Slovenians celebrating third win in their first FIVB World League season
Ljubljana, Slovenia, June 19,2016 - Slovenia leave Ljubljana with three wins in the pocket as they claimed victory over Venezuela with 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 26-24. 25-22). The strongest man in Andrea Giani’s team was Tine Urnaut who recorded 14 points all in attack. Top scorer of the match was Kervin Pinerua of Venezuela with 21 points.
The clash between Slovenia and Venezuela who never met before will set the curtain on the Pool A FIVB World League tournament in Ljubljana. Both, the home favourites and South Americans, won their first two meetings against Qatar and Tunisia by only dropping one set along the way and both are coached by Italian mentor. They are both also looking very strong in the overall group 3 rankings trailing only Greece.
The game in which the stake was to move to the next round invincible started as a head-to-head race with neither team being able to move into the lead. The result remained tight till 12-9 when Venezuelans moved ahead by 3 points. But, Slovenians levelled at 13 and moved up to 17-15. In the nail biting ending when the teams fought hard for each point South Americans closed their game at 25-23 to take the first set with their captain Pinerua being the top scorer with 9 points.
The score remained tied up also in the second set with Venezuela in the small lead most of the time. In the battle of the two captains at the end of the set Tine Urnaut brought it home for Slovenia at 25-22.
In the third Venezuelans started a bit better and took the lead by three at 7-5. After 9 all it was a back and forth race. When South Americans climbed five points ahead at 17-12 Slovenians regained their momentum and with two successive Tine Urnaut’s spikes equalized at 21. Andrea Giani’s team with the help of roaring home crowd closed the set at 26-24.
Poor Venezuela’s serving at the beginning of the fourth set put the Slovenians in three point lead at 13-10. With great confidence and strong mind they brought the match safely to end at 25-22.