WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL / Skënderbeu Advances to the Final, Defeats Pogradec in 5 Sets

Skënderbeu – Pogradeci 3–2(25–15, 23–25, 13–25, 25–21, 15–3)

The third playoff match between Skënderbeu and Pogradeci has just concluded in a thrilling five-set marathon, with Skënderbeu emerging victorious. Each set brought its own excitement, making this derby an unforgettable battle.

In the end, it’s Skënderbeu — the reigning champions — who advance to the final, where they will now face Tirana.

On the other hand, Pogradec deserves high praise for their strong and dignified performance this season, even though they fell just short of the final.

Notably, tonight’s match lasted 2 hours and 3 minutes, a testament to the intensity and level of play on display.

In the fourth set, Koja and the girls could not be easily defeated, especially since they were playing at home and started the set with a 5-1 advantage. Afterward, the scores were again in favor of Skënderbeu, 8-5, and even 13-7, a remarkable difference that clearly showed that Skënderbeu could not give up so easily at home. Three consecutive points for the players from Pogradec brought the score to 13-10, and Coach Orlando Koja was forced to call a timeout. At this moment, there were great emotions on the court as the score was narrowed even further to 14-13. Koja made a substitution since the opponents, after a large points difference, had closed the gap so much. Again, a tight difference, 16-15, and finally came the tie at 16-16, the first tie in this set. Skënderbeu then scored again, 17-16, 18-17, and once more the score was tied at 18-18. The score went to 22-19 in favor of Skënderbeu, and at this point, it seemed that Pogradec was giving up as the final score of the set was 25-21. The sets were now tied at 2-2, and a fifth and final set was needed.

The fifth set started well for Skënderbeu, who led 3-0. After this, the players from Pogradec scored their first point, making it 3-1. It was again Skënderbeu who showed no mercy, and the score quickly reached 7-1, a big difference in the final set. From then on, Skënderbeu took control, as the score reached 10-2 and ultimately 15-3, securing the victory with a 3-2 set win.

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In the end, there was a celebration at the "Tamara Nikolla" sports hall as Skënderbeu celebrated reaching the final, and now they will aim to defend their champion title against Tirana. On the other hand, a big BRAVO to the players from Pogradec, who have competed so fiercely and demonstrated great rivalry with Skënderbeu, but this was where the journey of the lakeside team ended.

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