Russia vs. Japan: Opening match report – 2011 FIVB World League – Volleyball news
The runner-up team from last year, Russia, claimed the 2011 FIVB World League Opener against Japan in straight sets on May 27. The brilliant Russian squad posted a 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, and 25-18) victory over the Japanese team in 1.17 hrs. Ufa Sports Arena
in the Russian city of Ufa hosted the match, while 4,974 spectators witnessed the performance.
The audience was largely filled with local volleyball enthusiasts, who had come to watch and support their team. The arena echoed the happy slogans of fans every time Russians scored a point. It was a fun-game, which provided a lot of entertainment for volleyball
buffs.
With a spectacular display of volleyball against the Asian team, Russia has shown their intent to go high in the rankings this year. They are indeed aiming for the title trophy of the 2011 FIVB World League. However, there is still a long way to go. The
Japanese side put up a great fight but couldn’t overcome the power of their stronger rivals.
First set
The team around Tatsuya Ueta, opened the match with prolific jump-serves from Kunihiro Shimizu. On the other side of the net, the Russian players were uniquely positioned to receive the swift serves. They responded in the same tone and returned the ball
to the Japanese half. The first rally of the match ended up with one-point for the home team, while the home crowd didn’t feel shy to applaud their team. As the game progressed, it picked up more pace. Russians hit the ball from different angles and tried
to put pressure on the opponents. However, the Japanese team fought bravely and remained hand-in-hand with the Russian side. Kunihiro Shimizu of Japan came strong on the rivals and directed his shots in rare gaps. In response, Russian Alexey Spiridonov, did
a great job in the defence and attack. The game of hit and run lasted for 27 minutes and finally Russia secured the opening set with margin of three points , 25-22.
Second set
The rhythm and tone was set for Russian team and they produced confident shots in the following set. Team Japan was in a fit of rage but couldn’t help the situation. The hosts were equipped with great support of the local audience and success in previous
set further upgraded their morale. Spiridonov kept on the hitting the ball with great technique and raised his team’s score. Japanese defenders threw their hands up in the air at almost every shot but failed to stop Russian scoring. Both teams played fast
in the second set and spiked the ball hard. It ended successfully for the home team as they achieved the set-point, while Japan was struggling with the score of 20.
Third set
The visitors were deep in trouble after losing two consecutive sets. Despite great efforts and different methods, they remained unsuccessful. Russia maintained its dominance in the third set as well. Better attack and defence capability allowed the hosts
to further tighten the screws on their opponents. Japanese side played under pressure and failed to match its performance with the Russian team. Third set proved to the final set of the game as Japan lost ground at 18-25. Russia was graced with a wonderful
3-0 victory in the opening match of the tournament.
Top scorer
Russia’s Alexey Spiridonov was named the top scorer of the match. He chipped in 16 valuable points via 19 attack-attempts and 4 blocks. Likewise, Maxim Mikhaylov in the number 17 shirt supported his team’s score with 9 points. On the other hand, Japanese
Kunihiro Shimizu was the top-scorer in his team. He worked out great spikes and produced excellent serves, which earned him 11 points. Following in his footsteps, his team-mate Takaaki Tomimatsu registered 8 points for Japan.
Tags: