Lausanne, Switzerland, April 28, 2019 - With the 2019 FIVB season now just three weeks away, kicking off with the Women's Volleyball Nations League starting on May 21, club leagues around the world are wrapping up as star players begin to make the transition to their national teams.
• In women's action, with Natalia Goncharova scoring 29 points and Irina Fetisova another 15, Dinamo Moscow bagged a huge 3-2 (27-25, 16-25, 22-25, 25-19, 15-10) win over Lokomotiv Kaliningrad to extend their lead in the best-of-five final series of the Russian Superleague to 2-0. Irina Voronkova scored 24 and Ana Kleger 21 for Lokomotiv. Dinamo could celebrate the title as early as Tuesday, when the two sides clash again as the series moves to Kaliningrad.
• VakifBank Istanbul have tied the best-of-five final series of the Turkish League at 1-1, after beating crosstown rivals Eczacibasi VitrA 3-1 (16-25, 25-10, 25-18, 25-17) at home on the back of a 22-point scoring spree by China's Zhu Ting. Serbia's Tijana Boskovic was Eczacibasi's best scorer with 18 points. The two meet again Monday evening at the Burhan Felek.
• Igor Gorgonzola Novara are the second finalists of the Italian A1 League after a nail-biting 3-2 (25-16, 21-25, 13-25, 25-21, 21-19) win over Savino Den Bene Scandicci that sealed the best-of-five semifinal series 3-1. Paola Egonu was once again the star of the show with 38 points for the winning side, as the Netherlands' Celeste Plak added 15 and USA's Michelle Bartsch another 12. Swedish opposite Isabelle Haak was best scorer of Scadicci with 24 points.
• A day earlier Imoco Volley Conegliano had wrapped up their semifinal series undefeated wins with a 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-19, 25-14) win over Saugella Team Monza, led by the Netherlands' Robin de Kruijf who scored 20 points and Croatia's Samanta Fabris who added 19. The best-of-five final series, a preview of the all-Italian European Champions League final on 18 May in Berlin, which features the same sides, begins on Wednesday.
• In Brazil, Itambe / Minas Tenis Clube of Belo Horizonte won their first Superleague title in 17 years after wrapping up the best-of-three final series against Dentil / Praia Clube of Uberlandia 2-0.
• In men's action, there was epic stuff in the Italian Superleague semifinals, as it took Sir Safety Conad Perugia all five games in the best-of-five series and a five-setter in the decider, to make it through to the final. With 22 points from Wilfredo Leon plus 21 from the game's MVP Aleksandar Atanasijevic of Serbia, Perugia downed Azimut Leo Shoes Modena 3-2 (19-25, 27-25, 23-25, 25-20, 15-8) Sunday evening. Ivan Zaytsev was Modena's best scorer with 21 points.
• Cucine Lube Civitanova had previously wrapped up their own semifinal series after four matches with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 31-29) sweep of Itas Trentino as Osmany Juantorena and Bulgaria's Tsvetan Sokolov scored 16 points each and Yoandy Leal added another 14. The best-of-five final series begins on Wednesday.
• Ricardo Lucarelli with 16 points and Argentina's Facundo Conte with another 11 led Funvic Taubate to a 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-20) sweep of Sesi Sao Paulo that has tied the best-of-five final series of Brazil's Superleague at 1-1. The two teams meet again on Tuesday.
• Lukasz Kaczmarek scored 19 points and Meteusz Bienek was named MVP of the game as they led ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle to a hugely dramatic and controversial 3-2 (25-23, 25-21, 20-25, 27-29, 17-15) win over ONICO Warsaw in the first match of the best-of-five final series of Poland's PlusLiga. Belgium's Sam Deroo added another 17 points (including 3 aces and 2 blocks) for ZAKSA, but top scorer of the game was Maciej Muzaj who bagged 24 points (including 5 stuffs) for Warsaw, after joining the side during the playoffs. The two sides meet again on Wednesday.
• With 24 points from Maxim Mikhaylov, Zenit Kazan shut out Fakel Novy Urengoy 3-0 (25-16, 25-23, 25-23) to wrap up their Russian Superleague semifinal series 2-0. In the best-of-five final series, beginning Thursday, they meet Kuzbass Kemerovo who also completed their semifinal series in two matches, after a 3-1 (25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 25-23) win over Zenit Saint Petersburg, led by Victor Poletaev who scored a match-high 24 points.
• Bolivar Voley sealed the title in Argentina with a win in the deciding fifth match of the best-of-five final series over Obras de San Juan.
• Earlier in the week Nikolay Uchikov scored 15 points and Georgi Petrov added 11 as they led Neftochimik Burgas to the Bulgarian Superleague title with a deciding 3-0 (25-23, 25-15, 25-12) victory over Hebar Pazardzhik that sealed the final series after only three matches. Bradley Gunter of Canada was best scorer of Hebar with 11 points.
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
FIVB.com - Volleyball
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