Dinamo Ak-Bars deepened the crisis of the vice-champions, Uralochka-NTMK, in the 2022-23 Russian Women’s Volleyball Championship.
By losing to the fourth-placed team in 2021–22, Dinamo Kazan, in Round 5 of the 2022–23 PARI Superliga for women (PARI Суперлига Женщины), Uralochka rounded up setbacks against all three sides that finished in the top 4 along with them in the last season. Thus, the Ekaterinburg-based remained in the ninth spot in the standings with 2-3 and 5 points.
With 29 points, Elizaveta Lukyanova of Dinamo, became the most productive player counting both teams. Kseniya Kupryashkina scored 19 (4 blocks) for Uralochka, while Elizaveta Kotova made 8 blocks.
Unexpectedly, Proton are still undefeated and lead the competition. In the fifth round, thanks to Nataliya Malykh (18 points), Polina Belikova (4 aces), and Viktoriya Pushina (4 blocks), the Saratov club swept Sparta and reached 5-0. Proton have lost only one set thus far.
The only club aside from Proton with a perfect record in these five rounds is the current bronze medalist, Dinamo Moscow. The team from the country’s capital defeated Zarechie-Odintsovo with a score of 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-20) at home.
The Dinamo opposite, Nataliya Goncharova, became the top scorer of the match with 20 points. Evgeniya Startseva had 4 blocks, while Margarita Kurilo made 75% reception (16 digs, 1 error, 56% excellent).
2022–23 PARI Superliga for women – regular season, Round 5:
