Starting Line-up of the 11th Match-Day: Sporklub First Volleyball League (Men)

The eleventh match-day of the Sportklub First Slovenian Volleyball League for men brought no surprises, as all the favoured teams lived up to expectations and secured the maximum three points.

The eleventh match-day saw the leading teams largely justify their status. ACH Volley Ljubljana cruised past Merkur Triglav Kranj, while Alpacem Kanal overcame Fužinar Ravne despite dropping a set. Calcit Volley recovered from a slow start to defeat Panvita Pomgrad 3–1 in Kamnik, taking control from the second set onwards. The match-day concluded in Maribor, where i-Vent Maribor once again defeated Krka, driven by an outstanding attacking display from Carlos Santana, and consolidated their hold on second place in the league table.

The eleventh match-day began with two fixtures in Ljubljana and on Ravne na Koroškem. In Hala Tivoli, ACH Volley Ljubljana hosted Merkur Triglav Kranj, while Alpacem Kanal travelled to face Fužinar Ravne. Both favourites secured victories: the Ljubljana side won comfortably, whereas the young Fužinar team managed to take one set from Kanal but ultimately lacked the energy and composure to push for more.

In Kamnik, Calcit Volley welcomed Panvita Pomgrad from Prekmurje. The visitors made a lively start, taking an early lead and convincingly winning the opening set. The hosts responded with a more determined approach in the second set, led by captain Pavlović and supported by opposite Oman. A narrow early advantage proved sufficient for Calcit to level the match. Despite a late surge by Adžović, including a service run at 22–24, the set remained with the home side. The third set followed a similar pattern, with Pavlović’s serving giving Calcit the first break points and allowing them to control the set to the finish. The fourth set was largely a formality, as the team from Murska Sobota appeared to lose belief.

The final match of the match-day, played in Maribor between i-Vent Maribor and visitors Krka from Novo mesto, unfolded in much the same way as their earlier meeting this season. The home side remained composed even when trailing, and in the decisive moments responsibility was taken by opposite Carlos Santana Charles. He scored 30 points across four sets—two from serves, two from blocks, and the rest in attack at almost 60 per cent efficiency. An impressive performance that earned him another place in the Team of the Match-Day and secured three more points for Maribor, who remain second in the standings.

The Team of the Match-Day highlighted players who combined efficiency with composure in decisive moments. Vid Ranc delivered an outstanding all-round performance, while Črt Bošnjak provided stability on reception for Calcit. Carlos Santana Charles dominated as opposite, particularly in tight finishes, and the middle blockers Pavlović and Fink impressed with their serving impact and attacking efficiency. Nejc Najdič once again justified his selection as setter with a strong all-round contribution, while libero Jožef Verdinek proved reliable under sustained pressure on reception.

In the receiving positions of the Team of the Match-Day, Vid Ranc and Črt Bošnjak were selected once again. Ranc was clearly highly motivated and focused against his former club, finishing with 22 points in total, including two aces and two blocks. He stood out in particular for his points won–lost ratio, recording an outstanding +15, which indicates an almost flawless performance. It was evident that the venue in Ravne suits him extremely well. Črt Bošnjak dealt calmly with every critical situation for Calcit, scoring 17 points overall. Even more importantly, he brings a sense of composure to the team, as even strong servers struggle to put him under pressure on reception—raising the question of why they choose to serve him at all.

The opposite of the Match-Day was Carlos Santana Charles, who contributed the already mentioned 30 points for i-Vent Maribor against Krka. Even more significant than the total itself was his ability to finish attacks in the closing stages of sets, particularly when Maribor were trailing.

The middle blockers of the Match-Day are once again Uroš Pavlović and Miha Fink. Pavlović, facing his former club Panvita Pomgrad, provided the early leads in all three sets won by Calcit, primarily through effective float serves. The advantages gained on his serve were then successfully maintained until the end of each set. Miha Fink scored nine points against Fužinar—two blocks, one ace, and six points in attack—while achieving an impressive 75 per cent attacking efficiency.

Finally, the setter of the Match-Day is once again Nejc Najdič, who tends to deliver almost every time he is given sufficient playing time, something that has not been particularly frequent this season. He scored five points: three from blocks, one ace, and one from attack.

The libero of the Match-Day is Jožef Verdinek, who made good use of one of his rare opportunities. Although he was a clear target for the servers of Merkur Triglav Kranj, he remained composed, recording over 60 per cent positive reception, including nearly 30 per cent excellent receptions.