It “needed” them, but the Men’s National Volleyball team turned things around in Norway

The men’s volleyball national team pulled off a comeback to beat Norway 3-2 in the Nordic country, despite trailing 0-2, in the 2023 European Championship qualifying group opener to claim its first win in the group ahead of the second round clash game against Croatia in Glyfada next Sunday.

The representative group struggled across the board in the first two sets, but their clear superiority as a team earned them victory in the tiebreak.

The “key” to the upset was the entrance of Giorgos Tzioumakas in the third set, with the Greek diagonal providing solutions in the service and in the attack. Dante Bonifande’s players in the second set, although leading 17-11, lost their concentration, while having complaints from the two referees.

But, with a sustained counter-attack, they took the game to the tie-break, where with psychology and, in combination with the injury of the Norwegian cross Jonas Kvalen, they achieved the total upset.

Petraeus was the top scorer for the National Team with 16 points, while Tziumakas and Protopsaltis had 14 each.

In the tie break, the National Team, with two blocks from Petraea and Giumaka, took a 4-0 lead. With the score at 1-4, Kvalen, Norway’s leading player, withdrew with an injury problem. Greece at the change of terrain was at +6, setting the stage for the upset. Giorgos Tzioumakas was the one who finished the match, making 9-15.

Fluctuation:

1st set: 6-8, 16-14, 21-15, 25-19

2nd set: 5-8, 10-16, 16-21, 27-25

3rd set: 4-8, 13-16, 19-21, 23-25

4th set: 5-8, 14-16, 18-21, 21-25

5th set: 1-5, 4-10, 5-12, 9-15

*Norway’s points came from 5 aces, 65 attacks, 5 blocks and 30 opponent errors and Greece’s points came from 4 aces, 64 attacks, 9 blocks and 32 opponent errors.

The sets: 25-19, 27-25, 23-25, 21-25, 09-15 in 135′

NORWAY (Tore Alexandersen): Kvalen 29 (23/45 ff., 3 aces, 3 blocks), Huss 11 (11/27 ff., 43% sub. – 29% excellent), Olmstad 10 (9/25 ff., 1 block, 53% sub. .- 32% excellent), Tele 5 (4/7 ff., 1 ace), Takvam 9 (9/15 ff.), Kavli 11 (9/19 ff., 1 ace, 1 block) / Bergum (l, 52% sub – 22% excellent), Olsen, Hattervik, Sunde

GREECE (Dante Bonifande): Petreas 16 (13/16 ff., 3 blocks), Andreopoulos 7 (5/10 ff., 2 blocks, 38% sub. – 17% excellent), Protopsaltis 14 (13/30 ff., 1 block, 56% sub – 36% excellent), Galiotos 1 (1 ace), Mouchlias 8 (8/19 ff.), Linardos 1 (1 block) / Kokkinakis (l, 79% sub. – 46% excellent), Tzioumakas 14 (11/ 22 ref., 2 aces, 1 block), Koumendakis 5 (5/16 ref., 14% sub. – 14% excellent), Kasampalis