The match starts with both the teams playing with usual starting 6. After few points Rabita starts serving very well, Beziers receivers can’t let Dall’Igna set close to the net. Block and defence system for Rabita works perfectly, while on the French side nothing works properly.
The azeri team run away to close the set on Skowronska’s services. Kasia leads the team until Rourke gets blocked, then the team loses its concentration letting Beziers score easy points, expecially on Guerra’s services. The French girls start their match, but it’s too late, Rabita wins the first set 25-15.
The second set is totally different: Beziers receives better, while Rabita keeps having reception troubles. The French team goes ahead 7-4, then Rabita has a good come back. On Beziers side every players does her job while azeri players can’t keep their usual level. The guests go ahead again (18-14) leaded by the team capitan Schleck. Coach Eldar Yusubov changes the setter, Tomkom come in in Skorupa’s place, but Rabita has still to face Skowronska’s and Rourke’s low spike efficiency. On the 24-19 Rabita saves 4 set points (2 blocks, 1 ace, 1 spike), but Schleck again takes the control and kills the last ball. 25-23 for Beziers.
In the third set Skorupa stays on bench. Big start for Rabita 5-0. Skowronska puts pressure on service, while Krsmanovic is dominant on the net and Cruz spikes using the block and showing her good skills. The set goes on with Rabita dominance, but both teams don’t play their best and there long rallies signed by disorder and confusion on court. Skowronska’s services sweep away the frenches, that lose the set with an imbarassing 25-10.
The fourth set is a very close battle. Skowronska is the new goal of the servers from Beziers. The new tachtic works and Beziers goes ahead for the whole. Rabita fight hard to impact the opponent and they do it, but reception troubles are again behind the corner. Beziers leads the set and until the set point: on the 22-24 the azeri team scores 3 points in a row for the 25-24, first match point. Beziers saves it, but they can’t do anything on the second one. Rabita closes it 27-25.
Poor reception signed the match, even Castillo wasn’t as good as usual. Both setters couldn’t go many times to the middle spikers. Rourke wasn’t in her best shape after she came back from her injury, she scored 19 points (5 blocks), but her spike efficiency wasn’t really high (38%). The key of the victory has been the help Skowronska had from the other spikers of Rabita; on the other side Schleck was helped by Holness, but the others were weak in the match. Block smiled to Rabita (14-5). The was definitely harder than expected for the champions of Azerbaijan.
Kasia Skowronska was the MVP of the match. She was the best scorer of the match (20 points and 12 break points) and the best server (6 points). She faced her problems with her attitude on reception and led the team to the victory.
