Zenit Kazan misses podium finish in Superliga Final Six tournament
Zenit Kazan missed the podium in the Superliga Final Six after losing two tie-breakers to Lokomotiv Moscow and Kuzbass Kemerovo. Despite Maxim Mikhaylov scoring 27 points, the defending champions failed to secure a medal for the first time since 2006.
The Moscow meltdown
Zenit Kazan missed the podium in the Superliga Final Six tournament in Moscow this week. They lost two tie-breakers to drop out of medal contention. This loss marks the first time the club missed a podium finish since 2006. On Monday, Lokomotiv Moscow, which finished sixth in the regular season, beat Zenit 3-2. The set scores read 19-25, 23-25, 25-22, 29-27, and 15-13. Drazen Luburic scored 34 points and six aces for Lokomotiv to force the comeback after Zenit took the first two sets. Maxim Mikhaylov scored 27 points, yet he could not pull Zenit to a winning start. The following day, Kuzbass Kemerovo took the match 3-2 after Zenit failed to hold a two-set lead. Kuzbass won with scores of 21-25, 25-17, 20-25, 25-18, and 15-13. Ivan Zaytsev contributed a match high of 26 points to help Kuzbass secure the win. Kuzbass Kemerovo finished at the top of the final pool standings after their victory. Both Lokomotiv and Kuzbass progressed to the semifinals.
Veteran production vs new stars
I look at the numbers and see a veteran still capable of high-level scoring. Maxim Mikhaylov, who joined the club in 2010, scored 27 points against Lokomotiv. He has since played 501 matches for the team and won seven Russian Championships. Even at 38 years old, he remains a primary offensive option for the Tatari squad. While Mikhaylov provided 27 points during the match, the team’s inability to close out critical sets against both Lokomotiv and Kuzbass left them without any hope of securing a podium finish in the current tournament. You should note that his high production failed to prevent the defeat. In the same tournament, Tsvetan Sokolov of Dinamo Moscow scored 28 points, including three aces and three stuffs. Dinamo Moscow won their match against Fakel Novy Urengoy 3-2 with scores of 26-28, 25-27, 25-18, 25-22, and 17-15. Yaroslav Podlesnykh scored 25 points for Dinamo, while Egor Kliuka tallied 22 points with four aces and three blocks. Dinamo Moscow also defeated Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-1 with scores of 20-25, 25-21, 25-16, and 25-21.
| Player | Team | Points | Additional Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drazen Luburic | Lokomotiv | 34 | 6 aces |
| Tsvetan Sokolov | Dinamo Moscow | 28 | 3 aces, 3 stuffs |
| Maxim Mikhaylov | Zenit Kazan | 27 | None |
| Ivan Zaytsev | Kuzbass Kemerovo | 26 | None |
| Yaroslav Podlesnykh | Dinamo Moscow | 25 | None |
| Egor Kliuka | Zenit St Petersburg | 22 | 4 aces, 3 blocks |
Statistical realities of the roster
Zenit Kazan faces a difficult period in their pursuit of domestic dominance. The club recently won the Russian Super Cup by defeating Zenit Saint Petersburg 3-1. That match produced scores of 25-16, 21-25, 25-15, and 25-20. They also defeated Lube Civitanova 3-0 in the gold medal match last year. However, the current Superliga results show a different story for the defending champions. The roster contains players like Bartosz Bednorz, age 32, and setter Micah Christenson, age 33. Artem Volvich, who has played for the club since the 2016/17 season, remains part of the squad. He previously won two Russian Championships and four Russian Cups. The club also relies on Dmitry Shcherbinin, age 37, and Denis Zemtchenok, age 39. The roster includes 24 players such as Ilia Fedorov, age 24, and Alexey Kononov, age 29. Maxim Mikhaylov has also won the CEV Champions League 5 times and the FIVB Club World Championship 1 time. Will the club recover before the next tournament?
