Austria receives early burn from Greece at 2011 CEV Volleyball League – Volleyball news
The Men’s National Teams of Austria and Greece opened the 2011 CEV Volleyball European League on Thursday, May 26. The Greeks exhibited a spectacular performance and posted a 3-1 (25-15, 22-25, 25-23, and 25-21) victory over the Austrian team.
The Austrian city of Wals-Siezenheim hosted the Austria vs Greece match from Pool B. The match spanned over four sets and experienced seceral ups and downs. The home side had the competitive advantage of playing in familiar conditions but the visitors proved
to be better and stole the show. Around 600 spectators witnessed the opening match at the Walserfeldhalle Stadium.
Match overview
The match started out on high note as hosts of the 2011 EuroVolley, Greece, came out strong against the home team. They worked out commanding serves and managed to put some early pressure on the Austrian side. The hosts seemed puzzled as the ball frequently
landed on their side. They suffered the set-back of four points at the first technical timeout (FTT). Taking full advantage of the nervousness of their opponents, Greek players attacked the net. They remained remarkably consistent in hitting the ball in the
right spots and widened the gap.
As a result, Austria lagged behind with nine points at the second technical break (7-16). Meanwhile, the Austrian middle-blockers put up a combined effort to break the rhythm of pumped-up Greeks. They managed to save a few crucial points but couldn’t fully
control the situation. First set inched its way to an end and the Greek Team pulled off success by sending 25-15 on board.
After dropping the opening set of the match, Austrian team hit back strong in the next set. They changed the strategy and came up with a new plan. Oliver Binder, Austrian setter, did a great job and floated the ball in air with perfect timing. The home crowd
started to get back in the game at this point. The hosts dismantled the power of their rivals and pushed them behind. Austria went up at the FTT and continued with success afterwards. The Greeks had a chance to equalize in the starting moments of the set but
Austria denied them the chance and won the second set, 25-22.
Home squad kicked off the third set with confident shots and built a lead of 8-5. It seemed as if the Austrian team was back in form but the happiness was short-lived. The resilient rivals bounced back and took control of the operations at the second mandatory
stop. They attacked from different angles and claimed the third set with a margin of two points (25-23).
Set four was a furious display of ball play. Both teams played with the best of their tactics and jumped on every little opportunity to score points. Long rallies were exchanged and the scores ticked up slowly. Greece was in the lead most of the times in
the fourth set. Eventually, the better defence and attack enabled the Greek side to announce victory in the fourth set. They put an end to the tussle in the 97th minute of the game and posted 25-21.
Post-match
The mentor of Austrian Teams praised the efforts put in by his players. He stated, “We had high expectations before the game, but Greece caught us cold in the first set. I am proud that the team showed what it’s able to do in the second set. In the end Greece
proved to be better, but I am still satisfied with the game. Our reception was much improved in comparison with the friendly matches with Croatia and we want to make another step forward in the second game on Saturday”.
The star player of Austrian side Philip Schneider was not happy with the loss of the opening match of the round. Nonetheless, he seemed determined to recover from the deficit in coming matches. He said, “Our reception was good and now we have to improve
our attack and blocking. It’s a lot of fun with this team as everyone gives 100% of his energy”.
The other matches of the CEV Volleyball league will continue as other teams take on the courts.
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