Suwon, South Korea, May 24, 2018 - Irina Voronkova produced a powerful all-round performance to lead Russia to a hard-fought 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-23) comeback victory over a gallant Germany in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Thursday.
The wing spiker produced heavy-hitting all match, especially during the crucial third set, as she finished with 20 points - including four blocks - to guide Russia to their fourth victory at the completion of the second phase.
Voronkova was well supported by captain Kseniia Parubets (16 points) and Irina Fetisova (4 blocks) defended superbly.
Louisa Lippmann was heroic for Germany with 26 points to lead her team in scoring for the fifth time in the VNL but captain Maren Fromm was well held with just 9 points.
The Pool 6 result continues Russia's thorough dominance of Germany over the years as they have now won 29 of 31 matches, including eight straight since 2004. After a momentous upset of Brazil to open the VNL, Germany were winless in Suwon and have lost five straight to be near the foot of the overall rankings.
Russia made an ideal start at the Suwon Indoor Gymnasium with Parubets in the thick of the action but countered by Lippmann, whose aerial prowess was evident with an early thunderous spike to energise her team.
Marie Scholzel was making her mark with a couple of precise spikes as the teams traded powerful blows during several long rallies in an absorbing opening set.
It was an intriguing game of cat and mouse with Germany the clear aggressors unleashing an array of powerful blows - particularly the explosive Lena Stigrot - but they were often stifled by the resilient Russians, who collectively demonstrated hardnosed defence.
With both teams desperate to get back to their winning ways, the standard was high with Scholzel shining brightest through deadly serving and high-flying spikes.
Perhaps the highpoint came when Voronkova produced a terrific retrieval, where she ended up sprawled near Germany's bench, and subsequently thundered a spike to level the scores at 16 apiece to give her team the momentum.
Challenged by their tenacious opponents, Lippmann lifted her output with several spectacular spikes as Germany edged ahead and eventually claimed the first set in 23 minutes.
With their backs against the wall, Tatiana Romanova produced an ace to give Russia the perfect start to the second set and they skipped out to an early lead as they increased their aggression after being overwhelmed in the opening stanza. Russia started dictating the rallies and their brute strength was coming to the fore, most notably when Voronkova hammered a spike at a speed of over 100 kph.
After finding themselves quickly in a hole, Germany attempted to claw back into the contest - best exemplified by the relentless hustle from Lippmann - but the defensive abilities of Voronkova and Fetisova ensured Russia maintained their handy buffer. In a terrific response to Germany's early jab, Russia levelled the match after needing five set points to claim a tight second stanza.
Carrying on the momentum, Russia started the third set strong with Parubets showcasing her offensive skills complemented by stout defence at the net from Ekaterina Efimova, who emphatically blocked Lippmann to give Russia an early buffer in the crucial stanza.
Mirroring the second set, Russia had all the answers despite the best efforts of Lippmann, who continued to produce spikes for the highlight reel. With Voronkova seemingly everywhere, Russia cruised through the third set in just 24 minutes as they tightened their grip on the contest.
On the brink of another loss, Germany made a better start in the fourth set with Lippmann - registering speeds of over 97kph with her spikes - doing her best to keep her team in the match. It was a see-sawing battle as Germany tried desperately hard to extend the match as Lippmann and Voronkova traded heavy hits during one spectacular stretch.
Voronkova produced a sizzling ace, her first of the match, to give Russia the edge at 13-11 but Germany would not be denied as they clawed back once more. However, Russia held their nerve and, quite fittingly, Voronkova sealed the result to spark hearty celebrations from the Russians.
Next week, Russia travels to Kraljevo where they play hosts Serbia, Turkey and Belgium, while Germany journeys to Bangkok and takes on hosts Thailand, USA and the Dominican Republic.