Zenit vs. Lokomotiv | HIGHLIGHTS | Bronze Match (1st Game) | SuperLeague 2025-2026

Zenit lost to Lokomotiv Novosibirsk in the first match of the bronze medal series in the Volleyball Super League. At the start of the match, Igor Tisevich, the Petersburg team's setter, made a significant impact with his unconventional actions, leading his team to a 5-1 lead and the first break from the coach of the railway team. By the middle of the set, the visitors had almost leveled the score (14-12), but Vladimir Alekno's team managed to maintain their minimal advantage. At the end, the blue-and-white team had three set points, but they failed to convert any of them. Simeon Nikolov's serve tied the score, and the visitors became more aggressive. This resulted in a score of 28:30 and a 0:1 deficit in the match.

In the second set, Zenit's reception dropped to just 20% (compared to their opponent's 55%), while in the first set, the numbers were twice as high (42%). At 13:13, Maxim Kosmin replaced Vitaly Dikarev on the Zenit court. After three consecutive points scored on Igor Tisevich's serve, Plamen Konstantinov took advantage of the first set pause, leading to a 13-16 score. However, Lokomotiv managed to catch up with their opponents in the final moments of the set, resulting in a 27-25 victory.

At the start of the third set, Vladimir Alekno tried to change the course of the game with substitutions, but the Lokomotiv players, who had caught a wave of momentum, were already unstoppable – 19:25 and 0:3 in the match. Vladislav Babkevich, who scored 22 points, was the most productive player for the blue-and-white team. The second match of the bronze medal series will take place on Wednesday, April 22, at the St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University. The match will start at 19:00.

VFV - volley.ru