Slovakia: Prešov celebrate their 5th National Cup, Bratislava defeat city rivals to take their first women’s Cup in club’s history

2 min read

12 February 2023 Ivan

After a five-set thrilling battle in the final of the Niké Slovenský Pohár Muži 2022/23, Slovakian Men’s Volleyball Cup, VK Mirad UNIPO Prešov lift their fifth trophy in the competition.

The volleyball fans in the hall in Poprad, in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains, saw really a great show, in which the players from the trophy holders Rieker UJS Komárno dominated the first two sets against VK Mirad UNIPO Prešov.
However, the game changed at the very beginning of the third set when Maroš Kasperkevič, the Komárno setter, injured his right leg.
Young Emil Gabko came to the court in his place, but Prešov suddenly take advantage and easily took the third set. Komárno were in control of the fourth set, as they entered the final stretch with a conspicuous lead of 22-18. But they squandered it, together with two match points, while Prešov, on the other hand, used their fourth set ball to tie the match at 2-2 and later win the tie-break and the trophy for the fifth time in club history after 2005, 2016, 2017, and 2021.
Partially it was 13:25, 17:25, 25:19, 32:30 and, eventually, a clear 15:5.
The MVP of the Final Four was Prešov’s captain Michal Ščerba, while Lukáš Smolej was the top scorer in the final with 17 points, and Ján Jendrejčák also contributed with six blocks.
Marek Gergely scored 21 points on the losing side, while veteran Emanuel Kohút made five blocks.

About Women, VKP Bratislava celebrated their first Slovakian Cup in club’s history.
In the final match of the Niké Slovenský Pohár Ženy 2022/23, which was also played in Poprad, they destroy the city rivals and the 15-time winners of the competition VK Slávia EU Bratislava: 3-0 (25:17, 25:17, 25:18).
The losing side had the only chance of taking a set in the first one when they wasted a 15-11 lead.
Argentine libero María Agostina Pelozo was named MVP of the F4, while her teammate Ema Smiešková shared the title as top-scorer with Slávia’s Alexandra Fričová – 13 points each.