07 December 2023

A passionate performance against Volero!

Olympiacos tried to overturn the result of the first game and make an enormous success but finally, didn’t achieve to qualify defeating in the golden set of the rematch against Volero, held in Rentis sporting hall. The ‘’Reds’’ led the game to the golden set and went ahead with 10-9 but didn’t complete the triumph. The team ended its participation in the 2018-2019 Challenge Cup after two finals in two years and the last year triumph in Bursa.

Key action:

The first set started with Olympiacos being ahead 2-0. Volero tied to 6-6 and did a 3-0 run to lead with 6-9. Hippe reduced to 8-9 and Olympiacos equalized twice (10-10, 11-11). The game was balanced until 15-15 when Volero went ahead with 16-18. The ‘’Reds’’ overturned the score doing a 7-0 run (23-18), Christodoulou scored for 24-19 and a block by Hippe gave the first to Olympiacos.

Volero led with 1-4 at the beginning of the first set but Olympiacos scored four consecutive points for 6-4. Volero overtook with 8-12 again and managed the rhythm in the rest of the set winning 25-16.

In the third set, Olympiacos was back 2-8. It reduced to three points three times (9-12, 10-13, 12-15) before Giota tied the set and Emmonts gave the advantage to the “Legend” (16-15). Volero retook the lead with 17-19 but the ‘’Reds’’ did a 4-0 run for 21-19. The French team led with 22-23 again but Olympiacos replied and win the set with 25-23.

The fourth set was balance until 7-7 when Volero went ahead with a 4-0 run (7-11). Emmonts scored for 8-11 but the French team boosted the margin to +6 (8-14). Olympiacos replied with a 5-0 run reducing to 13-14 but Volero increased the difference to three points (14-17). Mayfield and Hippe tied the set and the ‘’Legend” took the lead after a mistake by the French team (20-19). Lamprousi and Emmonts increased the margin to +5 (24-19) and after a failed serve by Volero, Olympiacos led the game to the golden set.

The golden set started with hosts going ahead with 3-0. Olympiacos equalized to 4-4 but Volero took the advantage again immediately. Hippe replied with two consecutive points giving the lead to the “Reds”. Olympiacos widened the advantage to two points (9-7) but Volero tied to 9-9. Lambrousi scored for 10-9 before did a 6-0 run and took the golden set.

Key data:

The sets: 3-2: 25-20 (24’), 16-25 (20’), 25-23 (26’), 25-21 (24’), Golden set: 10-15 (17’)

1st set: 6-8, 15-16, 21-18, 25-20

2nd set: 8-6, 10-16, 14-21, 16-25

3rd set: 2-8, 16-15, 21-19, 25-23

4th set: 7-8, 14-16, 21-19

Golden set: 4-5, 10-9, 10-12, 10-15

Olympiacos (Branko Kovacevic): Giota 12, Mayfield 5, Lamprousi 12, Christodoulou 7, Hippe 26, Emonts 7, Kokkinaki (L), Nomikou, Vlachaki 2, Zakchaiou 1.

Volero Le Cannet (Avital Selinger): Lazarenko 18, Casanova 22, Dimitrova 9, Hasanova 14, Bjelica 15, Mori 2, Giardino, Ortschitt, Unternahrer

Quotes:

The Head coach Branko Kovacevic stated at olympiacossfp.gr: "It was an excellent game with very good defenses and great points by both teams. I am happy with our performance. We were unlucky because we played against a Champions League team so early. If there is something good after this disqualification is that we will have more time to train so as to improve our performance in some plays that we aren’t very good now ’’.

Gina Lamprousi mentioned: "There were lots of overturns during the game and the team proved its quality and reached the golden set. We had the chance to get a great qualification which lost in details. We faced a strong opponent so early but hung in. We would like to thank the fans that came to support us and now, we focus on the domestic titles where we want to keep the first position ’’.