Tonček Štern (in a darker sport) is also the most effective player in the final of the national championship. Photo: Jan Uršič/Calcit Volley
ACH and Calcit deserve more viewers
The volleyball players of ACH Volley are only one more victory away from the new, already twenty-second national championship title, as they were better than Calcit Volley both times in the first two matches of the final series. The third match of the final series will take place on Wednesday at 8 pm in the Tivoli hall.
Due to the occupancy of the Tivoli Hall during the final tournament of the Slovenian Handball Cup, the volleyball players from Ljubljana and Kamnik will compete in it only in the third match. Last Wednesday, the locals from Kamnič were in the first place, and on Saturday, the two teams competed in the Maks Pečar hall in Črnuče. Both games ended in the same score, 3-0 for the defending national champions, but victories were harder to come by than the score indicated.
The key difference is opportunities taken
“It may have worked really easily as a result, but it wasn’t so easy on the pitch. We are not yet at the desired level with the service, but in general I think we are playing good volleyball. A lot of credit for this also goes to the Kamnik volleyball players, who are a technically good team and stable in receiving as well. In the middle of the season, they gained a lot with the Turkish game organizer Yatgin, but their corrector Oman is very unfavorable in the attack,” he praises the Kamnik team Igor Kolakoviccoach of ACH Volley, who had some slumps in the game on Saturday, but came back into the game with good defense and fight.
“We took a step forward in the second match, even though the result was the same as in Kamnik. Our game was significantly better, but still not good enough for such a quality opponent. In the end, the key difference was again in the opportunities we had, but we didn’t know how to take advantage of them. In easy and semi-easy balls, which we should have finished, we did not do this, while the people of Ljubljana save such balls flawlessly. This was the biggest difference, but of course the individual quality is also on their side,” but the outcome of the final series so far saw Gregor Rozmancoach of Kamnik volleyball players.
The final series between the people of Ljubljana, previously the people of Blej and the people of Kamnica, is their twelfth in history. Only the first one, in 2001, was won by Calcit Volley, and ever since 2012, when the two teams met in the finals for the second time, the orange dragons were better, and after 2005, they remained without the title of national champion until 2021. At that time, it was taken away from them by Maribor, who were already eliminated in the quarter-finals of the playoffs this year. They were eliminated by Panvita Pomgrad from Sobo, and last year’s finalist Alpacem Kanal also remained without a semifinal. Krka from Novi Sad was fatal for him.
Calcit Volley is looking for the perfect match
“If there was more uncertainty in these matches, maybe there would be more spectators in the stands, but true volleyball fans have something to see in these matches as well. I hope that there will be slightly more spectators at the next, maybe the last match. We understand that the audience is demanding and that they often wait for European matches, but we also have to respect the domestic championship – especially because Kamnik is playing really well,” says Kolaković, who promises that his team will play responsibly again. “We have to respect the opponent in all elements of the game and try to finish the final series. That would be ideal.”
In the Kamnik camp, they are aware that it will be difficult to surprise the team that made it to the semi-finals in the CEV Cup. “Of course, it’s not the best feeling when you know you’re playing well, but it’s still not enough to even win a set. In order to bring the series back to Kamnik, we will have to show a flawless game, play above our limits and take advantage of every opportunity. Against a team like this, you know that nothing will be given to you – you have to win everything yourself. We will have to be even more collected and courageous in key moments,” the receiver from Kamenice is aware of the difficult task ahead of his team Jure Okrogličwho won the title of national champion three times in 2019 and 2022 in the Ljubljana jersey.
On Wednesday, there will also be a third match for the final third place between Panvita Pomgrad and Krka. The Novi Meščani won the first match in Murska Sobota, while the Sobočani were better in the Dolenj metropolis.
