Russia: titleholders start 2022/23 Superliga with triumph in Belarus. Straight sets win for Zenit St. Petersburg and Lokomotiv

2022/23 Russian PARI Superliga started this weekend.
In opening matches, Dynamo-LO defeated Ural Ufa 3-1 (22:25, 25:21, 25:21, 25:19), while ASK Nizhny Novgorod won in five sets on the field of Yugra-Samotlor Nizhnevartovsk (22:25, 25:23, 25:21, 20:25, 10:15).

On Saturday, Dinamo Moscow, Lokomotiv Novosibirsk and Zenit St. Petersburg notched a three-point-worth win each in their first matches in the new season.
The titleholders from country’s capital defeated Stroitel Minsk by 1-3 (13:25, 14:25, 25:20, 18:25). By beating the Belarusian club, who was the vice-champion of the Belarusian league last season, was harder than expected, but it was still insufficient for anything more than ripping one set off Dinamo, for which Yaroslav Podlesnykh scored 14 points and Anton Semyshev served 4 aces, 3 in a row at a decisive moment of the fourth set. Evgeniy Baranov made 90% reception (10 digs, 70% excellent).

Led by Viktor Poletaev, who ended the game with 16 points, and Ivan Yakovlev, author of 6 blocks, Zenit Saint Petersburg swept the visiting side of Enisey Krasnoyarsk in just three sets (25:16, 25:22, 25:15). Interestingly, these two clubs faced each other for the third time in less than a month, taking into account the past encounters of the preliminary stage of the Russian Cup and two friendly matches a few days ago!

Just like two weeks ago within the preliminary stage of the Russian Cup, Lokomotiv Novosibirsk prevailed over Nova Novokuybyshevsk. The game ended in straight sets (25:21, 27:25, 25:21). In the landslide victory of the current vice-champions over the visitors, Sergey Savin and Ilya Kazachenkov scored 14 points each, while Ilyas Kurkaev served 4 aces, and Semen Krivitchenko made 75% reception (16 digs, 1 error, 44% excellent).

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🇷🇺| 2022/23 PARI Superliga | Round 1

| September 30, 2022
• Dynamo-LO – Ural Ufa 3-1 (22:25, 25:21, 25:21, 25:19)
• Yugra-Samotlor Nizhnevartovsk – ASK Nizhny Novgorod 2-3 (22:25, 25:23, 25:21, 20:25, 10:15)

| October 1, 2022
• Stroitel Minsk – Dynamo Moscow 1-3 (13:25, 14:25, 25:20, 18:25)
• Zenit St. Petersburg – Yenisei Krasnoyarsk 3-0 (25:16, 25:22, 25:15)
• Lokomotiv Novosibirsk – Nova Novokuybyshevsk 3-0 (25:21, 27:25, 25:21)

| October 2, 2022
• Belogorye Belgorod – Gazprom-Yugra Surgut 3-0 (25:19, 25:21, 25:20)
• Zenit-Kazan – Orenburg 3-0 (25:17, 25:16, 25:17)

| October 3, 2022
• Kuzbass Kemerovo – Fakel Novy Urengoy 1-3 (26:28, 23:25, 25:16, 19:25)

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🏐| STANDINGS (updated on this day)
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk 3
Zenit St. Petersburg 3
Dynamo Moscow 3
Dynamo-LO 3
ASK Nizhny Novgorod 2
Yugra-Samotlor Nizhnevartovsk 1
Fakel Novy Urangoy 0
Zenit Kazan 0
Belogorie Belgorod 0
Gazprom-Yugra Surgut 0
Kuzbass Kemerovo 0
Orenburg 0
Ural Ufa 0
Stroitel Minsk 0
Nova Novokuybyshevsk 0
Yenisei Krasnoyarsk 0
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