Both teams, who faced each other in Kedzierzyn-Kožel on Wednesday evening, ended 2023 with a win. ZAKSA, whose first part of the season was marked by injuries to key players, defeated Ślepsk Suwałki 3-0 away from home to end a series of consecutive defeats. On the other hand, Aluron CMC won a very valuable victory against Jastrzębski Wegiel. It was the third league triumph in a row for coach Michal Winiarski's team.
1. They were surprised again! The third consecutive victory of the Plusliga rookie
Only one of these teams could start the new year with a win. The visitors looked slight favorites – due to their excellent form in recent weeks and the personnel problems of the hosts, who will have to cope without captain Aleksandar Slivka (broken finger) for a few more weeks. The following players also failed to play in the match against Aluron: David Smith and Jakub Szymanski. The positive news for coach Samelvuo's team was the return to action of young receiver Daniel Chitigoya, who immediately found himself in the top six of ZAKSA.
In the first set, the score was tied at 10:10, and then the Xaviers team won three games in a row. Milos Znischol blocked Lukasz Kaczmarek, Patrick Laba scored a point on the counterattack, and Chitigoi did not accept Karol Batrin's serve and the guests took the lead 13:10. True, they lost quickly – after a good serve by Chitigo and an error by Miguel Tavares, the score was tied at 16:16 – but then two endless attacks by Bartosz Bednorz (a lay-out and a block by Zniszczol) meant that Aluron CMC. In the final part of the game, he got into a comfortable situation (18:21). In the last action of the premier, Znischol recorded another block on Kaczmarek (19:23), Mateusz Bieniek convincingly finished the attack from the center and the guests won 25:20.
The second game started brilliantly for the Kędzierzyn-Koźle players, who took a 5-1 lead thanks to their good blocking and serving. However, Zawiercie's team quickly reduced the loss on Bieniek's services and leveled the score at 9:9 after a clever counter attack by Bartosz Kwolek.
In the second part of the set, coach Winiaarski's students showed much more quality. After Patrick Laba's difficult ball attack, they led 15:13, after Bednorc and Kaczmarek's mistakes – 19:14. In the end, the hosts did not stop further attacks, and the guests responded effectively and increased their lead. They finished this part of the match with Kwolek's point service and a high victory 25:17.
At the beginning of the third part, ZAKSA players played better and gained a three-point advantage (7:4). This time they did not disappear in the second part of the set, as in the previous game. They kept their opponents at a distance and even increased the distance. After Kachmarek's career ace, they led by four points (12:8), and after Batrin's attack on the net, they won 18:13. From that moment Aluron collected four points in the series and reached one point, but the final parts of the game belonged to the hosts. Chitigoi attacked effectively, Kaczmarek scored two points with a block, and with a score of 22:17, the Polish runners-up were already thinking about the fourth set. Finally, they won the third 25:21.
In the fourth game, the visitors tried to find Chitigoya's serve and this tactic paid off. After a few inaccurate receptions by the Romanian, the Alurone players started effective counterattacks and took the lead 15:12 after an even opening period. ZAKSA made up for the loss on Chitigoi's service – the young man first played an ace, then pushed the opponents away from the net and allowed Dmytro Paszhitsky to block Elba (20:20).
It wasn't a thrilling, even end, as after Kedzierzyn's team drew level, coach Winiarski's team won the next five games, including four on Butrin's serve. The former player of Indykpol AZS Olsztyn gave the visitors the match ball through an attack and the match ended with Bednorz's long shot (20:25).
Thus, Aluron CMC won the fourth meeting in a row. With eleven wins and three defeats, Xaviersie's team is currently third in the table. They are three points behind leaders Jastrzębski Wegiel and two behind second-placed Projekt Warszawa. ZAKSA lost for the seventh time in the league this season and after fourteen rounds they have as many wins as losses. The current Polish runners-up are in ninth place.
Miguel Tavares, defender of the visiting team, was chosen as the MVP of the ZAKSA – Aluron match.
Plusliga, 14th round
Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle – Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie 1:3 (20:25, 17:25, 25:21, 20:25)
ZAKSA: Markin Janusz (1), Lukasz Kaczmarek (24), Bartosz Bednorz (12), Daniel Chitigoi (18), Tvan Wiltenburg (9), Dmytro Pašitski (5), Eric Shoji (libero) and Radoslav Gil, Corneliusz Banach.
Aluron: Miguel Tavares (4), Karol Butrin (15), Bartosz Kwolek (7), Patrick Laba (13), Milosz Znischol (9), Mateusz Bieniecki (11), Luke Perry (libero) and Daniel Gasior (3), Michal Kozlowski .
GW, Polsat Sport