Press release

Doha, Qatar, October 10, 2011 – Poland’s Jastrzebski Wegiel saved three match points to remain undefeated in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship with a 25-22, 25-17, 11-25, 21-25, 19-17 victory Russia’s Zenit Kazan on Monday evening.

Jastrzebski improved to 2-0 in Pool A and will conclude the group against Canada’s Trinity Western Spartans Vancouver (1-1) on Tuesday. Zenit Kazan ends Pool A with a 2-1 record and qualifies for the semifinals with seven group points. The top two teams in each of the four-team pools advance to the semifinal round that starts on Oct. 13.

Jastrzebski Wegiel was led by Michal Lasko’s 24 points, while teammate Zbigniew Bartman and Michal Kubiak chipped in 13 points. Maxim Mikhaylov scored 27 points to pace Zenit Kazan, while William Priddy contributed 15 points.

Jastrzebski Wegiel held a 14-13 margin in blocks and a 4-2 edge in service aces.

For additional information on the FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship, click here. For more informaton on the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship, click here. For Daily Bulletins for the tournament, click here.

Zenit Kazan earned the first two-point cushion of the opening set at 5-3, then Volkov hit a quick attack from the middle and Priddy netted a block to extend the lead to 7-3. Jastrzebski Wegiel rolled off three straight including a Lasko ace to close to 7-6. Zenit Kazan reached the second technical timeout leading 16-13 on a Mikhaylov spike. Lasko tied the set at 17-all with a spike as part of a 3-0 scoring run. Jastrzebski Wegiel forged ahead at 19-18 on a Zenit Kazan attack error. Kubiak notched a spike and Zenit Kazan was called for an attack error to increase Jastrzebski Wegiel’s advantage to 22-19. Bartman ended the first set with a block at 25-22. Lasko led Jastrzebski Wegiel with five points.

Lasko pounded an attack off the block to yield an early 2-0 lead in the second set for Jastrzebski Wegiel, but Zenit Kazan rallied to tie the set at 3-all, then Yury Berzhko downed an attack for a 4-3 Zenit Kazan lead. Jastrzebski jumped their lead to 7-4 on a Lasko kill. Priddy collected a spike to close the Zenit Kazan gap to 9-8. A Jastrzebski attack into the net leveled the score at 10-all, then Mikhaylov pounded an attack for a Zenit Kazan 11-10 lead. Lasko formed a block with Holmes to reverse the lead to Jastrzebski at 12-11. Jastrzebski reached the second technical timeout leading 16-13 on three unanswered points. Jastrzebski continued their momentum through the end, which was a Ashlei Nemer ace at 25-17.

Zenit Kazan took a 5-2 lead in the third set with consecutive blocks by Vermiglio and Volkov. Mikhaylov hit around the block and Jastrzebski Wegiel it wide to increase Zenit Kazan’s lead to 8-3 at the first technical timeout. Priddy gained a block to extend Zenit Kazan’s advantage to 11-4. Out of a Jastrzebski Wegiel timeout, Apalikov added two blocks and Priddy another block to increase the lead to 14-4. Zenit Kazan reached the second technical timeout leading 16-5 after Jastrzebski could not control their opponent’s attack. Volkov contributed a block to push the gap to 12 points at 20-8 going into a Jastrzebski timeout. After a Mikhaylov spike, Priddy scored on a block to increase the advantage to 22-8. Zenit Kazan finished the set with a 25-11 victory on a Priddy spike. Zenit Kazan totaled eight blocks in the third set, including three by Priddy.

The fourth set remained close in the early stages with neither team holding more than a point lead as Jastrzebski Wegiel reached the first technical timeout leading 8-7. Bontje rejected a Zenit Kazan attack for the first two-point cushion of the set at 12-10. Zenit Kazan tied the set at 14-all, only to have Lasko slam an attack to regain a two-point edge for Jastrzebski Wegiel at 16-14. Mikhaylov slammed a kill and went back to serve an ace to tie the score at 18-all. Zenit Kazan went in front 20-19 on a block error by Jastrzebski Wegiel. Apalikov created a block to end a long rally putting Zenit Kazan up 23-21. Out of a Jastrzebski timeout, Priddy hit off the block to reach set points at 24-21, then Mikhaylov hit a cross-court winner at 25-21 as Zenit Kazan scored the final four points of the set. Mikhaylov ended the set with eight total points.

The lead switched three times early in the fifth set including a kill by Priddy at 5-4 for Zenit Kazan. Bartman put up a block to provide Jastrzebski Wegiel an 8-7 lead at the court switch. Jastrzebski gained the first two-point cushion at 11-9 with a block from Kubiak, then Lasko added a second straight block for a 12-9 advantage. Volkov converted a block to close the gap to 12-11. Priddy leveled the score at 12-all with a block. Jastrzebski reached the first set point at 14-13 on a Volkov service error, but Zenit Kazan saved the point and earned their first match point with a Mikhaylov kill at 15-14. Russell Holmes reversed the lead with a block at 18-17, then Holmes combined for a block at 19-17.