Preview: Round 2 of the Men’s National Volleyball League
Matches in Round 2 of the Men’s National Volleyball League will take place on October 22–23 in Almaty, Taraz, Taldykorgan and Oskemen.
Burevestnik (Almaty) vs Zhaiyq (West Kazakhstan Region)
Venue: Dostyk Sports Complex, Almaty
Match times: October 22 and 23, 19:00
After securing two victories over Atyrau in the opening round and collecting six points, Marat Imangaliyev’s team moved into sole possession of first place in the league standings.
This time, Burevestnik will host Zhaiyq from Oral, the reigning bronze medallists of the National League, who had a bye in the opening round.
Taraz vs Atyrau
Venue: Karatau, Youth Sports School No. 31
Match times: October 22 and 23, 16:00
In the previous round, Taraz shared the points with Aktobe. This time, they will face an Atyrau side eager to bounce back after failing to earn a single point so far.
Igor Nikolchenko’s coaching staff will undoubtedly have learned valuable lessons from their two defeats in Almaty. That means Yuri Bashkatov’s team should expect a challenging encounter.
Zhetysu (Zhetysu Region) vs Aktobe
Venue: Zhastar Sports Palace, Taldykorgan
Match times: October 22 and 23, 18:00
The finalists of last season’s National League will meet in Taldykorgan. A clash between the reigning champions and the silver medallists is always a standout fixture.
Now, all that remains is to see whether the teams live up to the fans’ expectations and deliver a fiercely competitive contest.
Berel (East Kazakhstan Region) vs Okzhetpes
Venue: Zhekpe-Zhek Sports Palace, Oskemen
Match times: October 22 and 23, 18:00
The Kokshetau club assembled a strong squad during the off-season and has already stunned Zhetysu in Taldykorgan, taking all three points from the reigning champions.
This time, Okzhetpes will face the young team coached by Rafail Gilyazutdinov on their home court. Berel collected two points in their opening-round encounter with North Kazakhstan Region’s Quanysh. They should therefore not be underestimated.
