Women’s Volley League: Qualifying thriller for PAOK, prevailed in AEK’s golden set

After an incredible thrill that lasted three hours, PAOK defeated AEK 3-1 and won the golden set 20-18 to win the final ticket to the semi-finals where they will face Panathinaikos!

The game was a true advertisement for women’s volleyball, a horrific battle between two equal teams who passionately demanded victory, achieved incredible upheavals and finally PAOK got the win which was their first this year against AEK (had won all 4 previous games) .

AEK had their chances, especially in the third set where they lost three bowl sets that would qualify them, but also in the golden set that had three bowl sets but failed to finish qualifying.

The game: In the first set, AEK led 3-5 but PAOK with a quick 4-0 overtook 7-5 and extended a big difference (9-6, 16-11) to end the set 25-19.

It was initially more even in the second set, with PAOK hitting +2 (14-12) for the first time and AEK equalizing 17-17. There, PAOK capitalized on AEK’s mistakes to get away 20-17 and hit a triple set of bowls 24-21. Lindsay got the change, Tsochatzi served, Kojiar and Merteki scored (24-24), AEK made it 24-25 and eventually won the set 25-27 after Lee’s bad pass.

Now AEK was one set away from qualifying and PAOK started the third set impressively as they led 6-0, 8-2, but Union started to gnaw the difference (8-5) by taking the Pressured serve to equal at 13-13 and overtake at 14-15.

However, 18-17 became 20-17 with two back-to-back outs from Lindsay, with PAOK holding the +3 through 22-19, making it 22-22 with Tsochatzi back in service. Fidon beat PAOK (23-22), Kojiar lost serve and made an incredible mistake in a cuff twist to take AEK to a set of bowls. In the next phase, Terel and Kosma lost qualifying counterattacks (24-24), as did Lindsay at 26-27, who made out with the American and then received two blocks from Kojiar and Polynopoulou, who made the final 29-27.

The fight continued in the fourth set, where 4-6 became 11-9 for PAOK, but at 13-11, AEK with Brown in service made it 13-15, which was 17-15 (16-15 with Red on the Union bench ) would come to 21-21. PAOK took the lead with an out from Terel and went 24-21 with two counterattacks from Kojiar to send the match to the golden set with another successful counter from Polynopoulou.

PAOK started impressively in gold, going 4-0 and 7-2, but Polynopoulou’s serve loss and AEK’s good service brought the surprise (7-6), with Union at 9-8 going from a series of 0-3 ( Vergidou service) for 9-11 and the time-out by Feolio. PAOK was able to equalize to 12-12 with Merteki but lost two counterballs (12-13 Terrell) for Kojiar to equalize in the next stage. In the next phase, Fidon’s individual block in Terrell put PAOK a point out of qualifiers, Brown made it 14-14 and her block in Fidon put AEK on a qualifier position.

Polynopoulou replied (15-15), Brown made it 15-16 and Kojiar made it 16-16, with the Spaniard losing a counter (Lindsey block, Brown), but Findon equalized again at 17-17.

Lindsay made it 17-18 with a clever placement and there we had Kosmas’ injury from Belia (he accidentally took out her lens) which put Dioti in the match with Kojiar equalizing again.

PAOK took the lead again with a block from Mertekis, Polynopoulou in Lindsay, which proved fatal when he crossed his foot at PAOK Stadium in the next stage after a block attempt to make the final 20-18.

As mentioned above, PAOK meets Panathinaikos in the semi-finals, with the round starting on Holy Wednesday in Agios Thomas (PAO has home advantage), and qualification will be judged on 2 wins.

PAOK – AEK 3-1 Gold rate: 20-18

The sentences: 3-1 (25-19, 25-27, 29-27, 25-21), gold set: 20-18 in 145′

* Points from PAOK come from opponent’s 1 Ace, 86 Attack, 12 blocks and 25 errors and AEKs from opponent’s 8 Aces, 61 Attack, 14 blocks and 29 errors.

PAOK (Marco Fenolio): Polynopoulou 7 (7/13 ff.), Kalantadze 5 (5/8 ff.), Merteki 21 (18/41 ff., 3 blocks, 35% yp – 26% excellent), Kojiar 44 (39/79 ff., 1 ace, 4 blocks), Fidipon 18 (15/37 run, 3 blocks), Li Da 3 (1/7 run, 2 blocks) / Xanthopoulou (l, 50% under – 45% excellent), Iliopoulou, Klepkou 1 ( 1/1 ff., 67% min. – 67% excellent), Tsioga.

AEK (Costas Arseniadis): Kosma 5 (3/29ff, 1 ace, 1 block, 33% vs – 27% excellent), Vander 27 (20/55ff, 4 aces, 3 blocks, 51% vs – 43% excellent), Terrell 21 (21/59 ff.), Vergidou 5 (3/4 ff., 2 blocks), Kavvadia 2 (1/2 ff., 1 ace), Brown 18 (13/24 ff., 1 ace, 4 blocks ). ) ) / Georgiadou (l, 72% yp – 65% excellent), Belia (l), Dioti, Tsochatzi, Gudimenko 5 (1 ace, 4 blocks).