Mladost opened the SuperSport Superliga playoff final with a 3-2 home win over Ribola Kaštela, taking a 1-0 lead in the championship series after a thrilling 137-minute contest.
The visitors struck first by claiming the opening set, capitalizing on Mladost errors and strong defensive play. The Zagreb side responded in the second set, with Pamella Owino leading the attack to level the match.
Mladost then moved ahead by winning the third set after a tense finish, but Ribola answered once more in the fourth to force a deciding fifth set.
The final set belonged entirely to the home team. After trailing 2:1 early, Mladost produced a dominant 9-0 run on serve to build an unassailable lead before closing out the match in emphatic fashion.
Owino was Mladost’s top scorer with 19 points, while Dijana Karatović led all players with 25 points for Ribola Kaštela.
Mladost also finished stronger statistically, leading in blocks, aces and attack points. The second match of the series will be played Wednesday in Kaštela.
Result: Mladost beat Ribola Kaštela 3-2 (20:25, 25:22, 25:21, 23:25, 15:5).