Press release

Doha, Qatar, October 14, 2011 – Zenit Kazan finished the FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship with the bronze medal after defeating Sesi Sao Paulo 19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23 Friday afternoon in Doha, Qatar.

Zenit Kazan also won the bronze medal in the 2009 event.

Zenit Kazan was paced by Maxim Mikhaylov’s 20 points, followed by Alexander Volkov’s 11 points. Alexey Obmochaev notched 19 digs and 15 excellent receptions for Zenit Kazan. Murilo Endres led Sesi Sao Paulo with 23 points, while Wallace Martins contributed 13 points.

Zenit Kazan held a 13-5 block advantage, while Sesi Sao Paulo produced a 6-2 margin in aces. Sesi Sao Paulo committed 28 errors to Zenit Kazan’s 21. Sesi Sao Paulo managed a 58-51 margin in attack points.

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.

Sesi Sao Paulo went in front 3-1 in the opening set on a block by Martin Wallace, who then served an ace at 6-3. Sesi Sao Paulo reached the first technical timeout leading 8-4 following an ace by Leonardo Cruz Miranda. Murilo Endres extended the advantage to 12-6 with consecutive cross-court winners, then Zenit Kazan was called for a net violation on a no-blocker overpass attack at 13-6. Yury Berzhko and Alexander Volkov slammed consecutive attacks to cut the deficit to 13-9 as Sesi Sao Paulo called timeout. Rodrigo Santana scored a block to extend the Sesi Sao Paulo advantage to 19-14. Berezhko cut the gap to two points at 19-17 on an attack, but Sesi scored three quick points including spikes by Murilo and Wallace at 23-18. Cruz Miranda capped the set at 25-19 with a block, the team’s third of the set. Murilo scored six points in the opening set to pace Sesi Sao Paulo.

Zenit Kazan started the second set with a 4-2 lead thanks to two spikes each by Maxim Mikhaylov and Alexey Cheremisin. Sesi Sao Paulo leveled the score on a Wallace ace, then went in front 7-5 on consecutive Zenit Kazan attack errors. Zenit Kazan bounced back to tie the set with an Nikolay Apalikov block. Wallace provided Sesi Sao Paulo a two-point cushion at 10-8 by tipping over the block. Murilo slammed consecutive attacks for points to place the score at 13-9. Apalikov put up a block and Volkov served an ace to put Zenit Kazan in a tie at 15-all, then Cheremisin hit off the Sesi Sao Paulo block to allow Zenit Kazan to reach the technical timeout in front 16-15. Zenit Kazan gained a four-point cushion at 21-17 after blocks by Apalikov and Mikhaylov around consecutive Sesi Sao Paulo attack errors. Volkov tallied the sixth block of the set for Zenit Kazan to extend their lead to 23-18. Zenit Kazan ended the set 25-20 on a Sesi Sao Paulo service error. Mikhaylov tallied six points for Zenit Kazan in the second set.

Zenit Kazan began the third set with a 3-1 lead following consecutive Sesi Sao Paulo attack errors. Mikhaylov added an attack at 5-2, only to have Sesi Sao Paulo chip away at the lead to one point at 7-6 after a Diogo De Andrade attack. Sidnei dos Santos Junior blocked a Zenit Kazan attack to knot the score at 7-all. Evgeny Sivozhelez gave Zenit Kazan a 9-7 advantage on a cross-court winner, but Sesi Sao Paulo quickly tied it at 9-all on a Santos Junior ace and went in front 10-9 on a Wallace attack. Mikhaylov reversed the lead to Zenit Kazan on a 12-11 with an attack. A Sesi Sao Paulo error lifted Zenit Kazan in front by two at 14-12. Volkov was part of a triple block that sent Zenit Kazan into the second technical timeout leading 16-13. Out of the break, Sesi Sao Paulo could not handle the serve of Mikyahlov which extended the gap to four at 17-13. Sesi Sao Paulo cut the deficit in half with a De Andrade attack at 18-16, Murilo hit off the block to narrow the score to 19-18. Volkov blocked a soft Sesi Sao Paulo attack to create a 22-19 advantage for Zenit Kazan. Volkov helped on yet another block to inch the score to 23-19. Sesi Sao Paulo saved two set points to move within one at 24-23 at a Zenit Kazan timeout. Out of the break, Sesi Sao Paulo served long to yield a 25-23 victory for Zenit Kazan.

Sesi Sao Paulo grabbed an early 5-3 lead in the fourth set, then Murilo extended the distance to three points at the first technical timeout. Out of the break Murillo slammed an overpass to push the score to 9-5. Zenit Kazan narrowed the deficit to 9-8 on consecutive Sesi Sao Paulo attack errors. Mikhaylov served an ace an Volkov hit off the block to yield a 13-12 Zenit Kazan advantage into a Sesi Sao Paulo timeout. Sesi Sao Paulo responded by retaking the lead at 14-13 on a Santos Junior spike. Apalikov placed a block on the scoreboard, which reversed to Zenit Kazan at 15-14 and followed with a Cheremisin attack at 16-14. Out of the break Apalikov added another block for a 17-14 advantage. Zenit Kazan reached a four-point advantage at 21-17 after a Sesi Sao Paulo error. Sesi Sao Paulo closed to 22-21, but Mikhaylov powered a spike off the block to yield a two-point cushion. Priddy gave Zenit Kazan set and match points at 24-22, then Cheremisin finished the set with a spike at 25-23.