The men's volleyball team of Panathinaikos qualified for the quarterfinals of the Challenge Cup with a new victory against Horodok this time with 3-2 sets.

The “clover” was again superior in this match and rightly qualified for the quarterfinals of the Challenge Cup. Now the “greens” are expecting tomorrow the team that will go through the match Teruel (Spain) -Spartak Miyava (Slovakia) while it is reminded that in the first match the Slovak team had prevailed with 3-1 sets.

Regarding the second set, the guests were tougher in the beginning and Panathinaikos, despite having the lead, could not make a difference and was ahead just before the middle of the set with 12-10. However, Horodok reacted and took the lead with 15-17, taking advantage of some mistakes of the “greens”. Nevertheless, PAO with Protopsaltis in the service brought the match equal to 19-19 and then 21-21 while they also took the lead with 22-21 with Raptis in the service. PAO had the soul and strength in the last points and finally won the set 25-22.

In the third set and while the qualification had been judged, PAO was behind at the beginning with 6-8 and 8-9 while and shortly after the middle of the set Horodok maintained the lead with 13-14 and 14-19. At 16-23, the guests showed that they embrace the set, however, the “clover” fought it and with Jacobsen for six points in the service, it finally lost it in the details with 23-25.

The coach of the “clover” had the opportunity to give time to participate in the fourth set to other players such as Roussopoulos while from the end of the previous set Markou had also entered. he lost 6-8 and shortly after half of the set he lost 11-15 and finally lost the set 19-25.

In the tie break, Panathinaikos managed to take a lead around 8-7 with 8-7 and finally won it with 17-15.

Fluctuation: 1st set: 8-4, 16-9, 21-12, 25-17 2nd set: 8-6, 15-16, 19-21, 25-22 3rd set: 5-8, 14-16, 15-21, 23-25 4th set: 6-8, 11-16, 16-21, 19-25 5th set: 4-5, 10-9, 12-9, 17-15

Panathinaikos’s points came from 10 aces, 60 attacks, 7 blocks and 32 opponents ‘mistakes and Horodok’s came from 3 aces, 55 attacks, 10 blocks and 36 opponents’ mistakes. The sets: 3-2 (25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 19-25, 17-15) in 125 ‘

PANATHINAIKOS AO (Dimitris Andreopoulos): Protopsaltis 12 (6/11 ep., 5 aces, 1 block, 86% min. – 14% excellent), Jacobsen 4 (1/4 ep., 2 aces, 1 block), Rangel 8 (8/14 ff.), Andreopoulos 15 (13/28 ff., 1 ace, 1 block, 45% yp – 29% excellent), Van de Dice 8 (7/17 ff., 1 ace), Stalekar 10 (8/11 ff., 1 ace, 1 block) / Garas (l, 48% yp. – 22% excellent), Roussopoulos, Markou 7 (6/11 ff., 1 block), Raptis 13 (11/28 ff ., 2 blocks, 44% min. – 22% excellent).

HORONDOCK (Marius Sordill): Drosd 2 (1/2 ff., 1 block), Kisiliuk 12 (9/17 ff., 3 blocks, 50% min. – 21% excellent), Semeniuk 14 (10/12 ff., 2 aces, 2 blocks), Didenko 5 (2/3 ep., 3 blocks), Viecki 1 (1/3 ep.), Szalpuk 16 (16/26 ep., 58% min. – 29% excellent) / Fomin (l, 38% sub – 25% excellent), Didovic 2 (2/10 ff., 38% ff – 13% excellent), Gevstratov, Tomin 11 (10/27 ff., 1 ace), Rohozin 5 ( 4/5 ff., 1 block).

In a statement, PAO coach Dimitris Andreopoulos pointed out “It was a difficult game for us and we qualified. In the first set, such was the energy that we entered the game that we knew that no one could stop us. It was a very good set by all the players with great service. You continued this action in the second set and we managed to get it together with the qualification. Then it was against for the victory until the end with upheavals and we managed and got it. It’s great what we have achieved and we had dreamed of all the previous years and where we live it».

Sorldil Mariz, on the other hand, “We knew very well from the previous match that it would also be a difficult match for us. However we came here to get as many sets as we could. But quickly in the first two sets Panathinaikos was better and so got the qualification. We aspired to play even more in the tournament but we did not succeed. We hope to prepare even better for the future to go even higher “.