Croatian powerhouse HAOK Mladost narrowly escaped a Golden Set and potential elimination in the second leg of the first round of CEV Champions League qualifiers against Montenegrin champions Budva. After winning the first match 3-1 in Budva, expectations were high for Mladost to secure a straightforward victory at home in Zagreb.
However, Budva started strong, taking a 2-0 lead in sets, coming close to forcing a decisive “golden set.” Despite this, Mladost fought back to level the score at 2-2, which was enough to advance to the next round based on their previous win. Ultimately, Mladost clinched the match 3-2 (23-25, 37-39, 25-15, 26-24, 15-13).
In the first set, the teams were neck and neck until Budva pulled ahead to 21-17. Although Mladost threatened a comeback, Budva held firm to win 25-23. The second set was dramatic, with Mladost leading 13-7 before Budva rallied back to force a tense finish, eventually winning 39-37 on their seventh set point.
Mladost dominated the third set, cruising to a 25-15 win. In the fourth set, Budva led 17-14, but Mladost regained control to take the set 26-24. The fifth and final set saw Mladost outlast Budva, winning 15-13 despite Budva’s 12-10 lead at one point.
Key contributors for Mladost were Spýros Chandrinós with 21 points and Clemens Ecker with 20 points. Budva’s top performers were Vojin Cacic, who led all scorers with 24 points, and Balsa Radunovic with 20 points. Mladost now advances to the next stage of the competition. In the next round, HAOK Mladost will go head-to-head with Austria’s Hypo Tirol Innsbruck, who secured their spot by defeating Hungary’s Fino Kaposvár with two consecutive 3-0 victories.
