Russia – team
After losing their respective opening matches on Saturday to Belgium and Italy, two potential contenders for the European title, Serbia and Russia, re-started their campaign on Sunday with the obligation to score a win not to compromise their chances to make it to the semis. These sides had heavily disappointed in their debut as they had lacked rhythm and quality in almost all fundamentals, so a quick reaction was needed to get back on track. Serbia caught a very encouraging start going up 13:7 but Russia finally found their way into the game leveling at 15. Team captain Nikita Axyutin powered his side to the front (18:17) and that gap was extended via a block-out claimed by the tallest competitor in the tournament, 210 cm tall Alexey Kobilev.
Serbia star Uros Kovacevic – a 2012 Olympian in London – restored the balance (19:19) and two blocks by Aleksa Brdjovic sent Serbia back into the lead. The final whistle was not yet there as Russia fought back once more to flip the score around (23:22), Kovacevic leveled at 23 but Brdovic presented Russia with a set ball by serving into the net; the heirs of the 2010 junior European champions from Bobruisk did not dissipate that opportunity and a block on the Serbian captain sealed the final 25-23 and provisional 1:0, a first relief for the Russian crew in Gdynia.
However, Russia trailed 5:8 in the early phases of the second set as their game – made mostly of high balls – was quite predictable for the Serbian block and coach Shlyapnikov did not miss his chance to yell around for a while, hoping for an immediate response by his guys. On the other side of the net, Uros Kovacevic was finally dismantling his potential (12:7); the Russian defense line was literally bombed by Brdjovic with two aces in a row (15:9) and Kovacevic left his mark on the point that called for the second technical time-out. After some more ups and downs, and many errors from the serving line, Serbia could not capitalize on two set balls and Russia eventually completed their second comeback in as many sets with their two “towers”, Kobilev and Ivan Demakov (208 cm), blocking to cash the final 27-25.
By this moment the game had really turned into an uphill climb for Serbia, winner of last year’s FIVB Youth World Championship, Russia opened set 3 playing with good intensity (9:6) and gradually widened the gap (22:14), finally imposing their game and physical power. Uros Kovacevic was not enough to compensate for the faulty performance of his side and a block on the Serbian captain piled up a series of 8 match balls for Russia. And quite significantly it was Kovacevic who served long for the final 25-17 in favor of his opponents, with Serbia leaving the court with another defeat in straight sets, the second in two days, a scenario that only a few may have predicted before the start of the tournament.
