The volleyball players from Nova Tech Lycurgus fought Orion for all they were worth until the end, but lost 3-1. Nevertheless, they have qualified for the play-offs.
With Orion, the Groningers met a team in shape with the leader. Before the midweek match in Doetinchem, Lycurgus, the number three in the Eredivisie, was already eight points behind. The home team was already the first team to qualify for the last four of the regular competition, which will soon participate in the play-offs for the national title.
Despite the defeat, Lycurgus also participates in the play-offs. Because Sliedrecht Sport lost to Dynamo on Wednesday evening, the South Hollanders are four points behind Lycurgus and the Groningers can no longer catch up.
The first set between the two teams was initially evenly matched for a long time. Although Orion had a little more initiative for several hundred supporters in the stands. This led to a tiny 21-20 lead for the home team at the start of the so-called big points. After the Groningen passer-runner Ramon Martinez Gion saw two pipe attacks – one in the block and the other outside the field – fail, Orion took a 24-21 lead. The Doetinchem star Samuli Kaislasalo from Finland then scored the set point with a beautiful ball and made it 25-21.
The second set is also a prey for Orion
The second set was also a prey for volleyball machine Orion, which this time distanced itself more quickly from the visitors. The score was 14-9 for the team from Doetinchem, after which the men of Groningen coach Arjan Taaij did something to get back. Lycurgus came back to 20-18. However, the home team also managed to win the second set fairly easily with 25-20.
Orion had previously treated the number two in the standings, the Apeldoorn Dynamo, to a defeat. The team from Doetinchem is the team to beat in the Premier League, but also has its weaker moments, as a defeat against Sliedrecht Sport proved.
Best set from Lycurgus
Lycurgus had to avoid losing the third set in the away match on Wednesday to avoid being sent back to Groningen with a 3-0 defeat. Partly thanks to the substitution of a good Maarten Bartels, Lycurgus started to perform better and better in this set. Now the tables were turned and the Groningen team took a bigger lead. This was certainly also due to the good serving of the visitors, who put Orion under the necessary pressure. Luuk Hofhuis was on a roll with a total of four service aces.
Lycurgus’ middle attack provided the necessary points with hard blows and deadly blocks, with Hofhuis and Robin Boekhoudt also making a nice contribution. The Groningers reduced the score to 2-1 with a 16-25 set win.
In the fourth set it could have gone either way
In the fourth and ultimately final set, things could initially go either way. Lycurgus stayed close until 19-18, after which the Groningers had no answer to some hard smashes from Orion. Via 22-18 it became 24-19. Lycurgus struggled a bit, but could not prevent the set loss 25-21 via, of course, Kaislasalo. The Finn thus cashed in the match point and the 3-1 defeat for Lycurgus was a fact.
Lycurgus has to deal with Dynamo in the last match of the regular competition next Wednesday in Martiniplaza.
Orion-Lycurgus 3-1
Set positions: 25-21, 25-20, 16-25 and 25-21.