ACH Volley Ljubljana and defending champion SK Posojilnica Aich/Dob will play tomorrow’s final for the men’s MEZVA title. While the Slovenians entered the final with a smooth 3-0, the hosts from Carinthia had to play the full distance of five sets. In the game for third place last year’s finalist Calcit Volley Kamnik and URW Raiffeisen Waldviertel meet.
On the semi-final day of this year’s MEVZA Final Four presented by Zadruga, the JUFA Arena in Bleiburg was already very well filled with 700 spectators. Especially in the second semifinal match, the Austrian duel between SK Posojilnica Aich/Dob and URW Raiffeisen Waldviertel, the final atmosphere was already noticeable. In the first set, the local top clubs fought a duel at eye level for a long time, and it was only towards the end of the run that the hosts from Carinthia were able to set themselves apart. The second set was characterized on both sides by extremely powerful service play, the lead changed constantly. After 50 minutes of playing time, visitors from Waldviertel got the first two set points, quite surprisingly after the clear 0-3 home defeat exactly one week ago in the Austrian National League. After defending a set ball from Aich/Dob, the “Nordmänner” won 29-27 in extra time. The other two runs were also an open exchange of blows, first with the set win for the Carinthians, then the Waldviertler forced a decisive fifth set. “In the end, we were the luckier ones. The luck of the brave was with us. After winning the first set, we were probably already in the final in our heads, and we atoned for that with a volleyball thriller. For the spectators and the local volleyball sport the semi-final was already a gala evening”, Aich/Dob manager Martin Micheu pays full respect to the opponents from Lower Austria.
ACH presents
The final opponent was determined in the first game of the day between ACH Volley Ljubljana and Calcit Volley Kamnik. The semi-final was the new edition of the last season. The favourites from Ljubljana had the better start again this time, got the first set on difference and were untouchable in the second from the beginning. In difference to the last season, the Champions League participants did not miss a beat and secured the first final place in the MEVZA Final Four presented by Zadruga with a straight 3-0 success. “We consistently played our game from the first to the last point. The basis was a very solid acceptance and defense,” said Andrej Urnaut, head coach of ACH Volley immediately after the match.
In the final, the two dominant teams of this year’s MEVZA league will meet. Another volleyball highlight can be expected, for all those who don’t make it to Bleiburg for the JUFA Arena, there will be all matches live on Laola-TV.
MEVZA Finale presented by Zadruga
Friday, 15.03.2019
ACH Volley Ljubljana – Calcit Volley Kamnik 3 – 0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-18)
SK Posojilnica Aich/Dob – URW Raiffeisen Waldviertel 3 – 2 (25-18, 27-29, 25-23, 19-25, 15-11)
Saturday, 16.03.2019
17:00h URW Raiffeisen Waldviertel – Calcit Volley Kamnik
19:30h SK Posojilnica Aich/Dob – ACH Volley Ljubljana
Fotocredit: Gepa Pictures / MEVZA
