Men's Final
Results
Saksa (Poland)3 (25-22, 25-20, 32-30) 0 Trento (Italy)
Saksa won the championship for the second time in a row, becoming the first Polish team to win the Champions League twice in a row.
Starting members
ZAKSA: MB Smith (USA), OP Kaczmarek (Poland), OH Semeniuk (Poland), MB Leino (Poland), S Janusz (Poland), OH Silivka (Poland), L Shoji (USA)
Trento: S. Sbertori (Italy), OH Kaziski (Bulgaria), MB Lisinac (Serbia), OH Lavia (Italy), OH Micheletto (Italy), MB Podrascanin (Serbia), L. Zenger (Germany)
Match Report
Set 1
MB from the beginningReinoBlocks and MBSmithWith quick breaks, Zakusa took the lead and advanced in the match (4-1). Trent was OHKAZYSKIand OHMichelettoThe ball was concentrated in the middle of the game, but the stable reception of Zaksa and SJanuszHowever, they made aggressive use of quick pitches to prevent the opponent from narrowing down their block and did not allow the opponent to easily break through (15-10).
Trent had several chances to tie the score (18-18), but they were just one point away from making a comeback and continued to dominate the game.SilifkaBut the ball came directly back to Zaksá, who smashed it in to comfortably take the first set (25-22).
Set 2
The early stages were close, but Trent increased the number of quick plays and got into the rhythm, taking the lead (7-9). However, in the middle of the game, Trent's mainstayKAZYSKIHowever, they unexpectedly conceded points on receptions and spikes, allowing Zakusa to take the lead (15-13).
After that, effective serves and solid defense led to a great performance in this match.Semeniukand M.B.SmithWith a series of points, Zakusa took the lead (23-19).SilifkaWith a spike from , Zakusa took the second set (25-20), putting them in a strong position to win their second consecutive championship.
Third set
This set was a tense and fierce battle with no point difference of more than three points until the end. OHSemeniukWhile Zakusa was gathering the ball, Trent's two MBs showed their presence with quick and block attacks and scored points (8-8). However, in the middle of the game, Trent's OHMichelettoThe opening theme for ZakusaKaczmarekA single block from gave them the lead (17-15), and from then on Zakusa maintained the lead until the end of the match (21-19).
But Trent, the commander, can't let it end like this.SbertoriHe took an ace from Zaxa with a soulful serve, and then OHSilifkaAfter that, the game was a close one-point match, butSemeniukThe game didn't stop and Zakusa managed to turn the game around again (25-24). Trent was a veteran OHKAZYSKIWe handed the ball to him and managed to get up to 30 points, but we just needed one more.
The last one is defenseSemeniukHe calmly scored the goal and the game ended (32-30).
MVP: Kamil Semeniuk (Poland)
Interview
Aleksander Silivka (Saksa/Poland)
-How was today's game?
It was a great match. The atmosphere here in Ljubljana was amazing. The Zaksa fans were on one side and the Trento fans on the other, it was a great sight, a huge roar. And I can't believe what we've achieved this season. We've won three titles: the Polish Cup, the Polish League and the Champions League. I'll remember this season for the rest of my life.
What do you think was the key to victory?.
We played volleyball as a team until the end. We played good volleyball in every situation. Our serves were good, and of course, if your serves are good, it's easier to block defense. Our spikes were also very good today, and Kamil Semeniuk, who was the MVP, had an exceptional performance. I'm also very happy that we won 3-0 because several of our team members had cramps during the game, so they didn't have to play for a long time.
- Please give a message to your Japanese fans.
I have heard from Michal Kubiak and Bartek Kurek that Japanese fans are amazing. Thank you for being such wonderful fans of ours. I hope we can meet again soon at a tournament or something. I am always looking forward to playing volleyball in Japan.
Eric Shoji (Saksa/USA)
-How do you feel right now?
It's a great feeling. Of course we got to the Champions League final and then we won it, 3-0. It's fantastic.
-You hurt your leg during the match. Are you okay?
I had some calf cramps, just a small area, but I was just excited and the third set was hard, so maybe I drank too much water, but now I'm fine.
What do you think was the key to your victory?
I think we were able to play consistently and without wavering. We had great receptions, we were able to put a lot of pressure on the opponent, and Semeniuk was crazy. As was the case throughout the season, I think consistency and pressure were the key.
- Please give a message to your Japanese fans.
To all my Japanese fans, I love you! I'm sure you all know how much I love you. Part of my roots are Japanese and my family is from Japan. (In Japanese) Thank you! I look forward to seeing you all soon.
Matej Kaziski (Trento/Bulgaria, former JTEKT)
-What do you think about today's tragedy?
I don't think it's that tragic. We felt some pressure in the final and they started better. But we had a lot of chances in the second set. But still, in the crucial moments of the match, I don't want to say it was easy, but we couldn't take some points that we should have taken, and we handed the momentum to them again, and we ended up losing 3-0. We definitely could have played better, but I have no regrets.
-What do you think about Zakusa winning the championship for the second consecutive year?
They're great. I think they were well prepared and they played great volleyball. They're the best team. They won. Unfortunately we didn't take a set from them and we didn't create panic on their court.
-Can you give a message to your Japanese fans?
I miss Japan so much, especially the JTEKT fans. I hope to see you all again soon. (In Japanese) Thank you!
thoughts
I somehow expected that Zakusa would win, but I didn't expect the match to be so one-sided. The third set was certainly a close one, but Zakusa's court was much calmer than the score difference would suggest, while Trent Court seemed to be under a lot of pressure and was in a state of chaos.
Compared to the women's match, I felt that the presence of serves and mid-range serves was much greater. In terms of serves, my impression watching the match was that Trent served more, but when I actually looked at the stats, Zakxa had more serve errors (Trent: 11 vs. Zakxa: 17). When I wondered why this was, I realized that Trent had many serve errors in important situations where he thought, "If I can get a break here, I can get into the flow!", while Zakxa had fewer serve errors in important situations, and she actively used short serves to reduce risk and control the rallies to her advantage.
However, last year was the first time that a Polish club became European champions, and this year they have done so again. It feels like the era of Polish club teams has already come. As a Polish fan, I am very happy.
Sekita, who played in the Polish League last season, will return to the V League with JTEKT next season. We are looking forward to seeing who the next Japanese player to fly to Poland will be.
It is becoming commonplace these days for Japanese players to play in the top leagues or top teams in Europe, especially in men's leagues in Italy, Poland, Germany, etc. Perhaps it won't be long before we see a Japanese player on the court in the European Champions League?!
Photo: CEV
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