Lokomotiv vs. Zenit-Kazan | HIGHLIGHTS | SemiFinals (3rd Game) | SuperLeague 2025-2026

Lokomotiv Arena welcomed the semi-final stage with another sold-out show – 5,000 fans supported the Novosibirsk team in the confrontation with the Kazan team, where the score was equal after two meetings in the capital of Tatarstan. Both teams are releasing their battle squads, all players are available and ready for the decisive battles for the final. In the first party, the teams are close – everyone is gradually getting ready for cannon serves, but they take a lot of risks and make mistakes. Alexey Verbov's players were the first to reach set points, and Mikhailov managed to secure the first set in favor of the Kazan team, 27:29.

At the start of the second set, the Novosibirsk team managed to immediately redeem themselves – 7:1 after Kurbanov and Nikolov's serves. Instead of Kazachenkov, Rajab took the court, and Zenit also had a roster rotation (double substitution and the appearance of Surmachevsky) with a significant lead for the hosts – 18:8. The defending champions failed to find their game in this set, and a 25:13 victory for Lokomotiv gave hope to the packed stadium.

In the third set, the Kazan team had to find a new approach to Lokomotiv, with Mikhailov's serve, Kurbanov's block (although Kurbanov responded with two aces), and the accurate attacks of Labinsky and Volkov. Zenit's advantage continued to grow, with scores of 8:6, 16:11, and 21:13, and the issues from the second set were completely forgotten. Lokomotiv's mistakes in the attack prevented them from engaging in a full-fledged battle with their experienced opponents, and the game ended in favor of the guests.

The fourth set followed a similar pattern, but from the very first plays, Deru took the place of Voronkov. By the middle of the set, the Novosibirsk team was trailing by five points (11:16), but thanks to the successful actions of Kurbanov and Lyzik, they regained the game. Voronkov returned to the court, and the teams entered a tense final set, where the hosts managed to win the matchball against Zenit and secure the set.

In the shortened game, it was all about efficiency in the attack – Kazan’s Labinsky and Mikhailov were impeccable, while Lokomotiv, on the other hand, made unforced mistakes. A small lead by the change of sides and a series of serves from Mikhailov in the end – 15:9 in favor of Zenit-Kazan, who took the lead in the semi-final series 2:1.

VFV - volley.ru