Jastrzebski Wegiel advance into volleyball CEV Champions League quaterfinals
WARSAW - The Polish side Jastrzebski Wegiel beat Zenit Kazan 3-1 in volleyball Champions League on Wednesday to secure their fifth consecutive victory.
The team coached by Alexey Verbov wanted to take a revenge on the rival as in Russia they lost 2-3 after thrilling game but Jastrzebski Wegiel was able to continue their winning streak. More than 3,000 spectators came to hall in Jastrzebie Zdroj to see the sixth victory of Slobodan Kovac's side.
The hosts made a strong start to win the opening set easily. The second part was a real war as it lasted nearly 40 minutes. Zenit missed a huge chance as they blew four set points before Jastrzebski make it 2-0 in sets by winning 30-28.
The Polish players failed to contain Maxim Mihailov, who was the best scorer on the pitch with 17 points. Mainly thanks to the Russian hitter the visitors won the third set but it only delayed the inevitable. Tomasz Fornal became Jastrzebski's most prolific player with 15 points while Dawid Konarski added 14.
After five victories in a row Jastrzebski, who is remained unbeaten in Champions League, secured their spot in the quaterfinal. Zenit need to win their last group phase match against the Turkish team Halkbank Ankara and count on a combination of other results to advance into the next round.