Monday night was very emotional for the fans at Ergo Arena in Gdansk. The match day was a conclusion of the group stage for Estonia, Finland, Poland and Serbia. Though Serbia didn’t loose any game, most of the matches in the group were very tight. As a result, each team had a chance to continue their journey with Lotto Eurovolley 2017.
Serbia – Finland
Serbia was definitely a favorite of this match. The Finns though didn’t want to give up too easily. The players had a support of a big crowd of fans throughout the whole game.
The match started very well for Serbians, who quickly showed who is the favorite. They quickly managed to dominate the opponents with a 4 point advantage. The Finns were trying hard, but their efforts and the fighting spirit weren’t enough to win the game. The set ended with a score 25:20 for Serbia.
Serbians started the second part of the game with a strong hit. Tough the Finns were trying hard, they couldn’t level up with the team from Serbia. The advantage was growing and Finland had to face loss of the set again. This time though the point difference was 7 points.
The final try
The Finns used the break well. They visibly gathered their thoughts, focused and strengthened their serves. As a result, the third part of the game was visibly different. The team from Finland leveled the match and they even managed to lead by 3 points for a while. The third part of the game turned into the longest set so far at Eurovolley 2017. Neither of teams could gain two points advantage for a longer time. The set ended with a score 34:32.
The final score of the match was 3:0 (25:20, 25:18, 34:32) for Serbia. This didn’t eliminate the Finns from the tournament, though. The team from Finland will play in play-offs.
Poland – Estonia
The second game of the day was definitely the loudest at Eurovolley 2017 so far. Ergo Arena filled with Polish volleyball fans, who are well known for creating a great atmosphere. Estonian fans came to the stadium to make lots of noise as well. Both nations knew well that the teams count on their support.
The amazing atmosphere in the arena definitely gave the teams an additional boost. Both teams started the game on a very high level. Throughout the whole set the Estonians were playing on top of their skills. As a result they were facing much more experience team from Poland equally. The first set ended with a score 25:21 for the Poles.
The second set followed the pattern of the first part of the game. Great, loud cheering accompanied with fighting spirit of both teams created an unforgettable spectacle. Estonians were very close to winning the second set. The Polish team was though slightly better and this part of the game ended with the score 26:24.
Third and out
The third part of the game began with a good performance of Robert Taht. This resulted in three points of advantage at the early stage of the set. The experienced Poles managed to chase up the score, though. Yet, the set ended unfortunate for the Estonians, when Renee Teppan sent his serve on out.
The final score of the game was 3:0 (25:21, 26:24, 25:22) for Poland. For Estonians it means the end of the adventure with European Championships. Even though they are out of the tournament, their willingness to fighting and the support of their fans will stay in the record for a long time.
Play Off stage
Poland and Finland are now playing in the play off stage of the Eurovolley 2017. All matches of this stage will take place on Wednesday, the 30th of August at 5:30 pm. In Katowice Italy will face Turkey and in Cracow the Finns are facing Bulgaria.
The second part of the match day starts with Poland meeting Slovenia at 8:30 pm in Cracow. In Katowice France will play against Czech Republic.
