The regular season of Russian Superleague came to an end. Zenit Kazan and Gubernia Nizhny Novgorod turned out to be best respectively in blue and red group, as the result, both the teams have already booked quarter-finals spots. The Champions League winner, Lokomotiv Novosibirsk, and Fakel Novy Urengoy should brush up their shape of the QF too while Grozny, Yaroslavich, Soligorsk, and Prikam Perm need to focus on the struggle to remain in Superleague.
All results of the 22nd leg
Group of Blue
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk – Yaroslavich Yaroslavl 3:0 (25:10, 25:14, 25:19)
Top Scorers: Zhylin 11, Biryukov 10, Gatsalyuk 9, Volvich 8; Bojic 8, Pluzhnikov 8, Logunov 4, Kolesnik 2
Grozny – Kuzbass Kemerovo 2:3 (20:25, 25:16, 19:25, 25:23, 12:15)
Top Scorers: Shipotko 20, Ptak 14, Bestuzhev 13, Antipkin 5; Moroz 25, Andrae 15, Tuia 10, Shcherbakov 8
Ural Ufa – Gazprom Yugra Surgut 3:0 (25:19, 25:20, 25:17)
Top Scorers: Vissotto 15, Spiridonov 14, Abramov 10, Kazakov 8, Ashchev 5; Aleksiev 12, Rodichev 11, Todorov 6, Smolyar 5, Mysin 5
Belogorie Belgorod – Zenit Kazan 3:2 (25:23, 19:25, 26:24, 22:25, 15:12)
Top Scorers: Grozer 15, Muserskiy 13, Khtey 13, Tetyukhin 11, Duff 8, Ilinykh 8; Mikhailov 24, Anderson 21, Abrosimov 9, Apalikov 7, Berezhko 6, Sivozhelez 6
Group of Red
Fakel Novy Urengoy – Shakhtar Soligorsk 3:1 (25:19, 25:19, 22:25, 25:19)
Top Scorers: Melnik 14, Mosov 14, Astashenkov 13, Bakun 8, Beketov 8; Morozov 13, Audochanka 9,, Nemer 9, Kadziewicz 7, Levchenko 6
Gubernia Nizhny Novgorod – Prikam Perm 3:0 (25:17, 25:22, 25:22)
Top Scorers: Savin 14, Ostapenko 11, Pavlov 10, Tyurin 5; Kovalev 12, Konnov 8, Karpenko 5, Nikitin 3
Dinamo Moscow – Dinamo Krasnodar 3:1 (25:22, 25:21, 23:25, 25:19)
Top Scorers: Veres 21, Kurek 18, Kruglov 14, Krivets 6, ; Mochalov 21, Nosenko 17, Robaki 12, Chaus 9
Lokomotiv Kharkhiv – Iskra Odintsovo 1:3 (20:25, 25:17, 26:28, 17:25)
Top Scorers: Tyutlin 29, Termenko 8, Rudnicki 8, Kapaev 8; Contreras 15, Schmitt 15, Kuleshov 12, Kalinin 9
Final standings:
Group of Blue:
- 1.Zenit Kazan 54
- 2.Lokomotiv Novosibirsk 46
- 3.Ural Ufa 45
- 4.Belogorie Belgorod 44
- 5.Gazprom Yugra Surgut 36
- 6.Kuzbass Kemerovo 25
- 7.Grozny 16
- 8.Yaroslavich Yaroslavl 11
Group of Red:
- 1.Gubernia Nizhny Novgorod 50
- 2.Fakel Novy Urengoy 42
- 3.Dinamo Krasnodar 41
- 4.Iskra Odintsovo 32
- 5.Dinamo Moscow 30
- 6.Lokomotiv Kharkhiv 24
- 7.Shakhtar Soligorsk 17
- 8.Prikam Perm 15
Play-off system
The play-off spacing was determined by the quantity of collected points during the regular season. Two top teams from each group obtained an automatic promotion to quarterfinals while other teams, classified on positions 3-6 in the red and blue pool, will be obligated to play an additional round in order to reveal four remaining quarterfinalists. Moreover, four weakest teams in the standings will stand to the fight to save spots in Superleague. Two the worst “Kamandas” will be degraded.
Big match in the first phase
Belogorie Belgorod vs Dinamo Moscow appears to be the most interesting game of the round. It is said that a team can achieve an optimal shape only once in a season. According to the principle, Belgorod should not be so strong because Gorgy Grozer and his teammates already came up to this role in the Cup of Russia at the end of 2012. However, it may be against the grain for Belogorie showed its real power in the last game of the regular season overcoming Zenit Kazan. While the capital team did not show its play off being one of the worst after the regular season. Dinamo claimed only 10 games what influenced internal friction in the team. Not only did Yuri Cherednik openly criticize their wards but he also did it through the media. Perhaps, it was an attempt to awaken them, however, this try occurred to be unsuccessful too. Dinamo was still failing. On the other hand, the Muscovites plays better and better. Cherednik finally may set up an optimal squad because Bartosz Kurek and Peter Veres has already recovered and are able to play on the full distance. All the circumstances may leave some hopes to the team of Moscow, nevertheless, Belgorod will be a favorite of the duel.
Playoffs schedule
1st round (02.05)
Ural Ufa – Lokomotiv Kharkhiv
Belogorie Belgorod – Dinamo Moscow
Iskra Odintsovo – Gazprom Yugra Surgut
Dinamo Krasnodar – Kuzbass Kemerovo
2nd round (05.05)
Lokomotiv Kharkhiv – Ural Ufa
Dinamo Moscow – Belogorie Belgorod
Gazprom Yugra Surgut – Iskra Odintsovo
Kuzbass Kemerovo – Dinamo Krasnodar
3th eventual round (08.05)
Ural Ufa – Lokomotiv Kharkhiv
Belogorie Belgorod – Dinamo Moscow
Iskra Odintsovo – Gazprom Yugra Surgut
Dinamo Krasnodar – Kuzbass Kemerovo
