The pair of semi-finals in the Women’s Volleyball National Cup provided quite a bit of tension tonight (Monday) when both games reached the decisive fifth set. In the first game, Maccabi Haifa defeated Kiryat Ata 2: 3 and qualified for the final for the eighth year in a row, while in the second game, the Hadera girls played in an inspiring way and managed to stretch the champion Hapoel Kfar Saba, who barely won five sets. The two Greens will meet in the final to be held on March 18 at the Anerbox Hall in Hadera.
Maccabi Haifa – Hapoel Kiryat Ata 2: 3 (13:15, 25:19, 23:25, 25:19, 22:25)
In the first set, a particularly close game was played, but in the end, Maccabi Haifa won with a 22:25 lead. The second set was also close at the beginning, but Kiryat Ata, thanks to the good ability of Satoski Osokin, managed to balance to 1: 1 with 19:25 running until the victory in the set.
In the third set, the two teams went head to head again, but the group from Carmel showed more composure on the way to 23:25. Kiryat Ata did not give up again and recorded 19:25 when they demonstrated dominance in the fourth set and forced a decisive battle Haifa had already risen to 4: 9 but the neighbor from Kiryat Ata returned to 12:12 and the tension was at its peak, when again the greens were stronger on the way to victory.
Maria Okonomido with 3 blocks and 3 aces and Simona Dmitrova (41% in reception, 46% in attack, and 2 blocks) led Haifa with 28 and 26 points respectively. Bruna Fourier and Di Castro led Hapoel Urban Kiryat Ata with 26 and 25 points respectively, but were short of saving.
Chairman of the Maccabi Haifa Club, Haim Kessel, Said after qualifying for the final: “We are very happy to qualify for the eighth final in a row, it’s the green heart that popped up and won the game. It was a great honor to be a partner in a huge game at a wonderful level. We will continue to train hard to reach the best moments of the season.”
Maccabi Hadera – Hapoel Kfar Saba 3: 2 (15:11, 24:26, 25:20, 21:25, 25:23)
Kfar Saba took the initiative led by Del Rio to take the first set with 23:25, but the intruders came back in the second set with 21:25. In the third set, Kfar Saba raised the bar with the help of Lena Sheinin and ran to 21:25, but Hadera was there again to return in a very close fourth set and withstood the pressure with 24:26 to send the teams to the battle for the whole box office.
Hadera already led 7: 8, but a number of mistakes cost her in the game and the champion did her part on the way to 11:15 and getting a ticket to the final. Anya Wiliki (61% in reception, 42% in attack, and one block) and Weilina Sheinin (39% in attack, and one block) led Hapoel Kfar Saba with 23 points each, Hanna Tobikina and Shirel Janah finished with 18 and 16 points respectively. on the other side.
Elad Shpgt, Hapoel Kfar Saba coach, said after the thriller: “Five sets is never easy, it was a hard and exciting game but sweet at the end, it was clear that the game will not be easy. Hadera is in great shape, we will make our adjustments in the next games, there We have two league games now, but we will return here on March 18 to take the trophy. “
Gal Lender Maccabi Hadera said at the end: “It is a big disappointment but I am very pleased with how we played, we are very determined and even hungrier after the game and the goal right now is the league. We really wanted to win but Kfar Saba’s experience played a very big role, especially in the last game.”
