Obviously there are reasons behind it. The problem is that I know nothing about the transfers of the volleyball league. It was by chance that I got to know about the start of this season at all. I can guess only about who does not play in Partizan anymore. Have I told how much I love the free flow of information?... (I surely haven’t, because such thing as "free flow of information" doesn’t exist here, God damn it.)
Okay.
Novi Pazar gave the game (and the first set) a tough start (7:4, 8:5), we could still equalize (10:10) with the points of Ristić and Turanjanin. We even took the lead, mostly by Novi Pazar’s mistakes, but volleyball is played for points, and at the end nobody cares how the team gained those points (especially if the team wins). We couldn’t be happy with the lead for too long, the home team equalized, they even took back the lead. We equalized again (17:17) thanks to the Veličković-Ristić duo. Novi Pazar again took the lead, it was surely a big struggle and a big fight. Turanjanin, Ristić and Buša will appear in the nightmares of Novi Pazar players... 24:24. Then 26:26. What is more, 26:27, Turanjanin blocks like the best firewall. Novi Pazar equalizes again. 27:27. Then 28:28. 28:29, again Turanjanin. What a game it could be... Novi Pazar again equalizes. 29:29. Buša scores, 29:30. Finally Polomac blocks, 29:31, monstre set with Partizan-victory.
The second set again started with Novi Pazar’s advantage (5:2, 6:5), we equalized again (7:7). Novi Pazar was ahead of us with only one step (11:10, 12:11), then Sretenović blocked and equalized (12:12). Ristić took the lead (12:13). And we kept our advantage! 13:16, 14:18, then Novi Pazar equalized, with clenched teeth, for sure. No problem, we took back the lead (18:20, 19:21). Novi Pazar equalized again and again, but they were always behind us. Then they took the lead (27:26) and it seems their nerves were a bit stronger at the end. They won this set to 28:26 and equalized.
For the third set we ran out of breath. After these two killer games it’s no wonder... 7:1, 8:2, 10:4, then we jumped to 12:9. Novi Pazar’s players probably also got tired for this point, they made more and more mistakes (that was also the reason why we reduced the difference to 3 points). The home team marched ahead, it was a smooth win for them. 25:18
We tried to keep ourselves at the beginning of the fourth set. 5:5, 5:6, 7:7, but somehow Novi Pazar could always make the best out of these draws. Around 14:10 we probably got completely exhausted. 20:11, 23:13, we gained a few points at the end, but in fact they were from the opponent’s mistakes.
Never mind.
Heroes.
Novi Pazar: Bekrić, S. Ristić (5), Hasan Zatrić, Lopar (14), Oković, Daca (6), Šormaz (3), Žuković (libero), Hamza Zatrić (2), Radosavljević (12), Simić, Hamzagić (29)
Head coach: Saša Stefanović
OK Partizan: Buša (12), Sretenović (2), Nedeljković (libero), Skakić, Batak, A. Ristić (16), Kovač, Dragović (2), Negić (libero), Veličković (7), Polomac (7), Turanjanin (10)
Head coach: Vladimir Vasović
Current championship standings:
1. Vojvodina 9 points
2. Novi Pazar 9 points
3. CZ 8 points
4. Ribnica 6 points
5. Klek 3 points
6. Niš 3 points
7. Spartak Ljig 3 points
8. Partizan 2 points
9. Radnički Kragujevac 2 points
10. Jedinstvo 0 point