Lokomotiv Novosibirsk claimed a narrow 3–2 victory over Zenit-Kazan in the opening match of the Russian men’s Superliga semifinal series.
Zenit started strong at home, taking the first set 25–21 behind effective serving, including late aces from Mikhail Labinskii. Lokomotiv responded confidently in the second set, capitalizing on Zenit’s errors and an injury to libero Ilya Fiodorov, to level the match with a 25–20 win.
The third set proved decisive. Despite trailing 20–22, Lokomotiv surged ahead on a key serving run from captain Ilyas Kurkaev, sealing the set 25–22. Zenit forced a decider after a composed fourth set led by
Maksim Mikhaylov (25–22).
In the fifth, Lokomotiv held their nerve in a tight finish. A late push, including an ace from Fiodor Voronkov, secured a 15–13 victory and a 1–0 lead in the best-of-five series.
Lokomotiv head coach Plamen Konstantinov praised his team’s composure, while Zenit coach Alexey Verbov pointed to small errors as the difference.
Result:
Zenit-Kazan – Lokomotiv Novosibirsk — 2:3 (25:21, 20:25, 22:25, 25:22, 13:15)
Series: 0–1
