That was so much fun yesterday, how about we do it again,.yes? Today we see the two teams not in action yesterday, and we start with the new kids on the block, team Canada.
Realistically, they should be happy just to be here. They won't say they are, and with any good fortune they won't play like they are, but they're probably in over their heads here playing this week against the two teams who contested the Olympic final last summer. They have reached a new high-water mark for the program just by making it (notwithstanding three previous Olympic appearances), so anything more is gravy.
The Russians, as mentioned yesterday, entered the tournament as one of the big favourites, along with their erstwhile first opponents. Realistically, the situation gives Canada everything to gain and nothing to lose, and Russia just the opposite. Russia should blow Canada away, at least by the common perception.
Russia started out strong, getting the sideout and then two on serve. Looked like we may have seen our first replay challenge on the second rally, as Gord Perrin's hit was ruled wide, but very close. No challenge came. On the third rally, Canada put up a solid triple block against Nikolay Pavlov, and he made a very smart roll shot to get around it. On 4-2, Canada again put up a strong block, and appeared to score with it, but the point was awarded to Russia. Canada did challenge this call, but it was upheld on replay, as a net violation was given against the Canadians. Rudy Verhoeff, who started the match on serve, came up with an impressive block against the big man Dimitry Muserskiy to make it 7-4, and it was 8-5 at the technical timeout.
At the technical timeout, Canada coach Glenn Hoag told his men to serve more aggressively, going for the ace on the line rather than serving directly to the Russian receivers. On 10-7, Verhoeff's serve was the first of the night that seemed to disrupt the Russian offence, as they could only return a free ball. Justin Duff made an on-target pass to setter Dustin Schneider, for a picture-perfect sideout kill. At 11-8, It looked like Russia hit the ball long, but they challenged and the call was overruled. Because it was correct to overrule, and it took less than 10 seconds to make the determination. Gotta love it. Russia took a five-point lead for the first time at 14-9, and Canada expended a charged timeout. Hoag excoriated his players to get his players to get in better position on defence. A double block by Muserskiy and Sergey Grankin brought us to the second technical timeout with Russia leading 16-10, the same 8-5 pace they had from first serve to the first technical.
Canada went to work there, cutting the gap with some impressive swings by Perrin and team captain Fred Winters. Perrin's to close the deficit to 18-15 seemed to particularly impress commentator Paul Sunderland. A little later, Gavin Schmitt subbed in to the match, playing with a stress fracture in his leg (ouchies). He appeared to have a kill to close Canada to within a point on 19-18, but the call was overturned. Canada called timeout there, and on the return Nikolay Apalikov missed his serve. Evgeny Sivozhelez got the sideout on the next rally. On 21-18, Dmitriy Spiridonov successfully angled his shot into the hands of blocker Josh Howatson and to the antenna, re-establishing a four-point lead for the Russians. 23-20 was a long rally, showing the Canadian defence was getting a little better than earlier in the match, but the point still went to the Russians to give them set point. They only needed the one shot at it, as Apalikov found the floor to close it out 25-20.
I had a computer crash during set 2, and lost two paragraphs worth of running commentary. Suffice it to say Canada came out of the gates stronger in set 2. Perrin, Schmitt, and Winters — and about in that order — found the floor with relative ease against the Russians in the early going. Russia had serious troubles keeping their serves in as well. Canada led 8-6 at the first technical timeout and erased a one-point deficit to lead 16-15 at the second. The chain may have snapped there, though, as Russia took their net lead in the set right away after TT2, at 17-16, and led by 20-18 at Canada's first timeout. They made it to 23-19 to prompt Canada's second, and it looked like another strong opportunity was slipping away from the Canadians. Russia reached set point on 24-20 and put it away on reception for a 25-21 final.
Set 3 was an even exchange of points to begin with. Both sides got service point,s but nobody led by two prior to the technical timeout. with Verhoeff's kill taking us there on 8-7. Russia scored on serve at 9-all, with Spiridonov getting the kill from the pipe, but Schmitt sided out on the next rally to keep Russia from taking the 'true' lead. It went sideout after sideout again from there, until Winters scored a service ace on 13-all to put Canada up a point. They gave the point back on 14-all when Spiridonov's serve elicited an overpass, which the Russian front line easily converted. Adam Simac checked in for his first action of the match in the points leading up to the technical timeout, but still it went sideout after sideout to the second technical with Russia up a scant 16-15. Still, neither side had led by 2 yet in the set.
Canada got the sideout straight after the second technical, sending Schneider back to serve. He came up with two dandy serves that completely baffled the Russian back line, both falling in for aces. That at last afforded Canada the first two-point lead, at 18-16. Russia coach Andrey Voronkov called time and inserted a sub, Ilia Zhilin, who had played so strongly off the bench in the match against Brazil. This time it was Canada's turn to run a couple of broken plays, and a block for Muserskiy against Schmitt brought Russia back even at 18-all. Canada called time there. The smarmy Spiridonov got the kill on the first point back, putting Russia ahead 19-18. On Simac's serve at 20-all, Canada played a nice point, with the setter Schneider making the dig and Schmitt's hit, which I think would have found the floor anyway, bringing about a net touch from Grankin. Grankin's connection with Muserskiy looked a little wobbly on the next play, leading to another service point for Canada and the crucial late 2-point lead at 22-20.
Canada were ruled to have gotten a point to go up 23-20, but Russia challenged the ruling. I thought I heard a touch at the net, but the ball was ruled in on review. And the video evidence was very clear. And it took all of 4 seconds to see this. Replay review in sports, people. Get with it. Canada kept siding out and reached set point at 24-22. Pavlov got the Russians their sideout, kill off the block and out. to draw back within a point. Zhilin rotated to serve on 24-23. His serve didn't much matter, as 24-23 wound up being a very long rally. It took Canada five times of asking, but Perrin at last found the floor to extend the match to a fourth set.
Simac remained on the court, in favour of Duff, to start set 4. The set started off just like set 2 did, with a quick sideout and two in a row on serve for Schneider. 3-1 was an out-of-system play for Canada, resulting in Winters having to make the set. He set too close to the net, much too close with the behemoth Muserskiy waiting on the other side. Russia came level on the next point at 3-all, but then Schmitt fired back with two in a row to make it 5-3 Canada. Russia came level again at 6-all, even though Canada were succeeding at getting more block touches against Muserskiy. Just weren't converting them to scoring chances. On 7-all, Canada libero Dan Lewis, who had had kind of a difficult match (especially in passing) came up with a dandy of a dig to keep Apalikov from scoring the service point that would have put Russia up at the first technical timeout. Canada got the kill in transition to go up 8-7 as the teams headed to their benches.
Apalikov surged the Russians into the lead coming back from the technical, with some beach-esque roll and cut shots. They led by 11-9 on serve, but at that point Perrin came up with back-to-back winners to draw the set level once more. At that point, Dallas Soonias, who had started the match before being lifted for Schmitt late in set 1, came back in for the (lest we forget) still at least a little hurt big man. Verhoeff came up with the block (hashtag #VerhoeffWithTheRoof on twitter) to put Canada ahead 15-14, and the lead was 16-15 at the technical.
On 16-all, Sivozhelez got the service point to put Russia back on top a point, nicely angling his shot off the Canada block and out. Maxim Mikhaylov entered as a serving sub for Pavlov on 18-17, but Canada got the sideout, getting the perfect pass and quick set to the middle for Simac and the kill. On 18-all, Canada looked like they might go up a point with the pipe set, but Simac was whistled for a net fault. They looked like they may challenge for a moment, until Simac owned up to it. At 20-all, Canada went on the decisive run. Simac's service ace made it a 2-point set crucially late at 22-20. That was followed by a mis-hit from Muserskiy to bring it to 23-20, prompting Russia's timeout. The Canadians reached set point at 24-20, prompting Russia's second timeout. Can't take 'em with you. On 24-20, Mikhaylov beat Winters on a 1-on-1 blocking matchup, but at 24-21 Muserskiy netted his serve (really a dreadful serving match for the big man), and 25-21 meant we raced to 15.
Pavlov re-entered the match to replace Mikhaylov in the starting lineup for set 5, a slight surprise. They sided out to begin the decider and then got a touch of help from the officials on a tight lift call against the Canada setter Schneider. Then on 2-0, the Canada offence sort of broke down a little, leading to an easy winner for the Russian block. At 4-1, Russia had a shot to go up by four, but Sivozhelez' hit found the antenna before crossing the net. Russia added two after that to go up 6-2, and Hoag expended his timeout. He chided his men to be a little more fundamentally sound coming back.
But coming back, Winters overpassed into Spiridonov's waiting hands, to give Russia a huge 7-2 lead. Another bad pass could have ended up putting Russia up by six, but Simac and Soonias' double block bailed them out. Howatson re-entered the match here, replacing Schneider. Canada got a little lucky on the 7-3 rally, with a centre line violation being whistled against the Russians. On the 7-4 rally, Canada got the dig and then a kill for the lefty Soonias, drawing them a point closer. You have to think Russia coach Voronkov wanted to just wait for the side change to have a stoppage in play, but he was prompted into expending a timeout when Canada drew to within 7-6. Then on the first point back, another middle block tied up the set. Muserskiy at last sided the Russians out on 8-7, but the set looked way different in the late going than it did in the early.
Mikhaylov entered the match again after the side change, replacing Grankin as a blocking sub on 8-7. Sergey Makarov also entered as a "setting sub" if you will (he's the second-string setter) in the back row for Pavlov, but it didn't really matter, as Canada got the sideout. Spiridonov found a little seam in the triple block between Simac and Graham Vigrass. At 9-all, Perrin was whistled for a centre line violation, negating a chance for a big service point. Canada challenged, but the replay evidence was clear that the call was correct. Hoag called his last timeout there, on 10-9.
Vigrass got Canada the sideout with the quick hitter from the middle to tie the set at 10-all. He then rotated back to serve, but was replaced by Verhoeff. His first serve was a beauty of a changeup, falling in for an ace. On 11-10, Sivozhelez missed his hit, putting Canada up by 2. Then another ace made it 13-10 Canada, and Russia called time. Canada then reached match point on 14-10. Russia staved one off, but a big double block ended the story on 15-11, as the Canadians celebrated their biggest win ever.
Canada d. Russia (20-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-11)
It was simply a matter of believing you belonged there, from the looks of it. Canada were a little timid in sets 1 and 2, missing some chances at clutch points despite looking like they were right there with the Russians. And I said as much on twitter — this was not a "get off the bus and just win" situation. Not by any stretch of the imagination. And how about that fifth set — from falling down 7-2 to winning it 15-11. Ho-ly mackerel. What a turnaround.
I'm stunned. And absolutely over the moon. But the curious thing is this result still puts Russia through to the finals. Having played two matches, either Canada or Brazil can still overtake their standings or net points — but they can't both do it. So Russia are through. Whether they'll be pool #1 or #2 is still to be detrmined.
The scenarios for Canada and Brazil tomorrow are pretty simple — win and you're in. Any win in under 5 sets advances the winning team. A 5-set match likely favours Canada either way. They've got a better points ratio than Brazil (obviously, having won, while the Brazilians lost), and it's actually not close. Brazil would need to win their sets in a 5-set match pretty handily in order to get the higher net point ratio, but it is still possible.
And it's huge congratulations to the fellas from team Canada for the momentous win, likely the biggest in their history. Perrin led all scorers with 19 kills, with Schmitt coming up with a gutty 12 as a first-set sub and a starter in sets 2, 3, and 4 (he didn't play the 5th). Russia got way more kills in the match — 74 to 57 — and equal best on 17 were Pavlov and Spiridonov. Sivozhelez wasn't far behind with 16. Where Canada made their hay was was on the front line — 12 to 8 in blocks — but especially the service line. They got 7 service aces to just a single ace for the Russians, with two each for Schneider and Verhoeff. In a match were the total scores were only one point different, that really was the key.
I can't wait until tomorrow.
Read on for the Bulgaria/Italy report.
So this was an intriguing matchup, a rematch of the bronze medal match from last summer's London Olympics. Italy won that one in four sets. Just about all the Bulgarian World League squad are Olympic holdovers, while several key players return for Italy as well. Bulgaria's coach is an Italian, Camilo Placci, and most of his players have had experience in the Italian FIPAV, breeding intense familiarity between the two sides.
The first rally of the match was long, going to the Italians on serve. Emanuele Birarelli led the double block on the second rally, and then got the kill on the third to stake his side to an early 3-0 lead. Ivan Zaytsev scored his first of what were sure to be many kills from the right side, giving Italy another service point to put them up 5-1. Then there was a sideout pattern, to bring us to the first technical timeout pretty quickly, at 8-3.
The Italians seemed comfortable holding onto their 5-point advantage, as the level held there for a while. From 11-6, Tsvetan Sokolov and Todor Skrimov committed consecutive attacking errors, putting Italy up a pretty substantial seven as Bulgaria called time. Todor Aleksiev hit wide on the last point before the second technical timeout, coming at 16-8 in favour of l'azzurre (that's Italy). Bulgaria pulled back a point on 17-10 on a long hit by the middle blocker Thomas Beretta, and the Italian protested that there should have been a touch called on the block. But that's evidently not a challenge-able call — you can challenge in/out on the line, centre line violations, net touches, and ball in the antenna. It didn't really matter, as Italy went out to 19-10, prompting Bulgaria's second timeout.
And the beat went on. At 21-11, Bulgaria switched setters, Georgi Bratoev heading to bench in favour of Dobomir Dimitrov. 21-12 was the longest rally of the set, with Italy getting dig after dig afer dig, but Bulgaria finally winning the point by blocking Zaytsev. On 21-14, Italy setter Dragan Travica tried to get a little cute sending the ball over on 2 with a dink shot, but it somehow flew wide. Italy called time there to regroup, and stop the momentum from flowing to the other side. The timeout presaged an Italian sideout, as Zaytsev got the kill off the block and out. He had to kind of limbo out of the way of the block-return in midair, and did so quite well. Cristian Savani rotated to serve on 22-15, and uncorked an ace. He netted his next serve, but Italy easily reached set point on 24-16. Zaytsev hit wide there to stave it off. Italy challenged, but the call was correct. It took two reception attempts for Italy to convert, and they got it done on a hitting error by Skrimov, 25-18 the final.
Italy again edged out ahead in the early going in set 2, getting up by two almost immediately at 3-1. Sokolov continued his massive serving problems from a night ago (and a set ago), continually failing to even get the ball over the net and in bounds. Hey, forget about disrupting the opposing offence sometimes, just don't give away a point when you head back there. On 5-4, a cut shot from Italy's left side cut too much and landed wide, pulling the match even. Bulgaria took their first lead of the night on the next rally, and then Zaytsev hit into a double block by Aleksiev and Svetoslav Gotsev to make it 7-5 Bulgaria. Travica went back to him on the next rally, and he found the floor this time, siding Italy out on 7-6. Zaytsev served long when he rotated back there, and Bulgaria led 8-6 at the technical timeout.
The Italians kept missing hits and serves after the technical, and Bulgaria took advantage, going ahead three for the first time at 11-8. At 12-10, Savani and Birarelli got the double block against Sokolov, who immediately raised his hand as he went back to his teammates, accepting the blame. Another block, led by Birarelli, tied the scores at 12's, and Bulgaria called time. They got the sideout and then put up a well-formed block against Savani to go up by two again on 14-12. On 15-13, Bulgaria had a few chances to again go up three, but Aleksiev hit long to side the Italians out. Italy were whistled for a net fault to bring us to the second technical timeout, on 16-14.
Then after an ace serve for the Bulgarians, Italy called a charged timeout right away. Didn't really turn the tide. Sokolov, who seems this week to be doing everything right (other than serving) got the block against Zaytsev to bring us to 19-15, and Bulgaria seized a five-point lead at Italy's second timeout (20-15). Bulgaria really put on a blocking clinic after that, getting three on the bmp to lead by 23-15. They reached set point on 24-16, and Italy ably staved off two before Skrimov found the floor for the set point winner, 25-18.
Set 3 started off with an even exchange of points, but things got snippy on the 4-3 rally on Bulgaria's serve. They dug the hit from the Italian side and got off one of their own, that was ruled long. They challenged, but players at the net traded some verbal barbs before the challenge was carried out. There were also questions about whether Bulgaria were in their proper serving rotation. The challenge upheld the original call as the ball was long, and both teams were assessed a yellow card for the trash talk. The errors continued to pile up a little for Ivan Zaytsev, as his wide hit made it 8-7 Bulgaria upon the first technical timeout.
The teams traded points for a while after the technical. I guess if you have a cheering interest, that makes it tense and exciting, but as I didn't (and nobody really in the arena did, either), it made for kind of boring watching. Even with the trash-talking through the net. From 12-all, Bulgaria rattled off three on the bump to go up 15-12, a well-formed three-man block rejecting Zaytsev. Italy called a team timeout there, but an ace serve made it 16-12 on the next rally back, meaning there were just seconds between the team timeout and the technical.
Zaytsev got stuffed yet again on the first rally after the technical timeout, such that he had to be hitting negative efficiency at this point. He finally beat the block on the 19-14 rally, hitting off the block and out, touching off a good run for the Italians to make something of nothing. Bulgaria called time with their lead narrowed to 20-17 and then another when Zaytsev found the floor to bring his team within a point at 20-19. Sokolov and Aleksiev, who couldn't help but sideout earlier in the set, had all kinds of trouble doing it as the set wore on. Bad shot selection led to easy digs for the Italians, and Zaytsev got another kill to make it 20-all. Danail Milushev checked into the match to replace Sokolov upon the tie. Skrimov finally got the sideout at 21-20, hitting over the triple block for the kill. On 21-all, Italy's libero Andrea Giovi had to make a pretty weak bump set on something of a broken play, leading to an easily dug swing. But Skrimov bailed the Italians out, hitting about 5 feet long with no touch. Sokolov re-entered the match at that point, but he provided no lift, being blocked himself to put Bulgaria on the cusp of set point at 23-21. Another kill for Zaytsev and it was indeed set point on 24-21, sealing a 9-1 run on the part of the Italians. Italy converted set point on reception when Sokolov again failed to get his serve in.
Bulgaria took an early lead in set 4, claiming five of the first seven. They curiously opted for a replay challenge on the 5-2 rally, despite the ball landing quite clearly long and wide (past the corner). Of course, the replay upheld the original call. Italy came level at 5's when Bulgaria were whistled for a ball handling fault, and then with a block on their side. Skrimov got the service point back after the 6-5 sideout with an ace, but he missed his next attempt pretty far long. Aleksiev swung straight into Zaytsev and Barretta's double block on the next rally, making it 7-all. That's the score where you know the technical is coming up no matter what. Bulgaria got the sideout to take the slender lead.
The errors resumed for Zaytsev after the technical, as back-to-back hits intot he block put Bulgaria up 10-8. Italy came level at 12's, but solid serving from Sokolov put them out ahead three again at 15-12. On 15-13, Italy were called for a carry on reception, which is something you don't ordinarily see. It takes a pretty blatant catch or throw (which, similarly, you don't ordinarily see) to elicit the call, and that's exactly what happened there. It brought us to the second technical timeout, on 16-13 Bulgaria. The ensuing sideout string was broken on Italy's serve at 19-17, when Sokolov over-reached while the ball was entirely on Italy's side. That brought the boys in blue back within a point. On 20-19, both sides seemed to want the other whistled for a fault — either an overreach, or a net touch. The call went to Bulgaria in real time, and Italy challenged. This chalenge resulted in a reversed call, as Bulgaria's Viktor Yosifov was found to have netted. At 20-all, Travica served long, and Italy again challenged. This one didn't go their way, as the ball was clearly and obviously long. Italy called time there, down 21-20.
At 21-all, Savani scored on a tip that appeared to be nothing more than an attempt to keep the ball alive. Skrimov and the Bulgarian libero Teodor Salparov just kind of looked at each other as the ball fell in front of them. Having surrendered the lead, Bulgaria called time. Italy served long to make it 22-all, and then Savani got a little unlucky on his hit on the ensuing rally. The ball rolled on the top of the tape on its way out, for a point to the Bulgarians. Italy called their last there, on 23-22. Again on that rally, Bulgaria let a tip fall in that it looked like anybody could have easily dug. This time, the beneficiary was Birarelli, and he rotated back to serve. His jump-float found the sideline, giving Italy match point on 24-23. Bulgaria called time — the last timeout of the set — at that point.
Skrimov's serve reception wasn't great, but Sokolov bailed out his teammate to tie the set at 24's and send it to extras. Dimitrov came in as a serving/ball control sub there, but Italy got a first-ball sideout with Barretta, sending Zaytsev to the service line. The sub was undone, and Yosifov re-entered. On 25-24, Savani's hit went off the block and out of bounds for the win.
Italy d. Bulgaria (25-18, 18-25, 25-22, 26-24)
Just wasn't feeling this match as much as the last one. I suppose that's plain to see, but I don't think it was simply for the obvious reasons. This just wasn't a particularly interesting match, and the constant squawking by the two teams towards the officials didn't really help that.
Zaytsev proved himself the exemplar of what's called a "terminating hitter" in this match. He had 37 swings, and was dug on only 7 of them. 18 kills, 12 errors, and that's only a .162 efficiency. Some would say there's value in being a terminating swinger, but I don't see it. Say Zaytsev's 12 errors were all digs — chances are Italy would have won at least a few of those points in transition. Errors, forced or unforced, are points for the opponent, end of story. Those, of all things, should be disfavoured. The star in efficiency for Italy was Birarelli, with 12 kills in 13 swings. That's rather clownshoes.
Sokolov led Bulgaria with 21 kills, and added 3 blocks. The scoresheet shows him with 3 aces as well, and I have to wonder if that's not a mistake because he really did struggle even keeping a serve in as far as I rcealled. But, as I mentioned, I wasn't too enthralled by this match, so I may well have missed it.
Italy are back in action against Argentina tomorrow. Strictly speaking no one from Group D has yet qualified for the semis. If Argentina win tomorrow's match in under 5 sets, it'll go to net points. That's not too likely, though. Chances are Italy will win the match easily, which will advance Italy and Bulgaria to the semis.
But that's why they play the matches, and I'll be there for the coverage.
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