Lube Civitanova vs. Asseco Resovia | Semifinal | Highlights | FIVB Club World Championship 2018

Czestochowa, Poland, December 1, 2018 - For the second year straight Cucine Lube Civitanova will be in an FIVB Men's Club World Championship final, after they came back from a set down and 12-16 in the second to knock out Asseco Resovia Rzeszow 3-1 (29-31, 25-19, 25-14, 25-23) in the first of the semifinals of the 2018 edition, here Saturday evening.

Sunday's medals matches in Czestochowa:
• Bronze medal - 17:30 local time (16:30 GMT): Asseco Resovia Rzeszow (POL) v loser of 2nd semifinal.
• Final - 20:30 local time (19:30 GMT): Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) v winner of 2nd semifinal.

Though Resovia have had a great run so far this year in the Club World Championship - certainly better than domestically in the PlusLiga where they're really struggling - the Polish side were today no match for Lube.

Scoring-wise the night belonged to Tsvetan Sokolov and Osmany Juantorena, who scored 20 and 19 points respectively, while Yondy Leal and Robertlandy Simon added another 14 and 13. But in the end Resovia themselves contributed widely to Lube's win with more than a set's-worth of unforced errors, at 26.

Resovia trailed Lube for most of the first set and only pulled ahead at 23-22. Lube cancelled the first of the Polish side's set points and the saw four of their own go down. An ace by Thibault Rossard (originally given as long but overturned by video challenge) brought the home side ahead again at 29-28 but it took one more try before David Smith brought the set home with a quick spike down the middle.

Resovia rode on the momentum through into the next set, actually leading by four at the second technical timeout. But Lube made a 12-2 run to first reach set point, before a serve from Marcin Mozdzonek gone wide finished it off.

But that was about it for Resovia, as Lube shot off to a 22-10 lead in the third before the Polish side pulled back a few points for a slightly more respectable finish. And in similar fashion in the fourth, Resovia led by two at the first technical timeout before Lube replied with 7-0 run and never looked back. Despite Resovia giving it their all until the very end, Lube reached match points at 24-22 and Sokolov got the sideout needed with a spike down the line from the right.

Last year in Krakow Lube lost in the final to Russia's Zenit Kazan (who were knocked out this year after pool play).

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