The 56th Allwyn Men’s Volleyball Division A Championship Men’s Volleyball Championship, which is shaping up to be one of the most competitive and exciting in recent years.
In the opening-round showdown, which lived up to expectations, defending champion Kuutio Homes Paphos defeated Anorthosis 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-21) and got off to a successful start in their bid to defend their title, though it was a much tougher win than the final score suggests. In a high-level contest, the second set proved decisive: “Kyriá” led 15–19, but then the home team went on a 7-0 run, took the lead at 22-19, and held off their opponents’ final comeback (25-23). Anorthosis was just as tenacious in the third set, which went point-for-point until 16-16, until Giorgos Platris’s team built a small but significant 2-3-point lead, which led them to the final score of 25-21. Before the match began, Kuutio Homes Pafos honored Dragisa Ilija Milanović for his long-standing contributions, who has been instrumental in the club’s recent successes as director of the volleyball department.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Nea salamina – Omonia aradippou (starting lineups)
The starting lineups for AEK – Karmiotissa
An amazing match was also held at the Pyla Indoor Arena, where APOEL secured an away victory by a score of 2-3 sets (25-23, 20-25, 17-25, 35-33, 12-15) against Foinikas, who, despite the loss in the tiebreaker, celebrated their return to the top division after 30 full years with an equally impressive performance. In a matchup of particular importance both in terms of the standings and morale—since the two teams will be direct rivals in their bid to avoid relegation— the home team came out with enthusiasm and won a thrilling first set. APOEL took the next two sets without being threatened, but the fourth set was… the real deal, as evidenced by the incredible 35-33 score in favor of Foinikas! The Pyla team held a slight lead in the tiebreaker as well, however, the visitors turned an 11-10 deficit into an 11-14 lead and ultimately secured two points, leaving one point for the newcomers.
The match between NCMA Nea Salamina and AE Karava also featured plenty of passion and intense excitement right up to the end, with the home team emerging victorious 3-1 in sets (25-15, 25-16, 22-25, 28-26), with far more suspense than initially expected. In the first two sets, the “red-and-whites” completely dictated the pace, but Nikola Jevtić’s tenacious team fought back in the third set and got back into the match. The fourth set was marked by high tension following a positioning error by the Nea Salamina players at the start, but even though a surging AE Karava took a 16-20 lead, the final say belonged to Kyriakos Adamou’s players, who tied the score at 20-20 and ultimately broke the visitors’ resistance with a 28-26 victory thanks to an ace by Tarasenko.
The opening round schedule concludes on Monday, November 9, with the match between Anagennisi Deryneia and Omonia (start time 8:00 p.m., Deryneia Sports Center).
Here is the full opening-week schedule:
Friday, November 6
- Kuutio Homes Paphos – Anorthosis Famagusta 3-0 (25-17, 25-23, 25-21)
- Foinikas Pyla – APOEL 2-3 (25-23, 20-25, 17-25, 35-33, 12-15)
- NCMA Nea Salamina – AE Karava Lampousa 3-1 (25-15, 25-16, 22-25, 28-26)
Monday, November 9
- 8:00 p.m. Anagennisi Deryneia – Omonia
