Speedy win sends Rabita to CEV Cup semifinals for second time in history

Baku, March 12, AZERTAC Rabita Baku secured a speedy win against Beziers VB at home in the second Challenge Round leg of the 2015 CEV Volleyball Cup - Women to qualify for the semifinals after two three-point victories over the French opponent. The Azerbaijani powerhouse took 64 minutes to close the match at the Sarhadchi Sport Olympic Center by 3:0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-17). In the first two sets Beziers helped with many unforced errors and Rabita took advantage of them dominating on the court for 25-16 and 25-22. In the second set, the home team also made quite a few mistakes, but was more precise in its play in the conclusive moments. With the overall winner of this clash already determined, in set three the squad from Baku had to work hard to earn the victory, as both sides played more relaxed and with a lot fewer errors, leading to a 17-17 tie. But then it was time for Rabita’s servers and spikers to shine. Eight consecutive points for the home heroines put an end to the match at 25-17. Foluke Akinradewo and Aurea Cruz scored 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Rabita to top the charts of the match, while Bojana Markovic was Beziers’ most prolific player with 11 points. In the semifinals of the CEV Cup, where Rabita will play for the second time in history, it will measure up to the winner of the clash between Russia’s Dinamo Krasnodar and France’s Nantes VB.