Montenegro won a derby this season (again), but not a change at the top in the league part of the season.
Budva volleyball players defeated Buducnost in Podgorica, in the "Morača" hall, with 3:1 (25:23, 25:20, 20:25, 25:14) and secured first place and home court advantage before the playoffs with one round remaining in the EPCG Super League, writes odbojka.me.
With their second victory in the championship this season, after the 3:2 win in Budva, Miljan Bošković's team fully avenged Dejan Radić's team for their defeats in the Super Cup at the start of the season, and later in the MEVZA league.
With a tied score of 2:2 in three different competitions, Budva and Podgorica are entering the fight for trophies.
The two best home teams played a spectacular first set - Buducnost was leading for the most part - 7:3, 11:7, then 16:13, Budva tied for the first time at 16:16, after which the teams alternated in the lead, and the details were the deciding factor. Budva was more experienced, calmer, more composed in the very finish, turning a 21:23 deficit into a 25:23 score with a 4:0 run and taking the lead in the derby. Matija Ćinćur's ace serve at the end of the set gave wings to the guests.
How much, it was evident in the second half of the game, in which Balša Radunović and his teammates mostly controlled everything, for the first time they took a two-point lead 10:8, and the blocking "axis" led by Luka Babić and Vukašin Cimbaljević, with a great role by Lazar Dodić - did not give the Podgorica team a chance to come back. In the end - 25:20.
When the guests took a 12:5 lead in the third set, it seemed that the entire derby would be dominated by Budva, but the volleyball players from Buducnost ensured at least a little drama.
Dejan Radić's team got to work, the guests unexpectedly stopped, and a big turnaround was seen. A 9:1 run completely brought Buducnost back into the set and into the match, Luka Lojić, and especially Srđan Petrović, who scored all five points in the third set, made sure that they shone on the big scoreboard - 1:2 in sets.
Buducnost's comeback, however, was not complete. Budućnost regained their rhythm at the start of the fourth set and took over the lead again. The home team only led 1:0 and 2:1, and everything else was in the hands of the guests, with a convincing 25:14.
Vukašin Cimbaljević shone with 24 points, Lazar Dodić added 13, and Balša Radunović 12 for Budva. For Buducnost, Marko Vukašinović had 14 points, Marko Sinđelić and Jovan Delić 11 each, and Luka Lojić 10.
Jedinstvo consolidated their third position with a 3:0 (25:19, 25:19, 25:20) victory over Ulcinj on Saturday, while Sutjeska took over 4th place in the table from Mornar with a 3:0 (25:13, 25:20, 25:18) triumph over Lovćen on Sunday.
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