Panathinaikos is just one win away from the Women’s Volleyball League title. The Greens won a 3-1 set from Olympiakos at “Melina Merkouri”, made it 2-0 in a row and need a win on Saturday to win the title.

Kalmazidis’ team was more stable for most of the game and deservedly achieved the final victory. Olympiacos were a fighter, they had Tsitsigianni as a pleasant surprise that changed the flow of the game and confirmed their competitive rise.

The match: The second final started with a rather cautious attitude from both teams. Panathinaikos was the one to lead by two points (9-11), but Koumboura’s serves changed the picture, giving the Red and White team a two-point lead.

Olympiacos took advantage of Panathinaikos’ errors in reception and took a 19-15 lead. Papafotious’s serves allowed the green girls to run 4-0 and level the set (19:19).

The Red-Whites got away with two (23-21) with a block from Carraro in Grothes, but again the Kalmazidis players made it 23-23 with an ace from Anthoulis. Olympiacos had two bowl sets but failed to close the set, which Panathinaikos did on the first opportunity presented to them, with Anae writing 27-25.

With psychology at its peak, the greens fully asserting their own rhythm and the serve working brilliantly, Panathinaikos went strong into the second set and started building a difference from the start.

The Greens even led by eight points (10-18), the Red-Whites tried Miceli’s many substitutions, took the difference, but Panathinaikos finished the set 25-19.

We had big surprises in the third set. The greens came in better and led 7-3. Olympiacos responded with Tsitsigianni in their line-up instead of Koumboura and took a 12-11 lead with an ace from Salas.

The red-whites continued to apply pressure from the serve position and led 16-13 and 17-14. With Anthoulis serving, Panathinaikos took a 5-0 run to take a 17-20 lead.

Olympiacos responded with the same coin with a 3-0 lead, resulting in a point-to-point battle. The Greens lost three match points while in the fourth Papafotiou scored a net, the phase was verified by the video and the match did not end (27-27).

Salas then scored back-to-back points with an attack and a block to close the set 29-27, cutting it to 2-1 for the red-whites.

In the fourth set we again had a lot of swings. The two teams fought almost the entire duration of the game until halftime. Panathinaikos got away with three points at this point (14-17), but Olympiacos reacted quickly.

The two teams went hand in hand until the score was 20:20 when the Greens got away with an attack from Anae and a block from Medić at 22:20. That lead was held by the Greens to the end as Cross finished the set and match with the first score 25-23.

Olympiacos – Panathinaikos 1-3

The sentences: 25-27, 19-25, 29-27, 23-25

*Olympiakos points come from 4 aces, 61 attacks, 14 blocks and 17 enemy errors and Olympiakos points come from 11 aces, 72 attacks, 10 blocks and 11 enemy errors.

OLYMPIACOS SFP (Lorenzo Micelli): Emmanuilidou 9 (5/16 ref., 4 blocks), Winters 16 (14/37 ref., 1 ace, 1 block, 58% sub. – 29% excellent), Lambrousi 4 (2/4 ref., 2 blocks) , Salas 22 (17/34 ff., 1 ace, 4 blocks, 41% sub. – 27% excellent), Koumboura 8 (7/22 ff., 1 ace), Carraro 2 (2 blocks) / Kosmas (l, 34% under – 21% excellent), Tsitsigianni 16 (14/44 ref, 1 ace, 1 block), Christodoulou 2 (2/2 ref), Genitsaridis.

PANATHINAIKOS AO (Yiannis Kalmazidis): Anae 20 (19/43 ref., 1m block, 39% sub. – 29% excellent), Grotous 15 (15/35 ref., 78% sub. – 48% excellent), Papafotiou 5 (1/5 ref., 4 aces), Anthoulis 30 (25/63 ff., 3 aces, 2 blocks), Cross 8 (4/15 ff., 1 ace, 3 blocks), Medic 15 (8/17 ff., 3 aces, 4 blocks ). ) / Roga (l, 47% sub. – 20% excellent), Chatziefstratiadou, Nikologianni, Metaxas.

THE FINAL PLAN

First Final – Saturday 29 April 2023

• Panathinaikos AO – Olympiakos SFP 3-1 (25-10, 10-25, 25-21, 29-27)

Second Final – Wednesday 3 May 2023

• 18h00: Olympiacos SFP – Panathinaikos AO 1-3 (25-27, 19-25, 29-27, 23-25)

Third Final – Saturday 6 May 2023

• Olympic facilities closed, 7pm: Panathinaikos AO – Olympiakos SFP

Fourth Final – Wednesday 10 May 2023 (if required)

• Gym “Melina Merkouri”, 18.00: Olympiacos SFP – Panathinaikos AO

Fifth Final – Saturday 13 May 2023 (if required)

• St. Thomas Gymnasium, 9.30pm: Panathinaikos AO – Olympiakos SFP