Earvin Ngapeth and Artem Volvich try to block Fakel's try to block Ivan Iakovlev of Fakel Novy Urengoy as defending champions Zenit Kazan open the 2018 FIVB Club World Championship with a stunning loss.
Plock, Poland, November 26, 2018 - With Artur Udrys, Dmitry Volkov and Egor Kliuka all scoring above twenty, Fakel Novy Urengoy stunned defending champions Zenit Kazan in the all-Russia derby of the 2018 FIVB Men's Club World Championship with a 3-2 (25-23, 26-28, 21-25, 25-22, 15-11) win.
It took Kazan four set points before Earvin Ngapeth sent the ball past the Fakel block and down the line to clinch the second set and bring his side back in the game.
Artur Udrys of Fakel Novy Urengoy comes up against Zenit Kazan's triple block of Alexander Butko, Alexey Samoylenko and Matt Anderson, Monday night at the 2018 FIVB Club Wold Championship.It was all back and forth from there on, with Kazan going ahead 2-1, but Fakel coming back to force a tie break.
And when Ivan Iakovlev stepped up to the service line at 14-11 in the fifth, he delivered a thundering ace on Matt Anderson to bring the game home.
That was one of Fakel's eight aces in the match as the Siberian side outplayed Kazan across board.
Udrys on 22, Volkov on 21 and Kliuka on 20 also outscored their opponent, who had Ngapeth and Maxim Mikhaylov on 19 each.
This is Kazan's first defeat this season across all competitions, domestic and international. Fakel and Kazan are the only two undefeated sides after six matchdays in the Russian Superleague. They are set to clash again in the domestic league immediately upon their return from Poland after the Club World Championship.
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