Mladost fight until the end, Turan prevail to secure spot in #CLVolleyW Round 3
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Mladost ZAGREB women’s team suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat (22-25, 25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 13-15) against Azerbaijan’s Turan TOVUZ in the second leg of the CEV Champions League Volley 2027 Women second qualifying round at the Bojan Stranić Volleyball Hall in Zagreb. The thrilling 139-minute encounter featured spectacular plays from both sides. After losing the first match in Tovuz 0-3, Riccardo Boieri’s players showed a completely different side of Mladost in front of their home crowd. The Mladost players fought brilliantly and came within a whisker of forcing a Golden Set. Their European journey will now continue in the CEV Volleyball Cup, where they will face Romania’s Dinamo BUCURESTI at the end of November. Turan TOVUZ, on the other hand, will lock horns with Bulgaria’s Maritza PLOVDIV in Round 3 with a spot in the group stage at stake.
The Croatian champions kept pace with their opponents in the opening set until 9-9, when the much more experienced visitors, whose squad includes only two players under the age of 30, took control. Turan eventually claimed the set 25-22, although Mladost produced an impressive comeback. Trailing 14-21, the home side went on a five-point run to set up a tense finish.
In the second set, however, Mladost delivered an outstanding performance, controlling the game throughout. The closing stages were once again dramatic, but after the score was tied at 20-20, Mladost finished with a 5-1 run to take the set 25-21 and level the match.
The third set was a real treat for the fans, featuring excellent plays from both teams. The Azerbaijani side maintained a narrow but consistent lead, allowing them to approach the closing stages with slightly more confidence. After the score reached 16-16, Turan pulled ahead 19-16, earned a set point at 24-22, and eventually secured the set 25-23.
Mladost refused to surrender and continued searching for a way back into the match. They led for most of the fourth set, although usually by just one or two points. Late in the set, three consecutive points gave the home team a 20-15 advantage, forcing Turan’s coach to call a timeout. The break clearly worked, as the visitors responded with four straight points. Another dramatic finish followed, but with the score tied at 23-23, Mladost claimed the next two points to win the set 25-23 and force a decisive fifth set.
Turan opened the tie-break with a 2-0 lead, but Mladost responded with four consecutive points. The home side maintained a slight advantage and led 8-7. However, Turan’s greater squad depth ultimately proved decisive. A three-point run put the visitors ahead 10-8, and they extended their lead to 12-9, inspired by Cuban player Wilma Rosell Salas, who had only entered the starting lineup in the fifth set. Marta Drpa sealed the victory with a powerful spike for 15-13, giving Turan a 3-2 win.
Statistically, Mladost had the upper hand in blocking (13-9) and serve reception (58% vs 54%), while also committing fewer errors (23-24). Turan, meanwhile, performed better in serving (5 to 3 aces) and attack points (72 to 68). Yelizaveta Ruban was named MVP of the match, while Pamella Owino was Mladost’s top scorer with an impressive 29 points. Ruban led Turan with 23 points.
Marta Drpa commented after the match:
“Congratulations to my team on the victory, but also to Mladost on an excellent performance. They are a very good team and fought until the very end. We did not play our best Volleyball, and we have been dealing with some injury problems, but we managed to win, and that’s what matters most. In my opinion, experience made the difference today.”
Mladost setter Ana Prkačin expressed her pride in the team: “I am proud of my team and the fantastic performance we delivered. The match was incredibly close, literally until the very last point. In the end, it finished 15-13. We had hoped to reach the Golden Set and try to surprise Turan once again to continue our Champions League campaign. However, our European journey is not over. We will compete in the CEV Cup, and I would love for us to perform even better than last season, when we were eliminated by MOYA Radomka RADOM in the Round of 16 after having ten match points. I believe we showed the true face of Mladost tonight. I am extremely proud of the girls, of our entire team, and I hope we can be even better as our European journey continues.”