of the team, and I am extremely proud of him”.
Mauri Kurppa, team captain of Finland: “We struggled with the reception of Serbia’s spin serves. We were unable to control them, and that was our biggest problem in this match”.
To read more news from this competition click on 2013 FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship – European Qualification.
Find the full stats from this game on Statistics.
