Published:
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
T&T Marc-Anthony Honore and his SL Benfica club advanced to the Portuguese Volleyball Federation Men’s A-1 Premier Division League final after sweeping their best-of-five semifinal series against SC Espinho 3-0 with back-to-back victories on the weekend.
Following a 25-15, 25-17, 25-22 victory in the opener a week ago, Benfica which also defeated SC Espinho to win a record 15th Super Cup earlier in the month, earned a 25-20, 25-22, 23-25, 25-22 victory on the road on Saturday before returning home a day later to seal the series via a 25-19, 25-19, 25-20 thumping.
In the other series, Benfica’s main rival and regular season champions AJF Bastardo leads it series against CA Madalena 2-0 after earning a 25-14, 25-20, 24-26, 25-12 victory in the opening tie followed by a 25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-18 the second time around ahead of game three on Saturday.
But before Honore and his team can look forward to the finals of the Portuguese League, it will do battle with Italians Ravenna in the semifinal round of the CEV Challenge Cup while Stroitel Minsk comes up against NIS Vojvodina in the other, with second-leg matches carded for 28.
In the quarterfinals, earlier this month, Benfica won both ties against Greece’s Ethnikos Alexandroupoli, 25-22, 25-23, 20-25, 26-28, 15-11 and at home, 25-18, 25-22, 25-19.
Ravenna also made home court count by stopping Crvena Zvezda 25-22, 25-23, 25-21 after losing the opening leg, 18-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22, 15-17.
Bushe helps Middelfart to Danish final
Former Big South East Port-of-Spain middle-blocker Akim Bushe moved a step closer to capping of a dream debut season in Denmark Volley Ligaen after helping Middelfart VK to the playoff finals with a 3-0 sweep of Hvidovre.
Middelfart, which ended the regular-season with a 13-1 mark and 35 points won 25-19, 20-25, 25-20, 25-16 for a 1-0 lead followed by a come-from-behind 23-25, 25-22, 25-20, 25-17 second match win, and then 25-22, 25-19, 25-19 in the third match.
In the final, Middelfart comes up against Gentofte Volley which also made light work of its opponent, BK Marienlyst (3-0) courtesy of 25-19, 25-20, 25-17; 25-20, 28-26, 25-15 and 25-17, 25-16, 25-27, 25-20 wins.
Over in the Russia Women’s Volleyball Super League, national women’s team pair, Channon Thompson and Sinead Jack and their 14-time champions club, Uralochka NTMK tied up their quarterfinal playoff against Dinamo Krasnodar at 1-1 by taking the second match on Friday, 25-15, 16-25, 25-16, 19-25, 18-16.
This after Uralochka was beaten in the first-match, 21-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-15, 10-15
Regular season champions Dinamo Kazan whipped eight ranked Avtodor-Metar 25-18, 25-20, 18-25, 25-18 and 25-18, 25-23, 25-18; Dinamo Moskva crushed Proton, 25-18, 25-13, 25-11 and 25-18, 25-13, 25-11 while Omichka dumped Zarechie Odintsovo, 25-15, 26-24, 18-25, 25-15; and 25-21, 25-12, 25-16.
And in the Romanian Women’s Division, former national women’s team captain Krystle Esdelle helped CSM Bucuresti past Explorari Baia Mare 25-21, 25-15, 27-17 in their best-of-three fifth place semifinal ahead of matches on Friday and Sunday. CSU Galati and Unirea Dej are locked at 1-1 in the other fifth place semis, with the third and deciding match set for Thursday.
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